Tools: Zappp ⚡ - A Lightning-Fast Alternative to VS Code Live Server

Why I Built Zappp ## Features That Make Development Easier ## 🚀 Zero Configuration ## 🔄 Automatic Live Reload ## 📁 Beautiful Directory Listing ## 🌐 Network Accessible ## 🎨 Developer-Friendly Error Pages ## 🔒 Built-in Security ## Installation ## Usage Examples ## Basic Usage ## Real-World Scenarios ## How It Works ## Command Options ## Why Choose Zappp Over Alternatives? ## Perfect For ## What's Next? ## Try It Today ## Get Involved Ever wished you had VS Code's Live Server extension as a standalone CLI tool? Meet Zappp - a simple, fast static file server with live reload functionality that you can run from anywhere. As developers, we've all been there: you're working on a quick HTML/CSS/JS project, need to test it locally, and reach for Python's SimpleHTTPServer or VS Code's Live Server. But what if you're not in VS Code? What if you want something you can run from any terminal, on any project, instantly? That's why I created Zappp - a zero-configuration development server that just works. No config files, no setup. Just run zappp and you're live. Edit your files and watch the browser refresh automatically. No manual reloading, no browser extensions needed. No index.html? No problem. Zappp shows you a clean directory listing so you can navigate your project easily. Want to test on your phone or share with a colleague? Zappp binds to 0.0.0.0 by default, making your dev server accessible on your local network. Beautiful, informative error pages help you debug issues faster. Protection against directory traversal attacks keeps your file system safe. Install globally with npm: That's it. You're ready to go. Scenario 1: Quick HTML Prototype Scenario 2: Testing on Mobile Scenario 3: Production Build Preview Zappp is built on three core technologies: Simple, elegant, effective. vs Python SimpleHTTPServer vs VS Code Live Server Zappp is actively maintained and I'm planning to add more features day by day... Give it a spin and let me know what you think! Contributions are welcome on GitHub. ⭐ Star the repo 🐛 Report issues 🤝 Contribute Have you tried Zappp? What features would you like to see next? Drop a comment below! Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. Are you sure you want to hide this comment? It will become hidden in your post, but will still be visible via the comment's permalink. Hide child comments as well For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse COMMAND_BLOCK: zappp # Server running at http://localhost:3000 Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: zappp # Server running at http://localhost:3000 COMMAND_BLOCK: zappp # Server running at http://localhost:3000 COMMAND_BLOCK: npm install -g zappp Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: npm install -g zappp COMMAND_BLOCK: npm install -g zappp COMMAND_BLOCK: # Start server in current directory zappp # Serve a specific directory zappp ./dist # Custom port zappp -p 8080 # Open browser automatically zappp -o # Combine options zappp ./public -p 5000 -o Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: # Start server in current directory zappp # Serve a specific directory zappp ./dist # Custom port zappp -p 8080 # Open browser automatically zappp -o # Combine options zappp ./public -p 5000 -o COMMAND_BLOCK: # Start server in current directory zappp # Serve a specific directory zappp ./dist # Custom port zappp -p 8080 # Open browser automatically zappp -o # Combine options zappp ./public -p 5000 -o COMMAND_BLOCK: cd my-landing-page zappp -o # Browser opens automatically, live reload active Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: cd my-landing-page zappp -o # Browser opens automatically, live reload active COMMAND_BLOCK: cd my-landing-page zappp -o # Browser opens automatically, live reload active COMMAND_BLOCK: zappp -h 0.0.0.0 # Visit http://192.168.1.x:3000 on your phone Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: zappp -h 0.0.0.0 # Visit http://192.168.1.x:3000 on your phone COMMAND_BLOCK: zappp -h 0.0.0.0 # Visit http://192.168.1.x:3000 on your phone COMMAND_BLOCK: npm run build zappp ./dist -p 8080 Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: npm run build zappp ./dist -p 8080 COMMAND_BLOCK: npm run build zappp ./dist -p 8080 COMMAND_BLOCK: npm install -g zappp cd your-project zappp -o Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode COMMAND_BLOCK: npm install -g zappp cd your-project zappp -o COMMAND_BLOCK: npm install -g zappp cd your-project zappp -o - Node.js HTTP Server - Fast, reliable static file serving - File System Watcher - Detects changes in your project - WebSocket - Real-time communication for live reload - It spins up an HTTP server to serve your files - A file watcher monitors your directory for changes - A WebSocket connection is injected into HTML files - On file change, the server notifies the browser to reload - ✅ Live reload built-in - ✅ Faster startup - ✅ Better error handling - ✅ Modern WebSocket-based updates - ✅ Works outside VS Code - ✅ Can be used in any terminal - ✅ Programmable (use in npm scripts) - ✅ Lighter weight - ✅ Live reload included - ✅ Zero configuration - ✅ Simpler CLI interface - 🎨 Frontend prototyping - 📱 Testing responsive designs - 🧪 Quick experiments - 📚 Local documentation viewing - 🎓 Teaching and demos - 🚀 Build output preview