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Install API Maker

API Maker Launchpad installs API Maker for you. It is a free desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux. You pick a folder and press a button : Launchpad downloads API Maker, starts the databases it needs, and opens the admin panel.

In short

  1. Start Docker, then install Launchpad.
  2. In Launchpad, press New project, then Install & start.
  3. Press Open admin panel, and sign in with the email and password Launchpad shows.
API Maker Launchpad : one folder, Docker for the databases, API Maker and its admin panel on your computer API Maker Launchpad desktop app macOS · Windows · Linux pick a folder, a version, click Start my-api-maker/ · the workspace folder everything lives here, nothing inside the containers API Maker one native program, from npm :38246 · its APIs and WebSockets admin panel :4626 opens in your browser Docker (Desktop, OrbStack, Colima, Engine…) MongoDB replica set · :38248 Redis :7479 Your databases PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle… Local Client your custom APIs, schemas, hooks… as files, two way sync with the admin panel, git optional Your editor VS Code, WebStorm, Zed… edit the files, run npm run test, let an AI agent work in the folder
Run API Maker on Your Computer with Launchpad, in One Click13 chapters and the transcript

What you need
Docker Docker Desktop, OrbStack, Rancher Desktop, Colima or Docker Engine. Start it before Launchpad.
Your computer macOS 13 or later · Windows 10 or 11 · Linux : Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, Fedora 39+
Memory about 4 GB free

1. Download Launchpad

⌘macOS 13 Ventura or later · Apple silicon and Intel UniversalDisk image .dmgZip .zip Open the .dmg and drag the app to Applications.
⊞Windows Windows 10 and 11 x64Installer .exePortable .zip ARM64Installer .exePortable .zip Installs for your user, no administrator rights needed.
>_Linux Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, Fedora 39+ x64Debian, Ubuntu .debAny distro .tar.gz ARM64Debian, Ubuntu .debAny distro .tar.gz Needs GTK 3 and WebKitGTK 4.1 ; the .deb installs them.
Version 1.0.0 · the SHA-256 checksum of every file and the install steps are on apimaker.dev/download

On a Mac, open the .dmg and drag the app to Applications. If macOS blocks the first start, open System Settings → Privacy & Security and press Open Anyway.

2. Make a project

Open Launchpad. On the welcome screen, check that System check shows Docker with a green tick, then press New project.

The welcome screen of API Maker Launchpad, with the New project button
The welcome screen of Launchpad.
  1. New project makes a folder and sets API Maker up in it.
  2. System check : Docker must show a green tick.

Give the folder a name and choose where it goes, then press Create. Everything of the project stays in this folder : API Maker, its settings, its logs and the data of its databases.

The New API Maker project dialog : a folder name, where to create it, and Create
  1. A name for the folder of the project.
  2. Where to create it.
  3. Create.

3. Choose how it runs

Set up API Maker in this folder : the choice between Native and Full Docker
  1. Native : API Maker runs as a program, its databases in Docker. Pick this one.
  2. Full Docker : everything runs in Docker.

Keep Native, the default : API Maker runs as one program on your computer, and its databases run in Docker. It starts fastest and uses the least memory. Full Docker puts everything in Docker, if you prefer nothing outside Docker. You can switch later. Press Next.

4. Pick the version

The project name and the version of API Maker to install
  1. The name of your project.
  2. The version of API Maker. The newest is chosen for you.
  3. Next.

Name the project. The newest version of API Maker is chosen for you, and so are the versions of MongoDB and Redis. Press Next.

The next screen shows the ports. The defaults are free ports : keep them, and press Next.

5. Install and start

Ready for take-off : the summary of the project and the Install and start button
  1. What Launchpad will set up.
  2. Install & start.

Check the summary, then press Install & start. The first start downloads about 230 MB on a Mac (120 MB on Linux), then starts MongoDB, Redis and API Maker. The progress shows each step. It takes a minute or two.

6. Open the admin panel

The dashboard of a running project : Open admin panel, the endpoints and the users to sign in with
  1. Open admin panel opens it in your browser.
  2. The addresses of the admin panel and of your APIs.
  3. The email and password to sign in with. The eye shows the password.

Press Open admin panel. Sign in with the Admin user of the card on the right : [email protected] and its password (the eye shows it). The Root user manages the installation itself : you rarely need it.

That's it : API Maker runs on your computer. The next step shows the admin panel.

