software
Laravel vs Next.js 2026: Which Framework to Choose?
Laravel is a PHP backend framework for server-side web development, while Next.js is a React-based JavaScript framework for full-stack and frontend development. Laravel excels for traditional web applications and REST APIs, whereas Next.js specializes in modern single-page applications with server-side rendering and static generation.
L
Laravel
PHP backend web framework with MVC architecture and comprehensive built-in tools.
Backend developers, REST API development, traditional web applications, startups needing rapid CRUD development
Score71%
VS
N
Next.js
React-based JavaScript framework supporting server-side rendering, static generation, and API routes.
Full-stack JavaScript developers, SEO-critical projects, modern web applications, teams already invested in React ecosystem
Score71%
Quick Answer
AI SummaryLaravel is a PHP backend framework for server-side web development, while Next.js is a React-based JavaScript framework for full-stack and frontend development. Laravel excels for traditional web applications and REST APIs, whereas Next.js specializes in modern single-page applications with server-side rendering and static generation.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose Laravel if you're building traditional web applications, REST APIs, or need a mature framework with comprehensive built-in features (authentication, migrations, ORM). Choose Next.js if you're developing modern, SEO-friendly web applications, need React component reusability, or require server-side rendering and static site generation for performance-critical projects.
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L
Laravel
5.5/10
Next.js
9.5/10
N
L
Choose Laravel if
Backend developers, REST API development, traditional web applications, startups needing rapid CRUD development
N
Choose Next.js if
Best pickFull-stack JavaScript developers, SEO-critical projects, modern web applications, teams already invested in React ecosystem
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Primary Use Case:Backend web framework with MVC architecture vs Full-stack React framework with SSR/SSG
- Programming Language:PHP vs JavaScript/TypeScript
- Built-in Database ORM:✓ Laravel wins(Eloquent ORM included vs Requires third-party (Prisma, Drizzle, etc.))
Key Facts & Figures
85 numeric metrics compared
| Metric | Laravel | Next.js | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Development Speed (MVP)(weeks) | 1.5 weeks | — | — |
| Job Openings (Global, 2025)(positions) | 38,000 | — | — |
| Average Page Load Time(seconds) | 95ms | — | — |
| Developer Satisfaction (2025 Survey)(percentage) | 89% | — | — |
| Installation Size(MB) | ~50 MB | — | — |
| Time to Build CRUD App(hours) | 2-4 hours | — | — |
| Available Third-Party Packages(count) | ~200,000 packages | — | — |
| Market Share Among PHP Developers(%) | 64% of PHP frameworks | — | — |
| Average Response Time (Benchmark)(ms) | 45-60 ms per request | — | — |
| Average Development Time (Basic Site)(weeks) | 4-12 weeks | — | — |
| Global Market Share(%) | ~3% | — | — |
| Reported Security Vulnerabilities (2024)(CVEs) | 23 core CVEs | — | — |
| Available Plugins/Extensions(count) | ~10,000 packages (Composer) | — | — |
