Kitsmith / Utilities / Personal Web Server
A free, sandboxed local web server — pick a folder, serve it over HTTP on a port you choose, nothing else on disk is reachable.
Our take
About as minimal as this category gets: select one folder, set a port, and it serves that folder’s contents over HTTP — the app is sandboxed so nothing outside the chosen folder is exposed, which is a real safety property rather than a marketing claim. No accounts, no HTTPS, no configuration beyond the port number. That makes it useful for quickly sharing a folder on a local network and not much else; if you need TLS, authentication, or serving multiple sites, look elsewhere. From BejBej Apps, a long-running solo iOS/Mac developer (Cristian Gav) with a couple dozen small utilities in its catalog since 2011.
- Price
- Free
- License
- Proprietary
- Requires
- macOS, per the developer’s listing — specific minimum version not published there.
- Get it via
- Mac App Store
- Developer
- Cristian Gav
Do you use Personal Web Server?
Who made this
Also makes Desktop App for Dropbox
Cristian Gav’s own site (gavcris.app) describes him, in his own words, as an "iOS, MacOS software developer" working in Objective-C and Swift. His Mac App Store developer page lists a wider portfolio beyond the two apps here, including desktop clients for Discord and YouTube and a Trading View chart-insights tool.
What it does
Sandboxed to one folder
The app can only access and serve the folder you select — nothing else on the Mac is reachable.
Configurable port
Set which port the web server listens on.
Runs in the background
Keep the service running without the app in the foreground, with an option to auto-start it when the app launches.
The deal
- Free
- No in-app purchases
Worth knowing: No HTTPS and no authentication — the app’s only safety property is that it can’t serve anything outside the one folder you select, per its sandboxing. Fine for quick local-network sharing, not a substitute for a real web server.
Personal Web Server — questions people ask
Is Personal Web Server free?
Yes, per its listing on the developer’s site and the Mac App Store.
Does Personal Web Server support HTTPS?
No — it serves plain HTTP only.
Who makes Personal Web Server?
Cristian Gav, under the BejBej Apps name — a solo developer with a catalog of small iOS and Mac utilities dating to 2011.
Is Personal Web Server free?
Yes — Personal Web Server is free.
Does Personal Web Server work alongside a notch app like Alcove?
Yes — Personal Web Server lives in the screen, so it runs happily alongside any Dynamic Island hub or notch app.
Where can I download Personal Web Server?
Personal Web Server is available via Mac App Store.
Reviews
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Listing hand-verified August 29, 2026 from the developer's site and public sources.
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