software
Laravel vs Next.js 2026: Framework Comparison
Laravel is a PHP backend framework excelling at server-side web applications with built-in features like authentication and ORM, while Next.js is a React-based full-stack JavaScript framework that enables both frontend and backend development in a single language. Laravel requires separate frontend tools; Next.js unifies the stack.
L
Laravel
PHP backend web framework with built-in ORM, authentication, and comprehensive tooling.
Teams building traditional web applications, REST APIs, or data-heavy systems who prefer backend separation and have PHP expertise.
Score63%
VS
N
Next.js
React-based full-stack JavaScript framework supporting server and client components with deployment to serverless infrastructure.
Modern JavaScript teams, startups prioritizing fast deployment, applications needing SEO optimization, and projects leveraging the React ecosystem.
Score63%
Quick Answer
AI SummaryLaravel is a PHP backend framework excelling at server-side web applications with built-in features like authentication and ORM, while Next.js is a React-based full-stack JavaScript framework that enables both frontend and backend development in a single language. Laravel requires separate frontend tools; Next.js unifies the stack.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose Laravel if you need a traditional server-side MVC application with built-in ORM, authentication, and established DevOps patterns—ideal for complex business logic and large teams using PHP. Choose Next.js if you want unified full-stack JavaScript development with easy deployment to serverless platforms and seamless integration of frontend and backend—ideal for startups, modern JAMstack architectures, and teams already invested in JavaScript.
Community feedback
Was this verdict helpful?
Thanks — we'll use this to improve our verdicts.
L
Laravel
5.6/10
Next.js
9.4/10
N
L
Choose Laravel if
Teams building traditional web applications, REST APIs, or data-heavy systems who prefer backend separation and have PHP expertise.
N
Choose Next.js if
Best pickModern JavaScript teams, startups prioritizing fast deployment, applications needing SEO optimization, and projects leveraging the React ecosystem.
Track this comparison
Get notified when prices change, new specs ship, or our verdict updates.
Triggers: price change new spec verdict update
No spam. Stop anytime.
Key Differences at a Glance
- Primary Language:PHP vs JavaScript/TypeScript
- Development Stack:✓ Next.js wins(Full-stack unified (frontend + backend + API) vs Backend-focused (requires separate frontend))
- Learning Curve:✓ Next.js wins(Easier for JS developers (3-5 days) vs Moderate (1-2 weeks for PHP experience))
Key Facts & Figures
115 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% | — | — |
| Market Share Among PHP Frameworks(%) | 65% | — | — |
| Core Framework Size(MB) | ~50MB with dependencies | — | — |
| Packages Available(count) | 2,500+ verified packages | — | — |
| Time to Build Hello World(minutes) | ~15 minutes | — | — |
| Installation Size(GB) | ~50 MB | — | — |
| Time to Build CRUD App(hours) | 2-4 hours | — | — |
| Available Third-party Packages(packages) | ~86,000 (Packagist) | — | — |
| 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) | Composer packages (1M+) | — | — |
| 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(millions of packages) | 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 | — | — |
| Long-Term Support (LTS) Duration(years of security updates) | 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(pages) | ~450 guides | — | — |
| GitHub Stars (2026)(stars) | 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(thousands) | 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 | — | — |
| Learning Curve (Time to Basic Proficiency)(weeks) | 2-4 weeks | — | — |
| Annual Job Postings(jobs) | 12,400+ | — | — |
| Response Time Performance(% slower) | 20-30% slower under load | — | — |