| Monthly Hosting Cost (Basic)(USD) | $20-50 | — | — |
| Maximum Concurrent Users (Optimized)(users) | 100,000+ | — | — |
| Initial Setup Time(hours) | 8-12 minutes (Laravel installer + composer) | 3-5 minutes (create-next-app) | |
| Cold Start Latency (Serverless)(milliseconds) | 800-1200ms (PHP cold starts) | 100-300ms (Node.js cold starts) | |
| Average Page Build Time (SSG)(seconds) | 0.8-1.5s per page (Blade templating) | 0.2-0.5s per page (static generation) | |
| Monthly NPM/Composer Downloads(millions) | 2.5M (Packagist) | 18M (npm registry) | |
| Hosting Cost (Entry-Level Annual)(USD) | $24-60/year (shared PHP hosting) | $0-60/month (Vercel Hobby or traditional hosting) | |
| Ecosystem Package Count(thousands) | 280K (Packagist registry) | 3200K (npm registry) | |
| Learning Curve (Time to Productivity)(weeks) | 2-3 weeks | — | — |
| Baseline Project Setup Time(days) | 1 day (php artisan new) | — | — |
| Requests Per Second (Benchmark)(req/s) | 3,200 | — | — |
| Reusable Components(components) | ~12 major packages | — | — |
| Long-Term Support (LTS) Duration(years) | 3 years (standard support) | — | — |
| Time to Deploy Basic CRUD App(days) | 12-16 days | — | — |
| Minimum Monthly Hosting Cost(USD) | $3/month | — | — |
| Average HTTP Response Time(milliseconds) | 22ms | — | — |
| Available Packages/Extensions(count (thousands)) | 45,000+ packages | — | — |
| Active Job Openings (USA, 2025)(positions) | ~12,400 | — | — |
| Official Documentation Pages(count) | ~450 guides | — | — |
| GitHub Stars (2026)(count) | 77,500 stars | 128,000+ | |
| Typical Database Query Overhead(percent slower than raw SQL) | 6-10% | — | — |
| Average Requests Per Second(req/s) | 8,000 req/s | — | — |
| Package Ecosystem Size(packages) | 500,000+ | — | — |
| GitHub Repository Stars(stars) | 77,500 | — | — |
| Time to Build Basic CRUD App(minutes) | 18 minutes | — | — |
| Median Developer Salary (US)(USD) | $105,000 | — | — |
| Learning Curve (Beginner to Productive)(weeks) | 2-3 weeks | — | — |
| GitHub Stars(stars) | 32,400 | 127,000 | |
| Average Page Load Time (no optimization)(milliseconds) | 850-1200 ms | 200-400 ms (with SSG) | |
| Job Postings (2025)(postings) | 215,000 | 285,000 | |
| Latest Stable Release Year(year) | 2025 (v11) | 2025 (v15) | |
| Learning Curve (for beginner developers)(hours) | 40-60 hours | 30-50 hours (React required) | |
| Development Server Cold Start(milliseconds) | 3-5 seconds | 3-5 seconds | |
| HMR Response Time(milliseconds) | 1000-2000ms | 1000-2000ms | |
| Default Bundle Size (Hello World)(KB (gzipped)) | ~180KB | ~180KB | |
| Weekly NPM Downloads(downloads) | 1.2M weekly | 1.2M weekly | |
| Minimum Bundle Size(KB minified+gzipped) | ~65 KB | ~65 KB | |
| Time to First Contentful Paint(milliseconds (average)) | 800-1,200 ms (SSR/SSG) | 800-1,200 ms (SSR/SSG) | |
| SEO-Friendliness Score(out of 100) | 92 (native support) | 92 (native support) | |
| Enterprise Market Share(percent) | 67% | 67% | |
| Production Adoption (2024 Survey)(%) | 68% | 68% | |
| Rendering Methods Supported(count) | 5 (SSR, CSR, SSG, ISR, PPR) | 5 (SSR, CSR, SSG, ISR, PPR) | |
| Build Startup Speed(% faster) | 400% faster | 400% faster | |
| Bundle Size (Average SPA)(KB) | ~180 KB (optimized) | ~180 KB (optimized) | |
