For the past two years, I was fully immersed in the JavaScript ecosystem. I started learning React but quickly moved to Svelte and was blown away by the simplicity and improved developer experience Svelte brought. But I had no idea that outside the world of modern JavaScript frameworks, other solutions like Ruby on Rails, Django, and Laravel had been quietly solving web development challenges for decades.
When I discovered Laravel, I realised how much I’d been missing. Laravel isn’t just a framework; it’s a complete ecosystem where everything you need for web development is already built-in, seamlessly integrated, and ready to go.
Authentication Built-In
Laravel includes robust authentication out of the box. You can scaffold a fully functional login system with a single command. In SvelteKit, you’d rely on third-party services or manually configure authentication.
Database Management
Laravel’s Eloquent ORM makes database queries effortless, while migrations and seeders allow version control and test data setup. SvelteKit requires separate tools for these tasks, like Prisma or Drizzle.
Job Queues and Scheduling
Handling background tasks is easy with Laravel’s built-in job queues and task scheduling. In SvelteKit, you’d need custom solutions or external services.
Blade Templates for Full-Stack Development
Laravel’s Blade engine lets you build server-rendered apps with a clean, PHP-based syntax. While SvelteKit focuses on the frontend, Laravel handles both the backend and frontend in one cohesive framework. If you need more reactivity on the front end Laravel has Livewire which is just as good as Svelte. And if you still want to use Svelte or Vue and React for the frontend, Laravel has Inertia which allows you to use those seamlessly with Laravel.
Preconfigured Testing
Laravel comes with an integrated testing suite using PHPUnit or Pest. Testing features like routes and database interactions is straightforward, unlike in SvelteKit, where testing requires additional setup or third-party libraries.
Laravel’s greatest strength lies in its all-in-one nature. It doesn’t just give you a framework. It provides a complete ecosystem. Everything you need from routing, authentication, database management, job queues, and more. It's all included and works seamlessly together from the start.
The ecosystem is further enhanced by a rich selection of plugins and extensions. For example, Laravel Breeze and Laravel Jetstream are starter kits that simplify authentication setup. Laravel Cashier allows for easy Stripe integration for payments, and Laravel Echo and Reverb make real-time WebSocket functionality easy to implement. Whatever your web app needs, chances are Laravel has a tool for it, backed by extensive documentation and a vibrant community.
While SvelteKit excels for building lightweight frontend applications, Laravel goes above and beyond by providing everything you need for full-stack development in a polished, cohesive package. If you’re looking for a powerful, flexible solution for your next project, Laravel might just be the right choice.
Thank you for reading and I hope this gives you some motivation to try out Laravel today!