| Documentation Pages(pages) | 2,800+ pages | — | — |
| 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) | |
| Average Development Time(weeks) | 8 weeks | — | — |
| Market Share(%) | 2% | 47% | |
| Hosting Cost (Budget Option)(USD/month) | 10-30 | — | — |
| Learning Curve for Beginners(hours to proficiency) | 120-160 hours | — | — |
| GitHub Stars(stars) | 78,600+ stars | 128,000+ | |
| Requests Per Second (Throughput)(req/sec) | 14,000 req/sec | — | — |
| Average Time to Developer Proficiency(weeks) | 10 weeks | — | — |
| Available Packages/Gems(packages) | 380,000+ packages | — | — |
| Job Market Demand (2025)(job postings) | 12,400 postings | — | — |
| Memory Usage Per Request(MB) | 12 MB | — | — |
| New Project Market Share (2025)(percent) | 67% of new projects | — | — |
| Enterprise Legacy Adoption(percent) | 18% of legacy systems | — | — |
| Request Throughput(requests/second) | ~900 req/sec | — | — |
| Time to Hello World(minutes) | 4-6 minutes | — | — |
| Minimum Server RAM Required(MB) | 256 MB | — | — |
| Active Maintainers (2025)(count) | ~1,200 contributors | — | — |
| Community Size (GitHub Stars)(stars) | 77,500 stars | 128,000 stars | |
| Weekly NPM Downloads(downloads) | ~2.5M (Composer) | ~8.2M | |
| Average Setup Time(minutes) | 10-15 minutes | 3-5 minutes | |
| Average Project Size (Starter)(MB) | ~35 MB (with dependencies) | ~280 MB (node_modules) | |
| Development Server Cold Start(ms) | 3-5 seconds | 3-5 seconds | |
| HMR Response Time(milliseconds) | 1000-2000ms | 1000-2000ms | |
| Default Bundle Size (Hello World)(KB (gzipped)) | ~180KB | ~180KB | |
| 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(%) | 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) | 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(postings) | 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(millions) | 3.2 million | 3.2 million | |
| Supported Rendering Modes(modes) | 4 (SSR, SSG, ISR, CSR) | 4 (SSR, SSG, ISR, CSR) | |
| Plugin Ecosystem Size(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(developers) | 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(days) | 2-3 months (with React experience) | 2-3 months (with React experience) | |
| Initial Project Setup Time(minutes) | 15-25 minutes (with dependencies) | 15-25 minutes (with dependencies) | |
| Job Market Openings (Annual 2024)(postings) | 127,000 | 127,000 | |
| Average Response Time (10K requests)(ms) | 45-80ms | 45-80ms | |
| Initial Bundle Size (gzipped)(KB) | ~145 KB | ~145 KB | |
| Stack Overflow Questions(questions) | 38,000+ | 38,000+ |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
7 attributes compared head-to-head
L
3LaravelEvenly matched1 tie
N
3Next.jsLaravel
Attribute
Next.js
- PHPPrimary LanguageJavaScript/TypeScript
- Backend-focused (requires separate frontend)Development StackFull-stack unified (frontend + backend + API)(winner)
- Moderate (1-2 weeks for PHP experience)Learning CurveEasier for JS developers (3-5 days)(winner)
- Laravel Breeze/Fortify included(winner)Built-in AuthenticationNextAuth.js (third-party, requires setup)
- Eloquent ORM (native)(winner)Database ORMPrisma/Drizzle (third-party)
- Moderate (server management required)Deployment ComplexitySimple (Vercel serverless first-class)(winner)
- Laravel Broadcasting (WebSockets)(winner)Real-time FeaturesServer-Sent Events or third-party (Socket.io)
- Primary Language
Laravel
PHP
Next.js
JavaScript/TypeScript
- Development Stack
Laravel
Backend-focused (requires separate frontend)
Next.js
Full-stack unified (frontend + backend + API)(winner)
- Learning Curve
Laravel
Moderate (1-2 weeks for PHP experience)
Next.js
Easier for JS developers (3-5 days)(winner)
- Built-in Authentication
Laravel
Laravel Breeze/Fortify included(winner)
Next.js
NextAuth.js (third-party, requires setup)
- Database ORM
Laravel
Eloquent ORM (native)(winner)
Next.js
Prisma/Drizzle (third-party)