| Learning Curve (1-10 scale)(difficulty score) | 4/10 (moderate, flexible) | 4/10 (moderate, flexible) | |
| Developer Preference Rate (2026)(%) | 62% prefer Next.js | 62% prefer Next.js | |
| Default JavaScript Payload (Blog Homepage)(KB) | ~110 KB | ~110 KB | |
| Build Time (100 pages)(seconds) | 8-15 seconds | 8-15 seconds | |
| node_modules Size(MB) | ~450 MB | ~450 MB | |
| Time to First Interactive (Typical Blog)(milliseconds) | ~2,100 ms | ~2,100 ms | |
| Job Market Demand(active positions) | 12,400 | 12,400 | |
| Learning Curve (Time to Competency)(hours) | 80-120 | 80-120 | |
| Default Bundle Size (HelloWorld)(KB (gzip)) | 45 | 45 | |
| App Router/Framework Stability(weeks since v1.0) | 104 weeks (v13.0+) | 104 weeks (v13.0+) | |
| Compatible NPM Ecosystem Packages(packages) | 500K+ React packages | 500K+ React packages | |
| Bundle Size (Hello World)(KB (gzipped)) | 180 | 180 | |
| Time-to-First-Byte (average)(ms) | 245 | 245 | |
| Initial Learning Curve(days) | 40-60 | 40-60 | |
| Job Market Openings (2026)(listings) | 12,400+ | 12,400+ | |
| Production Website Adoption(sites) | 542,000+ | 542,000+ | |
| Build Time (Medium Project ~50 pages)(seconds) | 45 seconds | 45 seconds | |
| Typical Project Setup Time(minutes) | 5 minutes | 5 minutes | |
| npm Weekly Downloads(count) | 3.2 million | 3.2 million | |
| Supported Rendering Modes(modes) | 4 (SSR, SSG, ISR, CSR) | 4 (SSR, SSG, ISR, CSR) | |
| Plugin Ecosystem Size(approximate plugins) | 800+ official integrations | 800+ official integrations | |
| Market Adoption (% of surveyed developers)(percent) | 42% of React framework users | 42% of React framework users | |
| Time to Production (MVP)(weeks) | 3-6 weeks | 3-6 weeks | |
| First Contentful Paint (FCP)(milliseconds) | 1600ms average | 1600ms average | |
| Active Developer Community(millions of users) | 320,000 developers | 320,000 developers | |
| Serverless Cold Start Time(milliseconds) | 200-500ms (optimized) | 200-500ms (optimized) | |
| Package Dependencies (avg project)(npm packages) | 40-80 npm packages | 40-80 npm packages | |
| Learning Curve Duration(hours (beginner to productive)) | 2-3 months (with React experience) | 2-3 months (with React experience) |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
7 attributes compared head-to-head
L
1LaravelNext.js leads2 ties
N
4Next.jsLaravel
Attribute
Next.js
- Backend web framework with MVC architecturePrimary Use CaseFull-stack React framework with SSR/SSG
- PHPProgramming LanguageJavaScript/TypeScript
- Eloquent ORM included(winner)Built-in Database ORMRequires third-party (Prisma, Drizzle, etc.)
- 40-60 hoursLearning Curve (hours for beginner)30-50 hours (if React familiar)(winner)
- 32,000+ starsCommunity Size (GitHub stars)127,000+ stars(winner)
- 215,000+ job postings globallyJob Market Demand (2025)285,000+ job postings globally(winner)
- Standard (client-side rendering required)SEO CapabilitiesExcellent (built-in SSR and static generation)(winner)
- Primary Use Case
Laravel
Backend web framework with MVC architecture
Next.js
Full-stack React framework with SSR/SSG
- Programming Language
Laravel
PHP
Next.js
JavaScript/TypeScript
- Built-in Database ORM
Laravel
Eloquent ORM included(winner)
Next.js
Requires third-party (Prisma, Drizzle, etc.)
