Comparing DevAll to Alternatives

We tried many alternatives before building DevAll, and none had everything we needed for modern development workflows. This page provides an honest, transparent comparison of DevAll with other popular tools.

TL;DR: Each tool excels at something specific, but none were built for the AI-assisted, real-time feedback loops of 2025 development. DevAll combines the best ideas from all of them.

Concurrently / npm-run-all

What it does well:

🪶 Lightweight - Just a simple npm package, no complex setup
📦 npm-native - Works with your existing package.json scripts
⚡ Fast startup - No overhead, just spawns processes
🎨 Simple colored output - Easy to distinguish services by color

Where it falls short:

❌ Obscure log access for AI agents - Logs are mixed streams in terminal stdout. No API, no MCP integration, no way for AI assistants to read specific service logs
❌ Nuclear restart only - One service crashes? Kill everything with Ctrl+C and restart all services from scratch
❌ No individual service control - Can’t stop, restart, or debug a single service
❌ Log soup - All output streams into one terminal. Finding an error from 5 minutes ago? Good luck scrolling
❌ No status visibility - Is service X running or crashed? Better parse those colored logs

Example pain point:

# Concurrently output when your API crashes
[0] Frontend: Compiled successfully!
[1] API: Error: Connection refused
[1] API: at Socket.connect
[2] Worker: Processing job 1234...
[0] Frontend: webpack compiled with 1 warning
[2] Worker: Job completed
# ... Your AI asks "what's the error?"
# You: *scrolls back 500 lines* *Cmd+A, Cmd+C*

Best for: Simple projects with 2-3 services where you don’t need debugging or AI integration.

DevAll difference: Individual service controls, searchable logs, MCP integration for AI agents to access specific service logs.

Docker Compose

What it does well:

📦 Reproducible environments - Same containers everywhere
🔧 Complex dependencies - Multi-service stacks with databases, caches, queues
📝 Config as code - YAML-based declarative configuration
🌍 Production parity - Run the same images in dev and prod

Where it falls short:

⏰ Slow startup - “Rebuilding images…” can take 2-5 minutes for simple code changes
🐳 Resource vampire - Docker Desktop can easily consume 4-8GB RAM just running containers
🔇 AI blind spot - Your AI assistant can’t see what’s running inside containers. No MCP integration to docker-compose
📋 Log soup 2.0 - docker-compose logs dumps everything with tiny service prefixes
🖥️ Fan noise - Heavy CPU/memory usage makes your laptop sound like it’s taking off
🔄 No selective restart - Restarting one service often rebuilds/recreates containers

Example pain point:

$ docker-compose up
# 3 minutes later...
✓ Built frontend (47 layers)
✓ Built api (32 layers)
# Everything finally running
# You change one line of CSS
# Rebuild takes another 90 seconds...

Best for: Complex microservices with multiple languages/databases that need production-like environments. Integration testing.

DevAll difference: Native process management (no containers), instant startup, AI can see and control everything via MCP, lightweight resource usage.

Foreman / Overmind

What it does well:

📄 Procfile simplicity - One file, dead simple format
⚡ Fast startup - No containers, just processes
🔧 Language agnostic - Run Python, Ruby, Node, whatever
🎨 Colored output - Service names with different colors

Where it falls short:

❌ Terminal only - No UI, just colored text streams
❌ Log archaeology - Scroll through terminal output to find errors. New logs push old ones off screen
❌ Limited individual control - Overmind has some controls, Foreman has almost none
❌ No AI integration - No API, no MCP server, AI can’t access logs or status
❌ Status blindness - Which services are running vs crashed? Parse the terminal output
❌ No log history - Terminal scrollback is all you get

Example pain point:

# Terminal output with Foreman
10:23:15 api.1    | Server running on port 3000
10:23:15 worker.1 | Worker started
10:23:16 frontend.1 | Compiled successfully
# ... 200 more lines ...
10:28:42 api.1    | Error: Database connection failed
# AI asks "what error?"
# You: *tries to scroll back* *gives up* *restarts everything*

Best for: Simple projects where you’re comfortable with terminal-only workflows and don’t need debugging tools.

DevAll difference: Web UI dashboard, searchable logs with history, individual service controls, MCP integration for AI assistants.

