---
id: pulumi-local
version: "1.3.0"
license: Apache License 2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# pulumi-local — Thin wrapper script to use Pulumi with LocalStack

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 150.2K/mo

## What it is and what it does

pulumi-local is a command-line wrapper that intercepts Pulumi deployment commands and automatically configures them to target a local AWS emulation environment (LocalStack) instead of real AWS. It works by running `pulumi config` to inject LocalStack-specific AWS endpoint and credential settings before executing the original Pulumi command.

You use it exactly like the `pulumi` command itself—same syntax, same operations (up, destroy, preview, cancel)—but it handles the LocalStack plumbing behind the scenes. It supports multiple configuration strategies for managing stack state (overwrite, override, or separate stacks) and can run in non-interactive mode for CI/CD pipelines. The package has no runtime dependencies and is actively maintained, though it explicitly does not support the aws-native Pulumi package.

Use it for:

- Test Pulumi infrastructure code locally before deploying to real AWS, catching configuration errors without cloud costs.
- Develop and iterate on infrastructure-as-code in a local environment where you control the entire AWS mock stack.
- Run Pulumi deployments in CI/CD pipelines against LocalStack for fast, repeatable integration tests.
- Prototype multi-service AWS architectures locally without provisioning actual resources or incurring charges.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

A command-line wrapper that adapts Pulumi infrastructure-as-code deployments to work with LocalStack, a local AWS emulation environment, by automatically configuring AWS endpoints and credentials.

Yes, if you already use Pulumi and LocalStack together. The wrapper eliminates manual endpoint configuration and makes local testing seamless. However, it's only useful in that specific workflow—if you don't need LocalStack or use Pulumi only for real AWS deployments, it adds no value. The active maintenance, permissive license, and zero vulnerabilities make it safe to adopt.

## Install

pip install pulumi-local
uv add pulumi-local
poetry add pulumi-local

## Installing pulumi-local

Before you install: Installation is straightforward via pip, but the high friction rating reflects that this is a thin wrapper requiring both Pulumi and a running LocalStack instance as external prerequisites—not a standalone tool. The package is actively maintained with recent commits and no known vulnerabilities.

License in practice: Released under Apache License 2.0 (permissive), so you can use, modify, and distribute it freely in most contexts without restriction.

Quickstart:

pip install pulumi-local

# Requires LocalStack running locally
export AWS_ENDPOINT_URL=http://localhost:4566
pulumilocal new typescript -y -s lsdev --cwd myproj
pulumilocal up --cwd myproj

Requires a LocalStack instance running on your local machine and Pulumi CLI already installed on your system PATH.

Verify before relying:

- Whether aws-native package support is planned or if this limitation is permanent
- Compatibility with Pulumi versions beyond what the wrapper's test coverage confirms

## Package facts

- License: Apache License 2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 150.2K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

pulumi localstack integration, local aws testing infrastructure, pulumi local development, aws endpoint configuration wrapper, infrastructure as code testing, infrastructure-as-code, local-development, aws-emulation

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/pulumi-local) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/pulumi-local/)