- Learning Curve (hours for beginner)
Laravel
40-60 hours
Next.js
30-50 hours (if React familiar)(winner)
- Community Size (GitHub stars)
Laravel
32,000+ stars
Next.js
127,000+ stars(winner)
- Job Market Demand (2025)
Laravel
215,000+ job postings globally
Next.js
285,000+ job postings globally(winner)
- SEO Capabilities
Laravel
Standard (client-side rendering required)
Next.js
Excellent (built-in SSR and static generation)(winner)
Full Comparison
| Attribute | Laravel | Next.js |
|---|---|---|
| Average Development Speed (MVP)(weeks) | 1.5 weeks | — |
| Job Openings (Global, 2025)(positions) | 38,000 | — |
| Job Postings (2025)(postings) | 215,000 | 285,000(winner) |
| Built-in Admin Panel | No, third-party required | — |
| Built-in Authentication | Yes, with MFA scaffolding | — |
| Job Queue System(feature) | Native (Redis, database, sync) | — |
| Built-in ORM | Eloquent (powerful, batteries-included) | — |
| Built-in Testing Framework(status) | Pest & PHPUnit | — |
Show 12 more attributesBuilt-in Database ORM Yes (Eloquent) No (requires third-party) SEO-Ready Features Basic (no SSG/SSR built-in) Excellent (SSR, SSG, ISR) Frontend Component Library Integration Manual (Blade templating) Native (React components) SSR Support Built-in and optimized — API Routes/Backend Native API routes included — SEO-Friendliness Score(out of 100) 92 (native support) — Built-in Routing Yes (file-based) — API Routes Support Yes (built-in) — TypeScript First-Class Support Yes—native with excellent tooling — Supported Rendering Modes(modes) 4 (SSR, SSG, ISR, CSR) — Built-in ORM Included(yes/no) No (third-party required) — SEO-Optimized Rendering(supported modes) SSR, SSG, ISR (hybrid) — | ||
| Average Page Load Time(seconds) | 95ms | — |
| Average Response Time (Benchmark)(ms) | 45-60 ms per request | — |
| Maximum Concurrent Users (Optimized)(users) | 100,000+ | — |
| Cold Start Latency (Serverless)(milliseconds) | 800-1200ms (PHP cold starts) | 100-300ms (Node.js cold starts)(winner) |
| Average Page Build Time (SSG)(seconds) | 0.8-1.5s per page (Blade templating) | 0.2-0.5s per page (static generation)(winner) |
Show 20 more attributesRequests Per Second (Benchmark)(req/s) 3,200 — Average HTTP Response Time(milliseconds) 22ms — Typical Database Query Overhead(percent slower than raw SQL) 6-10% — Average Requests Per Second(req/s) 8,000 req/s — Average Page Load Time (no optimization)(milliseconds) 850-1200 ms 200-400 ms (with SSG) Development Server Cold Start(milliseconds) 3-5 seconds — HMR Response Time(milliseconds) 1000-2000ms — Default Bundle Size (Hello World)(KB (gzipped)) ~180KB — Minimum Bundle Size(KB minified+gzipped) ~65 KB — Time to First Contentful Paint(milliseconds (average)) 800-1,200 ms (SSR/SSG) — Build Startup Speed(% faster) 400% faster — Bundle Size (Average SPA)(KB) ~180 KB (optimized) — Default JavaScript Payload (Blog Homepage)(KB) ~110 KB — Time to First Interactive (Typical Blog)(milliseconds) ~2,100 ms — Default Bundle Size (HelloWorld)(KB (gzip)) 45 — Bundle Size (Hello World)(KB (gzipped)) 180 — Time-to-First-Byte (average)(ms) 245 — Build Time (Medium Project ~50 pages)(seconds) 45 seconds — First Contentful Paint (FCP)(milliseconds) 1600ms average — Serverless Cold Start Time(milliseconds) 200-500ms (optimized) — | ||
| Async Support Level | Full native (built-in queues) | — |
| Reusable Components(components) | ~12 major packages | — |
| Framework Flexibility | React only | — |
| ML/AI Library Integration | Limited (minimal options) | — |
