Manage your localhost dev servers and ports without leaving the editor.
PortPilot puts your registered apps and all active ports in the VS Code sidebar, with a live "PP: N running" status-bar counter. It shares one config with the PortPilot desktop app and an MCP server, so what you see here stays in sync everywhere.
Features
- Sidebar tree of your apps (with collapsible groups) and all active TCP ports, each showing its process and PID.
- Start / stop apps, kill ports, open in browser, change ports, toggle favourites - all from the sidebar.
- Two-phase running detection - an app started on a dynamic or non-preferred port is still detected, showing its live port instead of reading "stopped".
- Status bar: a live "PP: N running" counter; click to refresh.
New in 3.1: Web Portal, hosted from VS Code
Enable portpilot.webPortal.enabled (opt-in, off by default) and PortPilot runs its full browser UI straight from VS Code - no desktop app needed. A "PP Portal" status-bar item appears; click it to open http://127.0.0.1:<port>/.
- Spawns a hardened, loopback-only, token-gated local agent using the editor's own Node.
- Graceful shutdown that works on Windows; the agent self-exits if the editor closes, so it does not orphan.
- Optional
portpilot.webPortal.stopAppsOnStopalso stops the dev servers the portal started.
The portal binds 127.0.0.1 only and is gated by a per-session token. Full threat model in SECURITY.md.
Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
portpilot.webPortal.enabled |
false |
Run the web portal whenever this window is open. |
portpilot.webPortal.stopAppsOnStop |
false |
Also stop the dev servers the portal started when it stops. |
Commands
PortPilot: Start / Stop / Open Web Portal, plus add/edit/delete apps, change ports, kill ports, and scan ports - all from the Command Palette or the sidebar.
Links
MIT licensed.