Add a database

API Maker gives APIs to the tables of your databases. Launchpad can run a database for you, in Docker. Open the Databases page of the project and pick an engine : MongoDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle, TiDB or Percona.

Sample data fills the new database with rows to try right away : the sample shop of these docs, or a well-known sample of that engine, such as Sakila, Pagila, Northwind, AdventureWorks LT or the sample data of MongoDB. Keep None for an empty database.

The dialog to add a MySQL database in Launchpad : name, version, database and the Add button
  1. A name for the database server.
  2. Its version.
  3. The database to make in it.
  4. Add MySQL.

Keep Add to API Maker on. Once the database runs, it is an instance of API Maker : a database server that API Maker reads and writes, its tables with their APIs.

The card of a database in Launchpad, with Create instance in API Maker
  1. Create instance in API Maker : its APIs are ready at once.

A database you already have works too : Your first API shows how to connect it.

Databases on Your Computer: 8 Engines, Any Version, One Click10 chapters and the transcript

Your code in your editor

The Local Client page keeps a folder of your computer in sync with API Maker, both ways. Edit your custom APIs, schemas, hooks and test cases in VS Code, WebStorm, Zed or any editor. What you save in the admin panel lands in the folder too.

The Local Client page of Launchpad : the folder kept in sync, and the buttons to open it in an editor
  1. What was synced, both ways.
  2. Open in your editor.
  • Where the code is kept : a Git repository on this computer (recommended), GitHub or GitLab, or a plain folder.
  • Nothing is committed for you. You commit when you want : from the page, from the Git page of the admin panel, or with git.
  • npm run test in the folder runs your test cases.
  • More : Developer tools.
Code Your Backend in VS Code: Two-Way Sync with the Local Client12 chapters and the transcript

Languages for native APIs

Your code runs in sandboxes, which bring their own language. Code marked Run on native process runs on your computer instead, with a language installed there (native process). A new project uses no native language until you choose some on its Languages page :

  • Use them takes the languages your computer has already : Launchpad looks on the PATH, in Homebrew, nvm, pyenv, rustup, SDKMAN and the like.
  • Or pick a version, and Launchpad downloads it from its publisher, checks it, and keeps it in ~/.api-maker-launchpad/languages. Nothing is installed in your system.
  • Only API Maker sees them : nothing changes in your shell.
Language Program Note
Node.js, Bun node, bun
Python python3 3.12 or later
PHP php with FFI
Go, Rust go, cargo need a C compiler (Xcode Command Line Tools, gcc) ; Go does not run native code on Windows
C# dotnet (the SDK)
Java, Kotlin java (a JDK), kotlinc Kotlin runs on the JDK
Node.js, Python, Go and Java for Native APIs, Installed for You10 chapters and the transcript

Several projects

Each project has its own folder, its own ports and its own tab. Run several at once. Delete removes a project with everything it made, after you type its name.

Many Projects on One Computer: Tabs, Settings and Your Editor in Sync9 chapters and the transcript

Good to know

The ports

New projects get free ports. These are the defaults :

Service Port
API Maker : its APIs and its WebSockets 38246
Admin panel 4626
MongoDB of API Maker 38248
Redis of API Maker 7479
Your databases MongoDB 27018 · PostgreSQL 5433 · MySQL 3307 · MariaDB 3308 · Percona 3309 · TiDB 4001 · SQL Server 14330 · Oracle 1522

The services listen on 127.0.0.1 on macOS and Windows, and on 0.0.0.0 on Linux. The address is a project setting.

The folder of a project

Launchpad keeps everything in the folder you picked : API Maker, its settings (config/.env, config/docker-compose.yml), the logs and the data of every database (docker-data/…). Docker only runs the containers : no data lives inside them.

The license key

On your computer, Launchpad sets the key ____your_license_key____ : it is free, for development, and never sent to the license server (the license page of the admin panel shows LOCAL). A server that serves other people needs a key of its own : write to [email protected]. What the license check sends.

Closing the app

Closing Launchpad stops everything it started. If it closes by accident, a small watchdog stops API Maker and its containers for it.

Cloud mode : your servers

The Cloud switch, at the top right of Launchpad, turns it to your servers : it installs API Maker on servers you rent anywhere, over SSH, with HTTPS. The last step of the learning path shows it : Put it on a server.

Next step · 3 of 7 The admin panel Sign in, and find your way around.