| Available Third-Party Packages(count) | ~200,000 packages | — |
| Available Plugins/Extensions(count) | ~10,000 packages (Composer) | — |
| Ecosystem Package Count(thousands) | 280K (Packagist registry) | 3200K (npm registry)(winner) |
| Available Packages/Extensions(count (thousands)) | 45,000+ packages | — |
Show 2 more attributesPackage Ecosystem Size(packages) 500,000+ — Compatible NPM Ecosystem Packages(packages) 500K+ React packages — | ||
| Developer Satisfaction (2025 Survey)(percentage) | 89% | — |
| Installation Size(MB) | ~50 MB | — |
| Minimum PHP Version Required(version) | PHP 8.1+ | — |
| Time to Build CRUD App(hours) | 2-4 hours | — |
| Time to Deploy Basic CRUD App(days) | 12-16 days | — |
| Time to Build Basic CRUD App(minutes) | 18 minutes | — |
| Time to Production (MVP)(weeks) | 3-6 weeks | — |
| Market Share Among PHP Developers(%) | 64% of PHP frameworks | — |
| Monthly NPM/Composer Downloads(millions) | 2.5M (Packagist) | 18M (npm registry)(winner) |
| Weekly NPM Downloads(downloads) | 1.2M weekly | — |
| Average Development Time (Basic Site)(weeks) | 4-12 weeks | — |
| Latest Stable Release Year(year) | 2025 (v11) | 2025 (v15) |
| TypeScript Support | First-class, auto-generated types | — |
| Required Developer Experience Level | Senior/Intermediate (5+ years PHP/OOP) | — |
| Global Market Share(%) | ~3% | — |
| Enterprise Market Share(percent) | 67% | — |
| Reported Security Vulnerabilities (2024)(CVEs) | 23 core CVEs | — |
| Monthly Hosting Cost (Basic)(USD) | $20-50 | — |
| Hosting Cost (Entry-Level Annual)(USD) | $24-60/year (shared PHP hosting)(winner) | $0-60/month (Vercel Hobby or traditional hosting) |
| Customization Without Code | Limited—requires PHP expertise | — |
| Vendor Lock-in Risk(risk level) | High (Vercel-dependent) | — |
| Initial Setup Time(hours) | 8-12 minutes (Laravel installer + composer) | 3-5 minutes (create-next-app)(winner) |
| Configuration Complexity(config files needed) | Moderate (routing, SSR setup) | — |
| Setup Time(minutes) | 2-3 minutes (create-next-app) | — |
| Learning Curve (1-10 scale)(difficulty score) | 4/10 (moderate, flexible) | — |
| Learning Curve Duration(hours (beginner to productive)) | 2-3 months (with React experience) | — |
| Type Safety Support | PHPStan/Psalm (third-party tools) | Native TypeScript support (first-class) |
| Learning Curve (Time to Productivity)(weeks) | 2-3 weeks | — |
| Baseline Project Setup Time(days) | 1 day (php artisan new) | — |
| Build Time (100 pages)(seconds) | 8-15 seconds | — |
| Learning Curve (Time to Competency)(hours) | 80-120 | — |
Show 1 more attributeTypical Project Setup Time(minutes) 5 minutes — | ||
| Developer Community Size(GitHub projects) | 6.2 million | — |
| GitHub Stars (2026)(count) | 77,500 stars | 128,000+(winner) |
| GitHub Repository Stars(stars) | 77,500 | — |
| GitHub Stars(stars) | 32,400 | 127,000(winner) |
| Developer Preference Rate (2026)(%) | 62% prefer Next.js | — |
| Long-Term Support (LTS) Duration(years) | 3 years (standard support) | — |
| Minimum Monthly Hosting Cost(USD) | $3/month | — |
| Active Job Openings (USA, 2025)(positions) | ~12,400 | — |
| Official Documentation Pages(count) | ~450 guides | — |
| Median Developer Salary (US)(USD) | $105,000 | — |
| Latest Stable Version Release(version) | Laravel 11.x | — |
| Learning Curve (Beginner to Productive)(weeks) | 2-3 weeks | — |
| Learning Curve (for beginner developers)(hours) | 40-60 hours | 30-50 hours (React required)(winner) |