- Deployment Complexity
Laravel
Moderate (server management required)
Next.js
Simple (Vercel serverless first-class)(winner)
- Real-time Features
Laravel
Laravel Broadcasting (WebSockets)(winner)
Next.js
Server-Sent Events or third-party (Socket.io)
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, built-in (Laravel Auth) | — |
| Job Queue System(feature) | Native (Redis, database, sync) | — |
| Built-in Testing Framework(status) | Pest & PHPUnit | — |
| Built-in Database ORM | Yes (Eloquent) | Requires Prisma/Drizzle/TypeORM |
Show 13 more attributesSEO-Ready Features Basic (no SSG/SSR built-in) Excellent (SSR, SSG, ISR) Frontend Component Library Integration Manual (Blade templating) Native (React components) Built-in Real-Time Capabilities Reverb WebSockets (built-in) — 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) — Server-Side Rendering (SSR)(support) Native (React Server Components) — 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) — Authentication Solution NextAuth.js or Auth0 (external) — | ||
| Average Page Load Time(seconds) | 95ms | — |
| Core Framework Size(MB) | ~50MB with dependencies | — |
| 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) |
Show 28 more attributesAverage Page Build Time (SSG)(seconds) 0.8-1.5s per page (Blade templating) 0.2-0.5s per page (static generation) 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 — Response Time Performance(% slower) 20-30% slower under load — Average Page Load Time (no optimization)(milliseconds) 850-1200 ms 200-400 ms (with SSG) Requests Per Second (Throughput)(req/sec) 14,000 req/sec — Memory Usage Per Request(MB) 12 MB — Request Throughput(requests/second) ~900 req/sec — Average Project Size (Starter)(MB) ~35 MB (with dependencies) ~280 MB (node_modules) Development Server Cold Start(ms) 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) — Average Response Time (10K requests)(ms) 45-80ms — Initial Bundle Size (gzipped)(KB) ~145 KB — | ||
| Async Support Level | Full native (built-in queues) | — |
| Reusable Components(components) | Framework-integrated | — |
| Framework Flexibility | React only | — |
| ML/AI Library Integration | Limited (minimal options) | — |
| Packages Available(count) | 2,500+ verified packages | — |
| Available Third-party Packages(packages) | ~86,000 (Packagist) | — |
| Ecosystem Package Count(millions of packages) | 280K (Packagist registry) | 3200K (npm registry)(winner) |
| Developer Community Size(active developers) | 6.2 million | — |
Show 4 more attributesAvailable Packages/Extensions(count (thousands)) 45,000+ packages — Package Ecosystem Size(packages) 500,000+ — Available Packages/Gems(packages) 380,000+ packages — Compatible NPM Ecosystem Packages(packages) 500K+ React packages — | ||
| Developer Satisfaction (2025 Survey)(percentage) | 89% | — |
| Market Share Among PHP Frameworks(%) | 65% | — |
| Community Size (GitHub Stars)(stars) | 77,500 stars | 128,000 stars(winner) |
| Weekly NPM Downloads(downloads) | ~2.5M (Composer) | ~8.2M(winner) |
| Production Website Adoption(sites) | 542,000+ | — |
| Minimum PHP Version Required(version) | PHP 8.1 | — |
| Built-in ORM | Yes (Eloquent) | — |
| Authentication Scaffolding(boolean) | Yes (with 2FA, API tokens) | — |
| Database Migration Support(boolean) | Yes (built-in with Artisan) | — |
| Time to Build Hello World(minutes) | ~15 minutes | — |
| 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) | — |
| Learning Curve (Time to Basic Proficiency)(weeks) | 2-4 weeks | — |
Show 6 more attributesTime to Hello World(minutes) 4-6 minutes — Average Setup Time(minutes) 10-15 minutes 3-5 minutes Configuration Complexity(null) Moderate (routing, SSR setup) — Build Time (100 pages)(seconds) 8-15 seconds — Learning Curve (Time to Competency)(hours) 80-120 — Typical Project Setup Time(minutes) 5 minutes — | ||
| Installation Size(GB) | ~50 MB | — |
| 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 | — |
