The grid below represents a comparison of features from the available and most used Webpack development servers.
✅ - Feature Supported
✳️ - Best Feature Support
ℹ️ - Supported, with caveats
⏺ - Feature Not Needed
| webpack-plugin-serve | webpack-dev-server | webpack-serve | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allowed Hosts | ⏺ | ✅ | |
| Bonjour Broadcasting | ℹ️ | ✅ | ℹ️ |
| Configurable Host | ✳️ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Configurable Client Host | ✳️ | ✅ | |
| Configurable Port | ✳️ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom Headers | ℹ️ | ✅ | ℹ️ |
| Custom Middleware | ✳️ | ℹ️ | ✅ |
| History Fallback | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| HTTPS | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| HTTP/2 | ✅ | ✅ | |
| HTTP/2 SSL | ✅ | ||
| Hot Module Replacement | ✳️ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Lazy Mode | ✅ | ||
| Live Reload | ✅ | ||
| Open in Browser | ✳️ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Request Compression | ✅ | ✅ | ℹ️ |
| Progress Overlay | ✳️ | ✅ | ℹ️ |
| Proxying | ✅ | ✅ | ℹ️ |
| Serverless WebSockets | ✅ | ||
| Status Overlay | ✳️ | ✅ | ℹ️ |
| Unix Sockets | ✅ | ||
| WebSocket Reconnect | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Package Size |
- Fully functional Hot Module Replacement with MultiCompilers.
webpack-plugin-serveis the only development server for Webpack which applies HMR updates from multiple compilers/configurations to the page without a page reload. - Host and Port can be set to a
Promise, which allows for dynamic host and port resolution before the server starts. - The client (browser) WebSocket host can be set, allowing full customization for contain environments.
- Fully customizable middleware, including execution order of built-in middleware. Users may implement whichever middleware they desire in the order which works best for them.
- Leverages the
opnmodule and all of it's available options, without restriction, for opening the target application in the browser automatically. - A themed, UX-consistent Build Status (errors, warnings) overlay with minimized beacon mode for monitoring the status of builds during editing.
- A themed, UX-consistent set of Build Progress overlay+indicator, with minimal option.
- Superior serverless WebSocket connectivity.