| Hosting Requirements | Node.js server or serverless | — |
| Hosting Infrastructure Requirement(null) | Node.js server required | — |
| Year-Over-Year Growth Rate(%) | Stable leader | — |
| Production Adoption (2024 Survey)(%) | 68% | — |
| Current Major Version | v14/15 | — |
| Rendering Methods Supported(count) | 5 (SSR, CSR, SSG, ISR, PPR) | — |
| Static Site Generation Support | Yes (SSG + ISR + PPR) | — |
| Learning Curve Complexity(difficulty level) | Moderate-High (RSC paradigm) | — |
| Initial Learning Curve(days) | 40-60 | — |
| Built-in API Routes(null) | Yes, native support | — |
| React Server Components Support(null) | Yes, full support | — |
| Enterprise Adoption Rank(null) | Growing, strong in mid-market | — |
| node_modules Size(MB) | ~450 MB | — |
| Native API Routes | Yes, built-in | — |
| Server-Side Rendering (SSR) | Native support | — |
| Job Market Demand(active positions) | 12,400 | — |
| App Router/Framework Stability(weeks since v1.0) | 104 weeks (v13.0+) | — |
| Job Market Openings (2026)(listings) | 12,400+ | — |
| Production Website Adoption(sites) | 542,000+ | — |
| npm Weekly Downloads(count) | 3.2 million | — |
| Plugin Ecosystem Size(approximate plugins) | 800+ official integrations | — |
| Market Adoption (% of surveyed developers)(percent) | 42% of React framework users | — |
| Active Developer Community(millions of users) | 320,000 developers | — |
| Package Dependencies (avg project)(npm packages) | 40-80 npm packages | — |
LLaravel
NNext.js
Average Development Speed (MVP)(weeks)
1.5 weeks
—
Job Openings (Global, 2025)(positions)
38,000
—
Job Postings (2025)(postings)
215,000
285,000
Built-in Admin Panel
No, third-party required
—
Built-in Authentication
Yes, with MFA scaffolding
—
Job Queue System(feature)
Native (Redis, database, sync)
—
Built-in ORM
Eloquent (powerful, batteries-included)
—
Built-in Testing Framework(status)
Pest & PHPUnit
—
Show 12 more attributes
Built-in Database ORM
Yes (Eloquent)
No (requires third-party)
SEO-Ready Features
Basic (no SSG/SSR built-in)
Excellent (SSR, SSG, ISR)
Frontend Component Library Integration
Manual (Blade templating)
Native (React components)
SSR Support
Built-in and optimized
—
API Routes/Backend
Native API routes included
—
SEO-Friendliness Score(out of 100)
92 (native support)
—
Built-in Routing
Yes (file-based)
—
API Routes Support
Yes (built-in)
—
TypeScript First-Class Support
Yes—native with excellent tooling
—
Supported Rendering Modes(modes)
4 (SSR, SSG, ISR, CSR)
—
Built-in ORM Included(yes/no)
No (third-party required)
—
SEO-Optimized Rendering(supported modes)
SSR, SSG, ISR (hybrid)
—
Average Page Load Time(seconds)
95ms
—
Average Response Time (Benchmark)(ms)
45-60 ms per request
—
Maximum Concurrent Users (Optimized)(users)
100,000+
—
Cold Start Latency (Serverless)(milliseconds)
800-1200ms (PHP cold starts)
100-300ms (Node.js cold starts)
Average Page Build Time (SSG)(seconds)
0.8-1.5s per page (Blade templating)
0.2-0.5s per page (static generation)
Show 20 more attributes
Requests Per Second (Benchmark)(req/s)
3,200
—
Average HTTP Response Time(milliseconds)
22ms
—
Typical Database Query Overhead(percent slower than raw SQL)
6-10%
—
Average Requests Per Second(req/s)
8,000 req/s
—
Average Page Load Time (no optimization)(milliseconds)
850-1200 ms
200-400 ms (with SSG)
Development Server Cold Start(milliseconds)
3-5 seconds
—
HMR Response Time(milliseconds)
1000-2000ms
—
Default Bundle Size (Hello World)(KB (gzipped))
