I have found that I switch around development tools relatively often. Over the last two years, I have settled down into what I use the majority of the time now. Here's a list of the hardware & software I use.
2021 M1 MacBook Pro
This has been my primary workstation since the beginning of 2023. It blows my past Intel based MacBooks out of the water. Prior workstations have also been MacBooks as well. I like the flexibility that they give me for traveling and working from coffee shops.
2 x 27" LG UltraFine 5K displays
I am definitely a two monitor type of developer. I like having what I am working on spread out. The LG monitors have been rocking hard for a few years and I have nothing but good things to say about them.
I was a long time user of Sublime, then many (many) years on Visual Studio Code before settling down into PHPStorm in the last year. Many of my newer projects are Laravel based, and the IDE has a wonderful integration with the framework.
I've been using Arc for a few months now and have really enjoyed the unique experience it provides.
Table Plus is a great database management tool. I use it on a regular basis for development & production sites.
I recently switched to Gitfox for managing my projects. This is one of my favorite apps that I use.
Out of all the local development tools that I use, I would recommend Valet over anything else for Mac users. It is on of my favorite tools. I can develop without working about setting up any servers or mess with any configuration.
I switched last year to Laravel Forge and couldn't be happier. It has less features than some of the competition, but I find the UI and ease of use much better than anything else I have tried. Plus, it's also a good way to support the Laravel team.
I use Basecamp to manage all my development projects. I have followed them for years, and switched from my previous project management system when they changed to a per user price model that was easier for me to justify as a solo developer. I can't recommend this enough for project management.
I use things for a lot of daily tasks and managing my personal life. If I have work tasks that don't require a full project on Basecamp, I generally throw them in Things. For my personal life, I use it to set reminders to pay bills, tasks that need done around the house, and my shopping lists.
This is likely the most used app on my computer. I love Raycast. I was a long time user of Alfred and when Raycast was released, it pushed all the right buttons for me to quickly make the switch. It does everything I did in Alfred & 100x more.
I have been using Sketch for a number of years now. I've tried other products that offer similar features and always end up back at Sketch.
Nothing matches the simplicity of Ray for debugging Laravel & PHP projects. I have this app open almost all the time.
If you want to test emails on local development app, this is definitely the way to do it. I spend a lot of time testing email for a few projects that I regularly work on, and this makes it a breeze.