Your favorite web development platform, like your favorite restaurant, is probably Local—and now, all the premium tools previously exclusive to the paid version of Local (Local Pro) are available for free!

That means the following features are now available to everyone, for free, as part of Local 6.0:

• Live Links: Sends a near-real time preview link of sites to clients without deploying to staging or production.
• MagicSync: Pushes website updates live with additional file-specific control, includes recommendations for updated, added, and deleted files.
• Link Checker: Scans and locates problem links on a site to avoid issues later
• Instant Reload: Saves time by working with the site code and browser side-by-side to maintain flow-state and streamline CSS changes.
• NEW! Cloud Backups: Syncs Local accounts to Google Drive or Dropbox to save ongoing work and add a site backup to Local whenever needed.

We believe these features benefit the broader WordPress developer community and we want to deliver the full value of Local to more developers than ever.

In tandem with the launch of Local 6.0, the Genesis Framework and sample theme (previously free for WP Engine and Flywheel customers) will be released as free tools for all WordPress users.

The ultimate goal of Flywheel and WP Engine has always been to help designers and developers create and manage bold, beautiful websites using WordPress. With a safe, easy-to-use local environment and access to the Genesis Framework, you can start building incredible sites right now, for free, using some of the most popular developer tools in the world.

Local Pro features now free for Local users

Nearly 300,000 developers across the globe are already unlocking the endless creative potential of WordPress using Local. Because it’s a local sandbox environment where developers can experiment and test changes without damaging the live site, Local puts the focus on what’s important— building beautiful websites, not debugging them.  

By making previously subscriber-only tools like Live Links, MagicSync, Link Checker, Image Optimizer, and Instant Reload available for free, we’re continuing to bring the best, most innovative solutions to more developers. That way, they can continue to improve both their own sites and the larger WordPress ecosystem as a whole!

With an interface that makes it easy to publish your site in just a few clicks (even without internet access!), you can spend less time puzzling over code and more time launching beautiful, functional sites using all the development tools Flywheel and WP Engine customers love.

Download Local today to see what the buzz is all about, or check out a few of the guides, video tutorials, and additional documentation we’ve published about Local to learn more about the platform.

The Genesis Framework + Sample Theme

As an additional push for wider access to more user-friendly site development tools across WordPress, WP Engine is also releasing the Genesis Framework and sample theme for free to the entire WordPress community. 

Genesis, like Local, makes it easy to build and launch fast, functional, attractive websites, and the Genesis sample theme makes it even easier to modify both design and functional elements on your site.

With pre-integrated features for eCommerce, mobile responsiveness, and one-click theme setup, Genesis-built themes offer turnkey solutions for site owners who need a fast, dependable online presence. 

You can download the Genesis framework, visit this demo site using the Genesis framework + child theme, or check out some other helpful resources if you’re interested in learning more.