| Initial Project Setup Time(minutes) | 15-25 minutes (with dependencies) | — |
| Market Share Among PHP Developers(%) | 64% of PHP frameworks | — |
| Monthly NPM/Composer Downloads(millions) | 2.5M (Packagist) | 18M (npm registry)(winner) |
| Market Share(%) | 2% | 47%(winner) |
| New Project Market Share (2025)(percent) | 67% of new projects | — |
| Enterprise Legacy Adoption(percent) | 18% of legacy systems | — |
Show 1 more attributenpm Weekly Downloads(millions) 3.2 million — | ||
| Average Development Time (Basic Site)(weeks) | 4-12 weeks | — |
| Latest Stable Release Year(year) | 2025 (v11) | 2025 (v15) |
| Average Development Time(weeks) | 8 weeks | — |
| Required Developer Experience Level | Senior/Intermediate (5+ years PHP/OOP) | — |
| Global Market Share(%) | ~3% | — |
| Enterprise Market Share(%) | 67% | — |
| Reported Security Vulnerabilities (2024)(CVEs) | 23 core CVEs | — |
| Available Plugins/Extensions(count) | Composer packages (1M+) | — |
| Plugin Ecosystem Size(plugins) | 800+ official integrations | — |
| 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) |
| Hosting Cost (Budget Option)(USD/month) | 10-30 | — |
| 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) |
| Learning Curve Complexity(1–10 scale) | Moderate-High (RSC paradigm) | — |
| Long-Term Support (LTS) Duration(years of security updates) | 3 years (standard support) | — |
| Minimum Monthly Hosting Cost(USD) | $3/month | — |
| Active Job Openings (USA, 2025)(positions) | ~12,400 | — |
| Official Documentation Pages(pages) | ~450 guides | — |
| GitHub Stars (2026)(stars) | 77,500 stars | 128,000+(winner) |
| GitHub Repository Stars(thousands) | 77,500 | — |
| Median Developer Salary (US)(USD) | $105,000 | — |
| Latest Stable Version Release(version) | Laravel 11.x | — |
| Learning Curve (Beginner to Productive)(weeks) | 2-3 weeks | — |
| Average Time to Developer Proficiency(weeks) | 10 weeks | — |
| Annual Job Postings(jobs) | 12,400+ | — |
| Job Market Openings (Annual 2024)(postings) | 127,000 | — |
| Enterprise Adoption(companies) | Emerging in enterprise | — |
| Built-in Features (Out-of-Box)(features) | ORM, Auth, Caching, Queue, Mail, Broadcasting | — |
| Documentation Pages(pages) | 2,800+ pages | — |
| Learning Curve (for beginner developers)(hours) | 40-60 hours | 30-50 hours (React required)(winner) |
| Minimum Coding Knowledge Required(skill level (1-10)) | 8/10 (Advanced PHP) | — |
| Learning Curve for Beginners(hours to proficiency) | 120-160 hours | — |
| GitHub Stars(stars) | 78,600+ stars | 128,000+(winner) |
| Active Maintainers (2025)(count) | ~1,200 contributors | — |
| Developer Preference Rate (2026)(%) | 62% prefer Next.js | — |
| Active Developer Community(developers) | 320,000 developers | — |
| Stack Overflow Questions(questions) | 38,000+ | — |
| Best Use Case Complexity(complexity level) | Very Complex (SaaS, APIs, Enterprise) | — |
| Job Market Demand (2025)(job postings) | 12,400 postings | — |
| Language | PHP 8.0+ | — |
| Minimum Server RAM Required(MB) | 256 MB | — |
| Built-in Database Abstraction | Eloquent ORM (native) | Requires third-party (Prisma/Drizzle) |
| Native Authentication System | Laravel Breeze included | NextAuth.js (optional, third-party) |
| Serverless Deployment Support | Limited (Vapor, custom solutions) | First-class (Vercel native) |
| Hosting Requirements | Node.js server or serverless | — |
| Setup Time(minutes) | 2-3 minutes (create-next-app) | — |
| Hosting Infrastructure Requirement(null) | Node.js server required | — |
| Edge Deployment Support | Native; Vercel/Cloudflare optimized | — |
| Minimum Node/PHP Version(version) | PHP 8.2+ | Node 18.17+ |
| Year-over-Year Growth Rate(percentage) | 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 (1-10 scale)(difficulty) | 4/10 (moderate, flexible) | — |
| Initial Learning Curve(days) | 40-60 | — |
| Learning Curve Duration(days) | 2-3 months (with React experience) | — |
