mkcert

mkcert is a simple command-line tool designed to solve the common development problem of creating locally-trusted SSL/TLS certificates without the complexity of traditional certificate management. Unlike self-signed certificates that trigger browser security warnings, or real certificates from public CAs that can't work with local domains, mkcert automatically creates and installs a local Certificate Authority (CA) in your system's trust store.

The tool excels in its simplicity - it requires no configuration and works with a single command to generate certificates for any combination of domains, including localhost, IP addresses, and wildcard domains. Once installed, mkcert seamlessly integrates with your system's certificate trust mechanisms across multiple platforms and browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and even mobile devices.

mkcert is perfect for web developers, DevOps engineers, and anyone who needs to test HTTPS functionality locally without the hassle of certificate warnings or complex CA management. It supports multiple root stores including macOS and Windows system stores, various Linux distributions, and even Java applications, making it a versatile solution for diverse development environments.

Installation

# via Homebrew
brew install mkcert

# via APT (Linux)
sudo apt install libnss3-tools && brew install mkcert

# via Chocolatey (Windows)
choco install mkcert