Choosing Your Project Setup
Intro
When creating a new project in Wappler, you’ll be asked to choose two things:
- Development Environment – where your project runs while you build it.
- Server Model – which back-end technology powers your project.
These two options define how your project works locally and how you’ll eventually deploy it.
Development Environment
This setting controls where your project runs during development.
- Wappler Local Server - default, runs projects locally with minimal setup using Wappler’s built-in internal server.
- Own Server - connect to a server you manage yourself (e.g. WAMP, XAMPP, or IIS).
- Google Firebase Hosting - deploy straight to Firebase.
- Heroku - deploy straight to Heroku.
- Docker - run projects inside Docker containers (recommended for production-like setups).
[!tip]
Most users start with Wappler Local Server or Docker.
Server Model
This defines the back-end technology used in your project:
- NodeJS - modern, flexible, and recommended for new projects.
- PHP - classic option, widely supported, ideal for shared hostings.
- ASP.NET - for Windows / Microsoft stack projects.
- Classic ASP (Deprecated) - available for compatibility only, not recommended.
- None → static projects (HTML only).
[!warning]
Classic ASP is deprecated and should not be used for new projects.
Recommendations
- If you’re new to Wappler:
- Development Environment: Wappler Local Server
- Server Model: NodeJS
Example
When starting a new project:
- Enter a Project Name and choose a Project Folder.
- Pick a Development Environment (e.g. Wappler Local Server).
- Select a Server Model (e.g. NodeJS).
You’re ready to begin building!
[!note]
Most tutorials in these docs apply to all server models.
When steps differ between NodeJS, PHP, or .NET, we’ll point this out with clear notes so you can follow the right workflow for your project.
With this setup explained, you can now continue with Your First Project.