Compare
Laravel vs Next.js
Next.js is a React-focused framework for server-rendered web apps, not a PHP backend.
Which to pick
Pick Laravel if you want…
- Full-stack PHP framework with AI extensions
- Integrations with PHP, Vue or Svelte (on Laravel's list, not Next.js')
Pick Next.js if you want…
- Full-stack React apps with built-in optimizations
- React server-side rendering
- Integrations with Turbopack, Vercel or Tailwind CSS (on Next.js' list, not Laravel's)
Side by side
- What it is
- Laravel:Laravel is an open-source PHP framework with built-in tools for building modern web apps and AI-enabled services.
- Next.js:Next.js is a full-stack React framework for building high-performance web applications.
- Best for
- Laravel:Full-stack PHP framework with AI extensions
- Next.js:Full-stack React apps with built-in optimizations
- Who it’s for
- Laravel:PHP developers building web applications and AI agents.
- Next.js:Frontend and full-stack developers using React.
- Pricing
- Laravel:Open source
- Next.js:Open source
- Open source
- Laravel:Yes, 85,038 GitHub stars
- Next.js:Yes, 142,969 GitHub stars
- Works with
- Laravel:PHP, React, Vue, Svelte, Inertia, GitHub Actions, Laravel Cloud, Nightwatch
- Next.js:React, Turbopack, Vercel, Tailwind CSS, CSS Modules
Laravel features
- Starter kits. Pre-configured starter kits for React, Vue, and Svelte.
- AI SDK. Integrated AI SDK and Boost AI assistant for building AI-enabled features.
- Laravel Cloud. Autoscaling hosting with pay-as-you-go pricing, instant databases, workers, cache and storage.
- Preview environments. Zero-risk, production-like preview environments that integrate with GitHub Actions.
- Nightwatch observability. Full-stack monitoring with error detection, performance insights and automated fixes.
- ORM & migrations. Eloquent ORM and migration system for database schema management.
Next.js features
- Automatic Optimizations. Optimizes images, fonts and scripts to improve Core Web Vitals.
- Data Fetching. Supports server-side and client-side data fetching with async React components.
- Server Actions. Run server code directly from components, skipping separate API routes.
- Advanced Routing & Layouts. File-system routing with nested layouts and custom routing patterns.
- Dynamic HTML Streaming. Streams UI from the server using the App Router and React Suspense.
- React Server Components. Render components on the server without sending extra JavaScript to the client.
- Incremental Static Regeneration. Regenerates static pages per-page after deployment for fresh content.
- CSS Support. Integrates with CSS Modules, Tailwind CSS and other popular styling tools.
Laravel vs Next.js FAQ
Is Laravel or Next.js free?+
Yes, both are free and open source.
Is Laravel or Next.js open source?+
Yes, both are open source: Laravel (laravel/laravel on GitHub) and Next.js (vercel/next.js on GitHub, MIT license).
Do Laravel and Next.js integrate with the same tools?+
Partly. Both list React. Laravel also lists PHP, Vue, Svelte, Inertia and 3 more; Next.js also lists Turbopack, Vercel, Tailwind CSS and CSS Modules.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.