PM2

What it does well:

🏭 Production-grade - Battle-tested process management for production
🔄 Auto-restart - Keeps services alive with restart policies
📊 Monitoring - CPU/memory metrics, log rotation
🌐 Cluster mode - Load balancing for Node.js apps

Where it falls short:

🏢 Enterprise-focused - Config feels heavyweight for “just run my dev servers”
🚀 Production mindset - Built for deployment, not rapid local iteration
❌ No AI integration - No MCP server, AI can’t control or query PM2
🖥️ Web UI is an afterthought - PM2 Plus (their UI) feels tacked on, requires account/cloud
🔧 Overkill for dev - You don’t need cluster mode and 99.99% uptime for local development

Example pain point:

$ pm2 start ecosystem.config.js
# Wait, do I need --watch or --no-daemon for dev mode?
# Let me check the docs again...
# Oh right, I need to install pm2-runtime too
# And configure log rotation... for local dev?

Best for: Production deployments where you need rock-solid process management and monitoring.

DevAll difference: Built specifically for dev workflows, instant setup, AI-native integration, UI designed for development (not operations).

tmux / screen

What it does well:

💪 Ultimate power - Full terminal multiplexing control
🔧 Highly customizable - Script anything, automate everything
🌐 Remote sessions - Detach/attach from anywhere
🎯 Precision control - Panes, windows, sessions, all scriptable

Where it falls short:

📚 Steep learning curve - Memorize dozens of keyboard shortcuts
🧩 Configuration complexity - Write tmux scripts in a domain-specific language
👥 Team friction - “Just navigate my tmux layout” doesn’t work for new teammates
❌ No AI integration - Tmux scrollback isn’t accessible via MCP
⌨️ Terminal-only - No visual UI, all keyboard driven

Example pain point:

# tmux config file
bind-key -n C-h select-pane -L
bind-key -n C-l select-pane -R
set -g mouse on
# ... 50 more lines of config you cargo-culted from Stack Overflow
# Your teammate: "How do I switch to the API logs again?"
# You: "Ctrl+B, then arrow key, no wait, I remapped it..."

Best for: Terminal power users who love keyboard-driven workflows and want complete control.

DevAll difference: Zero configuration, works immediately, visual dashboard anyone can use, AI can access logs via MCP.

Multiple Terminal Tabs/Windows

What it does well:

🆓 Free - It’s just using your terminal
🎯 Simple - Open tab, run command, done
💻 Works everywhere - Every OS has terminals

Where it falls short:

🪟 Tab chaos - Which tab is the frontend? Where’s the API? Is it tab 3 or 5?
🔍 Lost logs - Scrollback disappears when terminals close
❌ No status visibility - Is something running or crashed? Check all 7 tabs
❌ No AI integration - AI can’t see what’s running in your Terminal.app tabs
🔄 Manual everything - Start, stop, restart each service individually
💭 Mental overhead - Constantly context switching and remembering what’s where

Example pain point:

# Your tabs
Tab 1: Frontend (or was it tab 2?)
Tab 2: Backend (is this running? Let me scroll up...)
Tab 3: Database (forgot I started this)
Tab 4: Worker (crashed 20 minutes ago, didn't notice)
Tab 5-7: ??? (what are these? Better not close them...)

# Your AI assistant
AI: "Let me start your dev server"
You: "It's already running!"
AI: "Can you share the logs?"
You: *Tab switching intensifies*

Best for: Absolute simplicity with 1-2 services and no need for monitoring.

DevAll difference: All services in one dashboard, real-time status for everything, AI can see and control all services.

Tilt (Kubernetes Dev)

What it does well:

☸️ Kubernetes-native - If you deploy to K8s, dev with K8s
🔄 Live updates - Smart rebuilds when files change
📊 Web UI - Actually has a dashboard
🏗️ Complex orchestration - Handles complex microservice dependencies

Where it falls short:

🎯 Kubernetes-only - Requires K8s (minikube, kind, etc.)
🐳 Container overhead - Still dealing with image builds and container lifecycle
📚 Complex setup - Need to learn Tiltfile syntax and Kubernetes concepts
❌ No AI integration - No MCP support for AI assistants
🔧 Overkill for simple projects - You don’t need Kubernetes to run frontend + backend + DB

Best for: Teams deploying to Kubernetes who want dev/prod parity.

DevAll difference: No Kubernetes required, no containers needed, works with any tech stack, AI-native integration.

