WordPress Launches Studio App for Building Sites on Windows Desktop

WordPress Studio is a free and open-source local WordPress development environment. It benefits both developers and non-developers by providing an easy-to-use platform to create, test, and develop WordPress sites locally. This helps avoid mistakes on live websites and offers a simpler, faster, and cheaper alternative to online testing sites. Key features include:

• Demo sites: Share interactive snapshots of local sites with clients or colleagues.
• Superfast WordPress installation: Create unlimited local sites.
• Dependency-free building: Build sites without Docker, NGINX, Apache, or MySQL.
• One-click admin: Open WP Admin with just one click.
• Open your site anywhere: Use your favorite IDE, CLI, or file browser.
• Exporting a theme: Export themes as zip files for live or staging environments.

Local development with WordPress Studio improves the development process by allowing users to work on a website from their desktop rather than on a webhost. This offers several advantages:

• Convenience: Easier to work directly on a desktop environment.
• Safety: Reduces the risk of making mistakes that could affect a live site.
• Cost and Speed: Cheaper and faster than creating online testing sites.
• Ease of Use: Simplifies the process for those with less development skills, making it easier to test new plugins and create demo sites.

To create and share a demo site using WordPress Studio, follow these steps:

1. Create a WordPress.com account: Sign up if you don't already have one.
2. Connect Studio to WordPress account: Link the local Studio desktop app to your WordPress account.
3. Create demo sites: You can host up to five demo sites for free on a temporary domain (WP.build).
4. Update demo sites: Free demo sites last for 7 days after the last update, so update them as needed.
5. Delete demo sites: Manually delete demo sites from the hosted demo or the desktop when no longer needed.

WordPress Studio stands out from other local development platforms due to its specific focus on WordPress and its user-friendly features:

• Demo sites: Share interactive snapshots without needing Ngrok-like tunnels.
• Superfast WordPress installation: Create unlimited local sites quickly.
• Dependency-free building: Build sites without the need for Docker, NGINX, Apache, or MySQL.
• One-click admin: Access WP Admin with a single click.
• Open your site anywhere: Use your preferred IDE, CLI, or file browser.
• Exporting a theme: Easily export themes as zip files for live or staging environments.
• Built by the biggest contributor to WordPress core: Ensures deep integration and reliability.

Local development is popular among WordPress users for several reasons:

• Convenience: Allows developers to work directly on their desktop environment.
• Safety: Minimizes the risk of errors affecting a live site.
• Cost-effectiveness: Cheaper than setting up online testing sites.
• Speed: Faster development and testing process.
• Ease of Use: Simplifies the learning curve for those with less development experience, making it easier to test plugins and create demo sites.