Localias
Use https://any.domain.you.want for your local dev servers — right inside VS Code.
Tired of juggling localhost:3000, localhost:5173, localhost:8080? Localias lets you access your local dev servers via any domain you want with:
- Trusted certificates
- No browser warnings
- Zero manual setup
Why Localias?
- OAuth & Cookies won't work on
localhost:port — custom domains fix that
- Multiple projects running at once? Give each one a memorable name instead of port numbers
- Share-nothing HTTPS — every domain gets a trusted certificate via mkcert, no more "Your connection is not private"
- Manage everything from VS Code — no config files, no CLI, no terminal
Features
Domain → Port Routing
Map dev.example.org → :5173, site-01.local → :3000, hack.visualstudio.com → :8080 — any domain, any port. Wildcard routes (*.example.com) are also supported for matching all subdomains. Add routes from the sidebar or Command Palette — they take effect immediately.
Automatic HTTPS Certificates
Certificates are generated on-the-fly via mkcert. Per-domain SNI means each domain gets its own cert. Certs auto-renew before expiry.
Hosts File Auto-Management
Domains are automatically added to the hosts file when you create a route and cleaned up when you remove it. Choose between sudo-prompt (secure, per-write auth) or chmod mode (one-time auth, no further prompts). Wildcard routes (*.example.com) and .localhost domains are skipped — they can't go in /etc/hosts or don't need to.
Smart Port Detection
The sidebar shows all listening ports on your machine. Unrouted ports appear in the Unrouted Ports panel — click to instantly create a route. Routes auto-disable when the target port goes offline and re-enable when it comes back.
HTTP/2 & WebSocket Support
Full HTTP/2 with automatic HTTP/1.1 fallback. WebSocket connections are transparently proxied — HMR (Vite, webpack) works out of the box.
Developer-Friendly Error Pages
When a target server is down, Localias shows a styled 502 page instead of a cryptic browser error. Loop detection catches misconfigured proxy chains.
Integrated Terminal CA Trust
NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS is automatically injected into VS Code's integrated terminal, so node, curl, and other tools trust the mkcert CA without extra configuration.
HTTP → HTTPS Redirect
Plain HTTP requests are automatically redirected to HTTPS. A best-effort port 80 listener handles http://domain/ → https://domain/ redirects.
Getting Started
Prerequisites
Install mkcert (Localias will guide you if it's missing):
brew install mkcert # macOS
mkcert -install # trust the CA
Usage
- Open the Localias sidebar in the Activity Bar
- Click + to add a route — type any domain you like (e.g.
app.local), pick a port
- Click ▶ Start — that's it, open
https://app.local in your browser
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
localias.routes |
[] |
Domain → port routing rules |
localias.listenPort |
443 |
Port the HTTPS proxy listens on |
localias.autoStart |
false |
Start the proxy automatically when VS Code opens |
localias.certDir |
~/.localias/certs |
Certificate storage directory |
localias.mkcertPath |
mkcert |
Path to mkcert binary |
localias.manageHosts |
true |
Automatically manage hosts file entries |
localias.hostsWriteMode |
sudo-prompt |
How to write to hosts file (sudo-prompt or chmod) |
localias.tlds |
["localhost"] |
TLD candidates shown when typing a bare domain name |
localias.loopbackDomains |
[] |
Domain suffixes that already resolve to 127.0.0.1 (e.g. localtest.me) — skips hosts file management |
localias.portBlacklist |
(common apps) |
Process names hidden from the Unrouted Ports panel |
Port 443 on macOS
macOS Mojave+ allows non-root processes to bind to privileged ports on all interfaces. Localias listens on 0.0.0.0:443 by default — no sudo needed.
If you still get permission errors, set localias.listenPort to a higher port like 8443.
If you use a proxy tool with Fake IP / Enhanced Mode (Surge, ClashX, etc.), it may intercept DNS for your route domains. This can cause localhost to resolve to a fake IP instead of 127.0.0.1, breaking Vite and other dev servers.
Workarounds:
- Add
localhost to your proxy's always-real-ip list
- Set
server.host: '127.0.0.1' in your dev server config to bypass DNS
- For domains managed via
loopbackDomains, add them to the proxy's bypass list
Localias's proxy itself is immune — it uses a hardcoded loopback connection that bypasses system DNS entirely.
Acknowledgements
Inspired by vercel-labs/portless.
License
MIT
