# Local Development

Developing Substreams locally provides several advantages over using production endpoints:

* **Faster iteration cycles** - No network latency or rate limits
* **Complete control** - Customize blockchain state and transactions
* **Cost-effective** - No API usage fees during development
* **Reproducible testing** - Consistent blockchain state for testing
* **Offline development** - Work without internet connectivity

This section provides complete local development environments for different blockchain platforms, each including:

* Local blockchain node (development mode)
* Firehose integration for block streaming
* Example smart contracts/programs
* Complete Substreams modules
* Docker Compose orchestration

## Available Platforms

### Ethereum Development

* [**Ethereum with HardHat**](/how-to-guides/develop-your-own-substreams/on-evm/local-development/hardhat.md) - Complete Ethereum development environment using HardHat for contract deployment and testing
* [**Ethereum with Foundry**](/how-to-guides/develop-your-own-substreams/on-evm/local-development/foundry.md) - Alternative Ethereum setup using Foundry toolkit for faster compilation and deployment

### Solana Development

* [**Solana with Anchor**](/how-to-guides/develop-your-own-substreams/solana/local-development/anchor.md) - Complete Solana development environment using Anchor framework for program development

## Prerequisites

Before starting with any platform, ensure you have:

* **Docker 20.10+** with Docker Compose v2.0+
* **4GB RAM** and **20GB disk space** available
* **Substreams CLI** v1.7.0+ ([installation guide](/how-to-guides/installing-the-cli.md))
* **Rust** with `wasm32-unknown-unknown` target
* Platform-specific tools (detailed in each guide)

## When to Use Local vs Production

**Use local development when:**

* Building and testing new Substreams modules
* Learning Substreams concepts
* Developing with custom smart contracts
* Need reproducible test scenarios
* Working offline or with limited connectivity

**Use production endpoints when:**

* Consuming real blockchain data
* Building production applications
* Need access to historical data
* Require high availability and reliability

## Getting Started

Choose your preferred blockchain platform from the guides above. Each guide provides:

1. **15-25 minute** complete setup time
2. **Step-by-step instructions** with validation commands
3. **Working examples** you can modify and extend
4. **Troubleshooting sections** for common issues
5. **Next steps** for advanced development

{% hint style="warning" %}
These Docker configurations are for local development only - never use in production environments.
{% endhint %}

## Additional Resources

* [Substreams CLI Reference](/reference-material/command-line-interface.md)
* [Creating Protobuf Schemas](/how-to-guides/develop-your-own-substreams/general/creating-protobuf-schemas.md)
* [Dev Container Reference](/reference-material/development-tools/devcontainer-ref.md)


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