| 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 | — |
| Job Market Demand(postings) | 12,400 | — |
| App Router/Framework Stability(weeks since v1.0) | 104 weeks (v13.0+) | — |
| TypeScript Support | First-class, auto-generated types | — |
| Job Market Openings (2026)(listings) | 12,400+ | — |
| TypeScript First-Class Support | Yes—native with excellent tooling | — |
| Market Adoption (% of surveyed developers)(percent) | 42% of React framework users | — |
| 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, built-in (Laravel Auth)
—
Job Queue System(feature)
Native (Redis, database, sync)
—
Built-in Testing Framework(status)
Pest & PHPUnit
—
Built-in Database ORM
Yes (Eloquent)
Requires Prisma/Drizzle/TypeORM
Show 13 more attributes
SEO-Ready Features
Basic (no SSG/SSR built-in)
Excellent (SSR, SSG, ISR)
Frontend Component Library Integration
Manual (Blade templating)
Native (React components)
Built-in Real-Time Capabilities
Reverb WebSockets (built-in)
—
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)
—
Server-Side Rendering (SSR)(support)
Native (React Server Components)
—
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)
—
Authentication Solution
NextAuth.js or Auth0 (external)
—
Average Page Load Time(seconds)
95ms
—
Core Framework Size(MB)
~50MB with dependencies
—
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)
Show 28 more attributes
Average Page Build Time (SSG)(seconds)
0.8-1.5s per page (Blade templating)
0.2-0.5s per page (static generation)
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
—
Response Time Performance(% slower)
20-30% slower under load
—
Average Page Load Time (no optimization)(milliseconds)
850-1200 ms
200-400 ms (with SSG)
Requests Per Second (Throughput)(req/sec)
14,000 req/sec
—
Memory Usage Per Request(MB)
12 MB
—
Request Throughput(requests/second)
~900 req/sec
—
Average Project Size (Starter)(MB)
~35 MB (with dependencies)
~280 MB (node_modules)
Development Server Cold Start(ms)
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)
—
Average Response Time (10K requests)(ms)
45-80ms
—
Initial Bundle Size (gzipped)(KB)
~145 KB
—
Async Support Level
Full native (built-in queues)
—
Reusable Components(components)
Framework-integrated
—
Framework Flexibility
React only
—
ML/AI Library Integration
Limited (minimal options)
—
Packages Available(count)
2,500+ verified packages
—
Available Third-party Packages(packages)
~86,000 (Packagist)
—
Ecosystem Package Count(millions of packages)
280K (Packagist registry)
3200K (npm registry)
Developer Community Size(active developers)
6.2 million
—
Show 4 more attributes
Available Packages/Extensions(count (thousands))
45,000+ packages
—
Package Ecosystem Size(packages)
500,000+
—
Available Packages/Gems(packages)
380,000+ packages
—
Compatible NPM Ecosystem Packages(packages)
500K+ React packages
—
Developer Satisfaction (2025 Survey)(percentage)
89%
—
Market Share Among PHP Frameworks(%)
65%
—
Community Size (GitHub Stars)(stars)
77,500 stars
128,000 stars
Weekly NPM Downloads(downloads)
~2.5M (Composer)
~8.2M
Production Website Adoption(sites)
542,000+
—
Minimum PHP Version Required(version)
PHP 8.1
—
Built-in ORM
Yes (Eloquent)
—
Authentication Scaffolding(boolean)
Yes (with 2FA, API tokens)
—
Database Migration Support(boolean)
Yes (built-in with Artisan)
—
Time to Build Hello World(minutes)
~15 minutes
—
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)
—
Learning Curve (Time to Basic Proficiency)(weeks)
2-4 weeks
—
Show 6 more attributes
Time to Hello World(minutes)
4-6 minutes
—
Average Setup Time(minutes)
10-15 minutes
3-5 minutes
Configuration Complexity(null)
Moderate (routing, SSR setup)
—
Build Time (100 pages)(seconds)
8-15 seconds
—
Learning Curve (Time to Competency)(hours)
80-120
—
Typical Project Setup Time(minutes)
5 minutes
—
Installation Size(GB)
~50 MB
—
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
—