~180KB
—
Minimum Bundle Size(KB minified+gzipped)
~65 KB
—
Time to First Contentful Paint(milliseconds (average))
800-1,200 ms (SSR/SSG)
—
Build Startup Speed(% faster)
400% faster
—
Bundle Size (Average SPA)(KB)
~180 KB (optimized)
—
Default JavaScript Payload (Blog Homepage)(KB)
~110 KB
—
Time to First Interactive (Typical Blog)(milliseconds)
~2,100 ms
—
Default Bundle Size (HelloWorld)(KB (gzip))
45
—
Bundle Size (Hello World)(KB (gzipped))
180
—
Time-to-First-Byte (average)(ms)
245
—
Build Time (Medium Project ~50 pages)(seconds)
45 seconds
—
First Contentful Paint (FCP)(milliseconds)
1600ms average
—
Serverless Cold Start Time(milliseconds)
200-500ms (optimized)
—
Async Support Level
Full native (built-in queues)
—
Reusable Components(components)
~12 major packages
—
Framework Flexibility
React only
—
ML/AI Library Integration
Limited (minimal options)
—
Available Third-Party Packages(count)
~200,000 packages
—
Available Plugins/Extensions(count)
~10,000 packages (Composer)
—
Ecosystem Package Count(thousands)
280K (Packagist registry)
3200K (npm registry)
Available Packages/Extensions(count (thousands))
45,000+ packages
—
Show 2 more attributes
Package Ecosystem Size(packages)
500,000+
—
Compatible NPM Ecosystem Packages(packages)
500K+ React packages
—
Developer Satisfaction (2025 Survey)(percentage)
89%
—
Installation Size(MB)
~50 MB
—
Minimum PHP Version Required(version)
PHP 8.1+
—
Time to Build CRUD App(hours)
2-4 hours
—
Time to Deploy Basic CRUD App(days)
12-16 days
—
Time to Build Basic CRUD App(minutes)
18 minutes
—
Time to Production (MVP)(weeks)
3-6 weeks
—
Market Share Among PHP Developers(%)
64% of PHP frameworks
—
Monthly NPM/Composer Downloads(millions)
2.5M (Packagist)
18M (npm registry)
Weekly NPM Downloads(downloads)
1.2M weekly
—
Average Development Time (Basic Site)(weeks)
4-12 weeks
—
Latest Stable Release Year(year)
2025 (v11)
2025 (v15)
TypeScript Support
First-class, auto-generated types
—
Required Developer Experience Level
Senior/Intermediate (5+ years PHP/OOP)
—
Global Market Share(%)
~3%
—
Enterprise Market Share(percent)
67%
—
Reported Security Vulnerabilities (2024)(CVEs)
23 core CVEs
—
Monthly Hosting Cost (Basic)(USD)
$20-50
—
Hosting Cost (Entry-Level Annual)(USD)
$24-60/year (shared PHP hosting)
$0-60/month (Vercel Hobby or traditional hosting)
Customization Without Code
Limited—requires PHP expertise
—
Vendor Lock-in Risk(risk level)
High (Vercel-dependent)
—
Initial Setup Time(hours)
8-12 minutes (Laravel installer + composer)
3-5 minutes (create-next-app)
Configuration Complexity(config files needed)
Moderate (routing, SSR setup)
—
Setup Time(minutes)
2-3 minutes (create-next-app)
—
Learning Curve (1-10 scale)(difficulty score)
4/10 (moderate, flexible)
—
Learning Curve Duration(hours (beginner to productive))
2-3 months (with React experience)
—
Type Safety Support
PHPStan/Psalm (third-party tools)
Native TypeScript support (first-class)
Learning Curve (Time to Productivity)(weeks)
2-3 weeks
—
Baseline Project Setup Time(days)
1 day (php artisan new)
—
Build Time (100 pages)(seconds)
8-15 seconds
—
Learning Curve (Time to Competency)(hours)
80-120
—
Show 1 more attribute
Typical Project Setup Time(minutes)
5 minutes
—
Developer Community Size(GitHub projects)
6.2 million
—
GitHub Stars (2026)(count)
77,500 stars
128,000+
GitHub Repository Stars(stars)
77,500
—
GitHub Stars(stars)
32,400
127,000
Developer Preference Rate (2026)(%)
62% prefer Next.js
—