Just… Running Commands Manually

What it does well:

🎯 Simple - You know exactly what’s running because you started it
🔧 Flexible - Run anything, anywhere, however

Where it falls short:

🧠 Mental load - Remember which services need to start in which order
🔁 Repetitive - Type the same commands every day
❌ No visibility - What’s running? What crashed? Check each process manually
🤦 Easy to forget - “Why isn’t the API responding?” “Oh right, I never started it”
❌ No AI help - AI has no idea what you’ve started manually

Example pain point:

# Every. Single. Day.
$ cd frontend && npm run dev &
$ cd ../api && npm run dev &
$ cd ../worker && npm run dev &
$ redis-server &
# Wait, which ports are these on again?
# Is the API running? Let me check...
# Forgot to start the database. Again.

Best for: Single-service projects or when you like typing the same commands daily.

DevAll difference: One command starts everything, visual status of all services, never forget to start something.

Comparison Table

Feature	DevAll	Docker Compose	PM2	Turborepo	Concurrently	tmux
Visual Dashboard	✅ Web UI	❌ Terminal only	⚠️ Cloud-based	⚠️ Build UI	❌ Terminal only	❌ Terminal only
AI Integration (MCP)	✅ Built-in	❌ None	❌ None	❌ None	❌ None	❌ None
Individual Service Control	✅ Click to restart	⚠️ Recreate container	✅ Yes	❌ Task-based	❌ All or nothing	⚠️ Via shortcuts
Searchable Log History	✅ Full history	⚠️ docker logs	✅ Yes	⚠️ Build logs	❌ Terminal only	❌ Scrollback only
Startup Speed	⚡ Instant	🐌 Slow (builds)	⚡ Fast	⚡ Fast	⚡ Fast	⚡ Fast
Resource Usage	🪶 Light	🏋️ Heavy	🪶 Light	🪶 Light	🪶 Light	🪶 Light
Learning Curve	✅ Minimal	⚠️ Docker knowledge	⚠️ Moderate	⚠️ Moderate	✅ Minimal	❌ Steep
Smart Port Management	✅ Auto-detect/kill	⚠️ Port mapping	⚠️ Basic	❌ Manual	❌ Manual	❌ Manual
Hot Reload Support	✅ Per-service	⚠️ Slow	✅ Yes	❌ Build-focused	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Config Format	JSONC/YAML	docker-compose.yml	JS/JSON/YAML	turbo.json	package.json	.tmux.conf
Language Support	✅ Any	✅ Any (containerized)	⚠️ Best for Node.js	✅ Any (monorepo)	✅ Any	✅ Any
Best For	AI-assisted dev	Prod-like envs	Production	Monorepo builds	npm scripts	Power users

Why We Built DevAll

After trying all of these tools (and a few we’ve blocked from memory), we realized what was missing:

The Modern Dev Workflow Needs:

AI Integration - Your AI assistant should see what’s running and access logs
Visual Feedback - Status at a glance, not parsing terminal output
Selective Control - Restart just the API, not everything
Fast Iteration - Instant startup, no container rebuilds
Smart Logging - Search history, filter by service, share specific errors
Zero Config Friction - JSONC file, done

What Each Alternative Taught Us:

Docker Compose → The power of declarative config
Foreman → The beauty of simple process management
PM2 → Production-grade reliability patterns
Concurrently → The appeal of npm-native tools
tmux → Power users want granular control
Multiple terminals → The pain that started this journey

DevAll combines the best ideas from all of them and adds what’s missing: AI-native integration, modern UI, and developer experience built for 2025.

When You Should Use Alternatives

DevAll isn’t always the right choice. Here’s when you should use something else:

Use Docker Compose when:

You need production parity with complex dependencies
Running different OS/runtime versions than your host
Sharing environments across teams with different setups
Integration testing with multiple databases/services

Use PM2 when:

Deploying to production servers
Need cluster mode for Node.js load balancing
Require 99.99% uptime and automatic recovery
Running services on remote servers

Use Foreman when:

You love Procfiles and already have them
Terminal-only workflows work for you
Project is simple enough for no debugging tools

Use Concurrently when:

Running 2-3 npm scripts only
Don’t need service-level control or logs
Happy with all-or-nothing restart

Use tmux when:

You’re a terminal power user with .tmux.conf mastery
Remote development is your primary workflow
You enjoy keyboard-driven everything

Use DevAll when:

Working with AI coding assistants (Claude, Cursor, Cline)
Need quick debugging and log searching
Managing 3+ services locally
Want visual status at a glance
Value fast iteration over production parity
Team members have different skill levels

Try DevAll

Ready to see the difference?

npx devall

Takes 30 seconds to get running. No containers, no complex config, no steep learning curve.

Get Started →

This comparison is kept updated as tools evolve. Last updated: October 2024

Found an inaccuracy? Open an issue - we value transparency.