Initial Project Setup Time(minutes)
15-25 minutes (with dependencies)
—
Market Share Among PHP Developers(%)
64% of PHP frameworks
—
Monthly NPM/Composer Downloads(millions)
2.5M (Packagist)
18M (npm registry)
Market Share(%)
2%
47%
New Project Market Share (2025)(percent)
67% of new projects
—
Enterprise Legacy Adoption(percent)
18% of legacy systems
—
Show 1 more attribute
npm Weekly Downloads(millions)
3.2 million
—
Average Development Time (Basic Site)(weeks)
4-12 weeks
—
Latest Stable Release Year(year)
2025 (v11)
2025 (v15)
Average Development Time(weeks)
8 weeks
—
Required Developer Experience Level
Senior/Intermediate (5+ years PHP/OOP)
—
Global Market Share(%)
~3%
—
Enterprise Market Share(%)
67%
—
Reported Security Vulnerabilities (2024)(CVEs)
23 core CVEs
—
Available Plugins/Extensions(count)
Composer packages (1M+)
—
Plugin Ecosystem Size(plugins)
800+ official integrations
—
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)
Hosting Cost (Budget Option)(USD/month)
10-30
—
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)
Learning Curve Complexity(1–10 scale)
Moderate-High (RSC paradigm)
—
Long-Term Support (LTS) Duration(years of security updates)
3 years (standard support)
—
Minimum Monthly Hosting Cost(USD)
$3/month
—
Active Job Openings (USA, 2025)(positions)
~12,400
—
Official Documentation Pages(pages)
~450 guides
—
GitHub Stars (2026)(stars)
77,500 stars
128,000+
GitHub Repository Stars(thousands)
77,500
—
Median Developer Salary (US)(USD)
$105,000
—
Latest Stable Version Release(version)
Laravel 11.x
—
Learning Curve (Beginner to Productive)(weeks)
2-3 weeks
—
Average Time to Developer Proficiency(weeks)
10 weeks
—
Annual Job Postings(jobs)
12,400+
—
Job Market Openings (Annual 2024)(postings)
127,000
—
Enterprise Adoption(companies)
Emerging in enterprise
—
Built-in Features (Out-of-Box)(features)
ORM, Auth, Caching, Queue, Mail, Broadcasting
—
Documentation Pages(pages)
2,800+ pages
—
Learning Curve (for beginner developers)(hours)
40-60 hours
30-50 hours (React required)
Minimum Coding Knowledge Required(skill level (1-10))
8/10 (Advanced PHP)
—
Learning Curve for Beginners(hours to proficiency)
120-160 hours
—
GitHub Stars(stars)
78,600+ stars
128,000+
Active Maintainers (2025)(count)
~1,200 contributors
—
Developer Preference Rate (2026)(%)
62% prefer Next.js
—
Active Developer Community(developers)
320,000 developers
—
Stack Overflow Questions(questions)
38,000+
—
Best Use Case Complexity(complexity level)
Very Complex (SaaS, APIs, Enterprise)
—
Job Market Demand (2025)(job postings)
12,400 postings
—
Language
PHP 8.0+
—
Minimum Server RAM Required(MB)
256 MB
—
Built-in Database Abstraction
Eloquent ORM (native)
Requires third-party (Prisma/Drizzle)
Native Authentication System
Laravel Breeze included
NextAuth.js (optional, third-party)
Serverless Deployment Support
Limited (Vapor, custom solutions)
First-class (Vercel native)
Hosting Requirements
Node.js server or serverless
—
Setup Time(minutes)
2-3 minutes (create-next-app)
—
Hosting Infrastructure Requirement(null)
Node.js server required
—
Edge Deployment Support
Native; Vercel/Cloudflare optimized
—
Minimum Node/PHP Version(version)
PHP 8.2+
Node 18.17+
Year-over-Year Growth Rate(percentage)
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 (1-10 scale)(difficulty)
4/10 (moderate, flexible)
—
Initial Learning Curve(days)
40-60
—
Learning Curve Duration(days)
2-3 months (with React experience)
—
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
—
Job Market Demand(postings)
12,400
—
App Router/Framework Stability(weeks since v1.0)
104 weeks (v13.0+)
—
TypeScript Support
First-class, auto-generated types
—
Job Market Openings (2026)(listings)
12,400+
—
TypeScript First-Class Support
Yes—native with excellent tooling
—
Market Adoption (% of surveyed developers)(percent)
42% of React framework users
—
Package Dependencies (avg project)(npm packages)
40-80 npm packages
—
Pros & Cons
