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Floci

A free, open-source local emulator that runs AWS services on your own machine for development and testing.

GitHub Download 2.4.0
Stars
27.7k
Forks
3.1k
Licence
MIT
Language
Java
Last update
4 days ago
Type
Dev tool

What it is

Floci is a local AWS emulator. It runs AWS-style services on your computer so you can develop and test cloud code without a real AWS account. You point your existing AWS SDK, CLI, or infrastructure tools at a local address (http://localhost:4566) and they work as if they were talking to AWS. The README says it requires no account, no auth token, and no paid feature gates.

  • Create and list DynamoDB tables or S3 buckets with the normal AWS CLI during development
  • Run Terraform against a local AWS-shaped environment before deploying to a real account
  • Use it as a service container in test suites, including via Testcontainers according to the topics list
  • Inspect local resources in the optional browser web console

Great for

  • Developers who want to test AWS code locally without cloud costs
  • Teams running automated tests or CI pipelines that need AWS-like services
  • People migrating from LocalStack who want a drop-in replacement, per the README
  • Engineers testing Terraform, CDK, or OpenTofu configurations locally

Not ideal for

  • Teams that need exact behavior matching real AWS in every edge case, since it is an emulator and the README does not claim full parity
  • People who cannot run Docker or the Floci CLI on their machine, because the main setup paths depend on them
Step-by-step guide: how to use FlociInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

How to get it

  1. 1

    Run with Docker

    You'll need: Docker (for the Docker Compose path)

    Start Floci with Docker Compose

    docker compose up
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Create a compose.yaml file with the floci/floci:latest image and port 4566 mapped, as shown in the README
    • Run docker compose up to start the emulator
    • Export AWS_ENDPOINT_URL=http://localhost:4566, AWS_DEFAULT_REGION=us-east-1, and dummy AWS credentials
    • Run a test command such as aws s3 mb s3://my-bucket
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Use the Floci CLI (floci start, then eval $(floci env)) for the quickest setup, per the README
    • Enable the web console at http://localhost:4566/_floci/ui to inspect resources visually, noting it needs the Docker socket
    • Use the Terraform guide in the docs to provision AWS-shaped resources locally
    • Choose a persistence mode (in-memory, persistent, or hybrid) to match your test needs; the README excerpt is cut off before listing details

Downloads

Source code (.zip)main branch · straight from GitHubRelease 2.4.0Release notes and sourceOfficial website & docsfloci.io/floci/

Strengths

  • No cloud account, auth token, or paid feature gates are required, according to the README
  • Works with standard AWS SDKs, CLI, and IaC tools by changing the endpoint URL
  • Per the README, some services such as Lambda and ECS use real Docker-backed execution rather than mocks

Trade-offs

  • As an emulator, it may not match real AWS behavior in every case; the README does not give a full compatibility matrix in the excerpt provided
  • Some features, such as the web console, need the Docker socket mounted, which has security implications
  • The latest release listed has no binaries, so setup relies on the CLI, Docker image, or building from source

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
floci (this)27.7kDev toolbeginner4 days agoDevelopers who want to test AWS code locally without cloud costs
dokku32.2kAppintermediate4 days agoDevelopers who want Heroku-style deployment on a server they control
semaphore14.4kAppintermediate4 days agoTeams that have outgrown running Ansible or Terraform from a personal terminal
act72.5kDev toolintermediate5 days agoDevelopers who edit .github/workflows files and want faster feedback than commit-and-push cycles
colima31.5kDev toolbeginner23 days agoMac developers who want Docker containers without Docker Desktop
ProxmoxVE30kDev toolbeginner4 days agoHomelab users who run Proxmox VE and want quick installs of common self-hosted services

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.