What is using port 5173 on my Mac?

Port 5173 is the default for Vite, the build tool behind modern Vue, React, and Svelte projects. A listener means a Vite dev server is running. Run lsof -i :5173 to confirm.

Why does Vite sometimes use a different port?

If 5173 is already taken, Vite automatically increments to 5174, 5175, and so on. Freeing 5173 lets it return to the default.

Port 5173: What's Using It and Is It Safe to Kill?

Q: Is it safe to kill a process on port 5173?

Yes. It's a local Vite dev server, not a macOS service. Killing it frees the port and stops that server without affecting the system.

Port 5173 is the default port for Vite, the fast build tool used by modern Vue, React, Svelte, and other front-end projects. A listener on 5173 is almost always a Vite dev server you started.

What typically listens on port 5173

Vite dev server: npm run dev in a Vite project serves on 5173 by default.
Frameworks built on Vite: Vue, SvelteKit, and many React setups use it.

If 5173 is busy, Vite quietly moves to 5174 and up, which is why you sometimes see your app on a higher port. It’s in the registered range (1024-49151), so any app can bind it without admin rights.

Is it safe to kill?

Yes. A process on 5173 is a local dev server, not a macOS service. Killing it frees the port and stops that server. Confirm it isn’t one you still need.

Is it suspicious?

On a development machine, no. It’s a routine front-end dev port. Worth identifying only if you don’t recognize the owning process and don’t run Vite projects.

How to find and free port 5173 on macOS

lsof -i :5173

To free it:

kill -9 $(lsof -ti :5173)

Portie shows port 5173 with the app that owns it in its live list, so you can clear a stuck Vite server in seconds.