Why you should use Laravel in 2024
Laravel was released in 2011 by Taylor Otwell and has grown in more than 12 years into a mature fully-fledged PHP framework with a lot of features and a growing ecosystem. Before I started using Laravel, creating a new PHP project was always a lot of work and copy-and-paste. I had to deal constantly with important but repeating tasks like authentication, session handling, database connection and querying, templating and so much more.
I first used Laravel in 2013 in version 4.x. Back then, its range of functions was nowhere near as extensive as it is today; there was a much smaller community and hardly any official extensions and ecosystem for Laravel. But even at that time, it was a pleasure to implement projects with it. I used it even for small projects as it was always a good starting point and way faster than starting over and over from scratch.
Today, things are looking way different, and in my opinion, it makes more sense than ever to use Laravel for your projects. In this article, I want to give you 12 reasons why you should use the 12-year-old framework in 2024.
Let’s get started!
1. Great Popularity
According to the JetBrains PHP report of 2023, Laravel is the most regularly used framework by PHP developers. Laravel is also the most searched PHP framework on Google Trends; none of the other frameworks come close. While popularity alone doesn’t guarantee quality, the large community suggests a robust ecosystem and widespread adoption.
2. Super versatile
Laravel has become very versatile over the years. You can still create Applications with just Laravel and Blade. However, nowadays, it’s also possible to create Laravel applications using frontend technologies like Inertia with Vue.js, React or Svelte. And of course, it’s also possible to create only an API that is consumed by your independent frontend.
3. Passionate founder
Taylor Otwell is the founder of Laravel and his passion over the years made Laravel what it is today. He is the man behind Laravel and no change is made without him. He is a great developer and person and has led Laravel in the right direction over the years.
4. MVC Out of the Box
Laravel supports the MVC (Model-View-Controller) pattern out of the box and there are Laravel features for each of the three parts. With the help of Eloquent, models can be easily created and used to query a database. Views can be implemented very elegantly with routing and Blade templates, and Laravel controllers offer all the necessary functions to handle incoming requests and send responses.
5. A large Number of Features
While it’s challenging to list them all, Laravel provides almost everything needed for application development: Routing, Models, Views, Controllers, Responses, Sessions, Validation, Error Handling, Logging, Task Scheduling, Broadcasting, Localization, Queues, ORM, Testing, and so much more. Even as a hardcore Laravel user I still figure out new features.
6. Easy to Learn
Laravel is easy to learn as it naturally follows the MVC pattern and offers understandable APIs. It’s not hard for a new developer to start using Laravel and write small applications in a short time. Some developers argue, that the syntax is complicated, but in my opinion, it’s not hard if you get used to it.
7. Beautiful Starter Kits
Laravel offers a wide variety of starter kits to suit different tastes. These kits help you get started even faster. With Breeze, you can directly extend your newly installed Laravel installation with functions like registration, login, password reset, and email verification. There are various scaffolding options to choose from including Blade, Livewire, React/Vue and Next.js/API.
If you want even more, Laravel offers Laravel Jetstream, another starter kit that comes with additional features like team functionality, two-factor authentication and more.
8. Large Community
The Laravel community is one of the most active and supportive in the PHP development world. This not only helps find information and assistance, but also leads to a wide range of Laravel packages on GitHub that can extend Laravel’s functionality even further.
9. Laravel Ecosystem
Over the years, Laravel has built up a large ecosystem. Looking at the footer of laravel.com you can investigate what Laravel offers in addition to the framework. For example, they provide a local development environment, different options for deployment or a billing package. Some stuff is for free, for some features you have to pay. But everything is there to help you create and deploy your application faster and with much more fun. Of course, these things are all optional; they can be used but you don’t have to.
10. Continuous Improvement
Laravel is known for its continuous improvements and regular updates. Each new version brings enhancements or new features, ensuring that developers are always equipped with the latest tools and practices.
11. Livewire
Last year, Livewire was released in version 3.x at Laracon US. Livewire is a framework for Laravel that allows you to build dynamic front-end UIs in PHP without writing your own Javascript. With Laravel Volt, you can even develop single-file components with a functional API. So, if you are a PHP developer who wants to create powerful, dynamic frontends, you should definitely try Livewire.
12. Laravel 11.x coming soon
This year, Laravel version 11.x will be released. One focus will be reducing the size of the boilerplate, making the framework more modern and streamlined than ever. This is especially helpful for newcomers who won’t be longer overwhelmed by many unfamiliar files.
Conclusion
The journey through Laravel’s evolution and its strengths showcased in this article reflects my enthusiasm for the framework. It’s important to note that, like any technology, Laravel may have its challenges and criticisms. While I’m aware of them, the intention of this article is to show the positive aspects that have contributed to Laravel’s sustained popularity and success.
If you’re considering Laravel for your projects, I encourage you to explore its capabilities and join the big community that continues to contribute to its growth.
Yours sincerely, Florian.