10 pros·6 cons across both
L
N
L
Laravel
+5-3
Pros
- Eloquent ORM with expressive query builder and relationships
- Laravel Breeze/Fortify authentication system built-in
- Excellent documentation and 15+ years of community ecosystem
- Broadcasting WebSockets natively supported for real-time features
- Migration system for database versioning and team collaboration
Cons
- Requires server deployment and management (traditional hosting)
- Separate frontend framework needed (Vue, React, Inertia)
- PHP language limits hiring pool compared to JavaScript developers
N
Next.js
+5-3
Pros
- Full-stack JavaScript in single codebase (frontend + API routes)
- Server Components and automatic code splitting reduce JavaScript sent to browser
- Vercel integration for one-click deployment with zero config
- Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) for hybrid static/dynamic pages
- Built-in image optimization and performance monitoring
Cons
- NextAuth.js authentication requires manual setup (not built-in)
- Learning curve steep for non-React developers
- ORM setup requires third-party tools (Prisma, Drizzle, TypeORM)
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questions
Yes, Laravel can be used for full-stack development by pairing it with a frontend framework like Vue.js (via Inertia.js or Livewire) or React. However, Next.js handles this more seamlessly in a single codebase with unified JavaScript. Laravel excels when you want a dedicated backend API and separate frontend repository.
Resources & Learn More
Curated sources to dive deeper
Where to Buy
As an affiliate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Learn more about our affiliate disclosure
Wikipedia
Related Comparisons
12 more to explore
Laravel vs Next.js
softwareLaravel vs Next.js
softwareNext.js vs Remix
softwareAngular vs Next.js
softwareNext.js vs Astro
softwareNext.js vs Nuxt
softwareNext.js vs SvelteKit
softwareNext.js vs Gatsby
softwareNext.js vs Vite
softwareReact vs Next.js
softwareDjango vs Laravel
softwareLaravel vs CodeIgniter
software
Related Articles
5 articles
- technology
Best Streaming Services in 2026: Top Picks for Every Budget & Interest
Navigating the crowded streaming landscape in 2026 can be overwhelming. We've tested and ranked the best streaming services that offer the most value, from Netflix's massive library to budget-friendly options like Tubi, helping you cut cable and find your perfect entertainment solution.
Read article - technology
Best Live TV Streaming Services & Plans for Spring 2026: Complete Buyer's Guide
Tired of overpaying for cable? Discover the best live TV streaming services and plans for Spring 2026, including YouTube TV's new genre-based packages starting at $55/month. Our comprehensive guide breaks down pricing, channels, and features to help you cut the cord.
Read article - technology
Philo in 2026: Streaming TV Service Review, Pricing & Reddit Community Insights
Explore Philo's evolution heading into 2026, including pricing tiers, channel lineup, and how it compares to competitors like Sling TV. Discover what the r/PhiloTV Reddit community thinks about the service's current offerings and future prospects.
Read article - technology
Best US Fighter Jets 2026: Top American Combat Aircraft Ranked
Discover the most advanced US fighter jets dominating the skies in 2026. From the legendary F-22 Raptor to the versatile F-35 Lightning II, we rank America's best combat aircraft based on performance, stealth, and air superiority capabilities.
Read article - technology
Philo in 2026: Pricing, Lineup & How It Compares to Sling TV
As we head into 2026, Philo continues to position itself as an affordable streaming alternative for cable TV lovers. Discover what Philo offers, how its pricing stacks up against competitors like Sling TV, and what the Reddit community thinks about its future.
Read article
Explore More
Related comparisons and categories
AI generated