Installation

Introduction

LocalStack provides multiple installation paths depending on your development environment and requirements. We recommend a CLI-based installation for the most consistent local startup experience.

Use lstk to install, authenticate, and start LocalStack with minimal setup.

LocalStack for AWS features require an Auth Token to activate your running instance. lstk handles authentication through a browser-based login flow, while Docker and CI workflows can use LOCALSTACK_AUTH_TOKEN.

lstk

lstk is a lightweight CLI for LocalStack that manages the authentication and container lifecycle in a single workflow.

Requirement: You must have a working Docker installation before proceeding.

Install lstk

Homebrew

bash brew install localstack/tap/lstk

npm

bash npm install -g @localstack/lstk

Binary

Download the binary for your platform from the GitHub Releases and add it to your PATH.

Start lstk

lstk start

The first execution initiates a browser-based login flow. Subsequent starts use credentials stored in your system keyring.

Update lstk

lstk update

For more details, see the lstk documentation.

Container and orchestration tools

Use these methods when you need explicit container configuration, want to run LocalStack alongside other services, or deploy LocalStack in CI and Kubernetes environments. For everyday local development, lstk is usually simpler.

Docker Compose

Use Docker Compose when you want a reusable configuration file that can be shared across a team or checked into a project repository. Create a docker-compose.yml with the following configuration:

services:
  localstack:
    container_name: '${LOCALSTACK_DOCKER_NAME:-localstack-main}'
    image: localstack/localstack
    ports:
      - '127.0.0.1:4566:4566' # LocalStack Gateway
      - '127.0.0.1:4510-4559:4510-4559' # external services port range
      - '127.0.0.1:443:443' # LocalStack HTTPS Gateway
    environment:
      # Activate LocalStack for AWS: https://docs.localstack.cloud/getting-started/auth-token/
      - LOCALSTACK_AUTH_TOKEN=${LOCALSTACK_AUTH_TOKEN:?} # required for Pro
      # LocalStack configuration: https://docs.localstack.cloud/references/configuration/
      - DEBUG=${DEBUG:-0}
      - PERSISTENCE=${PERSISTENCE:-0}
    volumes:
      - '${LOCALSTACK_VOLUME_DIR:-./volume}:/var/lib/localstack'
      - '/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock'

Execute docker compose up to start.

Docker CLI

Use the Docker CLI for one-off starts or when you want to test a container configuration before moving it into Compose:

docker run \
  --rm -it \
  -p 127.0.0.1:4566:4566 \
  -p 127.0.0.1:4510-4559:4510-4559 \
  -p 127.0.0.1:443:443 \
  -e LOCALSTACK_AUTH_TOKEN=${LOCALSTACK_AUTH_TOKEN:?} \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
  localstack/localstack

Note

The Docker Compose and Docker CLI examples above use the same runtime settings:

• The 4566 port exposes the LocalStack Gateway.
• The 4510-4559 range exposes external service ports used by services that bind additional endpoints.
• The 443 port exposes the LocalStack HTTPS Gateway.
• The Docker socket mount is required for services that start additional containers, such as Lambda.
• Docker reuses a local image if one already exists. Pull explicitly or pin an image tag, such as localstack/localstack:<version>, when you need reproducible CI or team environments.
• If you use Docker bridge networking, container name resolution may not work as expected from other containers. Prefer the default LocalStack networking setup unless you have a specific reason to customize it.
• Configuration variables can be prefixed with LOCALSTACK_ in Docker. For instance, setting LOCALSTACK_PERSISTENCE=1 is equivalent to PERSISTENCE=1.

For more details, see the Docker images, configuration, and networking documentation.

Helm (Kubernetes)

Deploy LocalStack to a Kubernetes cluster:

helm repo add localstack-repo https://helm.localstack.cloud
helm upgrade --install localstack localstack-repo/localstack

Graphical user interfaces (GUIs)

LocalStack Desktop

Manage local instances via a standalone desktop application. Download here.

Install the official extension to manage LocalStack directly from the Docker Desktop.

Troubleshooting

Installation issues typically fall into one of three areas: getting your chosen install method working, activating your license, or reaching LocalStack over the network. This section will guide you to the appropriate guide that contains detailed fixes based on your installation method.

lstk

If you installed via lstk and LocalStack fails to start, authenticate, or pull its image, see lstk troubleshooting.

For first-run authentication (browser login, keyring tokens, or LOCALSTACK_AUTH_TOKEN in CI), refer to Authentication and the Auth Token guide.

Docker Compose and Docker CLI

If you started LocalStack with Docker Compose or the Docker CLI:

• License or credential errors: see Auth Token troubleshooting.
• Container exits during startup, proxy/DNS/TLS issues, or port conflicts: see Startup Troubleshooting FAQs.
• DNS server or port conflicts: see the DNS Server guide.

Ensure you have exported LOCALSTACK_AUTH_TOKEN in your shell before running docker compose up or docker run.

View logs

Stream container logs using the command that matches your install method:

lstk

lstk logs

For lstk CLI diagnostics (separate from container logs), see Logging.

Docker Compose

docker compose logs -f localstack

Docker CLI

docker logs -f localstack-main

Use the container name from your docker run --name flag if you set one.

Helm

kubectl logs -f deployment/localstack

The deployment name follows your Helm release name (default: localstack).

To enable verbose startup logging, capture logs from a failed container, or share a diagnose bundle with support, see How do I capture and share LocalStack container logs for troubleshooting?.

Network connectivity

If your application cannot reach LocalStack after installation, see the networking documentation.

Next steps

Now that you’ve completed installation, proceed to the Auth Token guide to activate LocalStack and prepare your environment for local development.