A lightweight browser-based tool for instantly previewing static websites with just a drag and drop.
DropServe is a zero-setup local development server for static websites. It eliminates the tedious workflow of opening a code editor and running a server command just to preview your static site. Simply drag your project folder onto the DropServe interface, and it instantly serves and displays your site.
- 🖱️ Drag & Drop Interface - Just drag your folder onto the browser window
- 👁️ Instant Preview - See your site rendered immediately with all assets
- 📱 Works with Modern Frameworks - Compatible with Vite, Webpack, and other bundlers
- 🔄 Asset Path Resolution - Properly handles absolute paths (e.g.,
/assets/main.js) - 🏃♂️ Zero Setup - No installation, no command line, no dependencies
- 🔒 Fully Local - Everything runs in your browser, files never leave your computer
- Download the
index.htmlanddropserve.jsfiles to the same folder - Open
index.htmlin a modern browser (Chrome, Edge, or other Chromium-based browsers) - Drag your static site folder onto the drop area (or click to select a folder)
- View your site instantly in the preview
DropServe uses a combination of modern browser APIs to create a virtual server right in your browser:
- File System Access API - To read files from your local folder
- Message Passing - To communicate between the parent window and iframe
- Network Interception - To serve local files in response to requests from your site
- Blob URLs - To represent your files in a way the browser can access
This approach means your site runs just like it would on a real server, maintaining all the behaviors and interactions that make your site work.
DropServe requires the File System Access API, which is currently supported in:
- Google Chrome (version 86+)
- Microsoft Edge (version 86+)
- Other Chromium-based browsers (Opera, Brave, etc.)
- Quick previews during development
- Teaching web development without complicated tooling
- Checking outputs from static site generators
- Previewing sites built with modern frameworks (React, Vue, etc.)
- Testing downloaded templates or themes
- Works only in browsers that support the File System Access API
- Does not support server-side functionality (APIs, databases, etc.)
- Cannot access resources from different domains unless they allow CORS
MIT
Created with ❤️ to simplify the web development workflow