Long-Term Support (LTS) Duration(years)
3 years (standard support)
—
Minimum Monthly Hosting Cost(USD)
$3/month
—
Active Job Openings (USA, 2025)(positions)
~12,400
—
Official Documentation Pages(count)
~450 guides
—
Median Developer Salary (US)(USD)
$105,000
—
Latest Stable Version Release(version)
Laravel 11.x
—
Learning Curve (Beginner to Productive)(weeks)
2-3 weeks
—
Learning Curve (for beginner developers)(hours)
40-60 hours
30-50 hours (React required)
Hosting Requirements
Node.js server or serverless
—
Hosting Infrastructure Requirement(null)
Node.js server required
—
Year-Over-Year Growth Rate(%)
Stable leader
—
Production Adoption (2024 Survey)(%)
68%
—
Current Major Version
v14/15
—
Rendering Methods Supported(count)
5 (SSR, CSR, SSG, ISR, PPR)
—
Static Site Generation Support
Yes (SSG + ISR + PPR)
—
Learning Curve Complexity(difficulty level)
Moderate-High (RSC paradigm)
—
Initial Learning Curve(days)
40-60
—
Built-in API Routes(null)
Yes, native support
—
React Server Components Support(null)
Yes, full support
—
Enterprise Adoption Rank(null)
Growing, strong in mid-market
—
node_modules Size(MB)
~450 MB
—
Native API Routes
Yes, built-in
—
Server-Side Rendering (SSR)
Native support
—
Job Market Demand(active positions)
12,400
—
App Router/Framework Stability(weeks since v1.0)
104 weeks (v13.0+)
—
Job Market Openings (2026)(listings)
12,400+
—
Production Website Adoption(sites)
542,000+
—
npm Weekly Downloads(count)
3.2 million
—
Plugin Ecosystem Size(approximate plugins)
800+ official integrations
—
Market Adoption (% of surveyed developers)(percent)
42% of React framework users
—
Active Developer Community(millions of users)
320,000 developers
—
Package Dependencies (avg project)(npm packages)
40-80 npm packages
—
Pros & Cons
10 pros·4 cons across both
L
N
L
Laravel
+5-2
Pros
- Eloquent ORM included with powerful query builder and relationships
- Built-in authentication system with password reset and role-based access
- Laravel Artisan CLI with 50+ command generators for rapid development
- Comprehensive documentation and beginner-friendly learning resources
- Database migrations and seeding built-in for version control of schema
Cons
- Slower page load times compared to static site generation (no SSG built-in)
- Limited frontend capabilities—requires separate Vue.js or React integration for modern UIs
N
Next.js
+5-2
Pros
- Built-in server-side rendering (SSR) and static site generation (SSG) for SEO and performance
- API routes enable backend logic without separate server
- File-based routing system reduces boilerplate configuration
- Image optimization and automatic code splitting for faster load times
- Strong TypeScript support and modern JavaScript ecosystem integration
Cons
- Requires learning React as prerequisite—steeper curve for PHP-only developers
- Database ORM not included; must install and configure Prisma, Drizzle, or similar
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questions
Choose Laravel if you're building a traditional web application with server-side logic, databases, and server-rendered views. Choose Next.js if you need modern React components, server-side rendering for SEO, or plan to build a performant full-stack JavaScript application. Laravel works best for PHP developers; Next.js requires JavaScript/React familiarity.
Resources & Learn More
Curated sources to dive deeper
Where to Buy
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Wikipedia
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