Embarking on the Laravel development journey brings the exciting task of choosing the right packages to amplify your application’s power and simplify the development process. Laravel, known for its friendly syntax and powerful features, lays a solid foundation for crafting web applications. Laravel packages offer versatile solutions, streamlining tasks such as debugging and profiling, ensuring efficient troubleshooting.
With over 12 years of hands-on experience in Laravel development, we at Mallow have become proficient in navigating the intricacies of the framework. We’ve seen firsthand the power of Laravel’s extensive package ecosystem to achieve rich features within a swift turnaround time.
After reading this article, you will get to know about the world of Laravel packages, highlighting some of the finest selections that can elevate your development experience. Whether you’re seeking solutions for authentication, caching, or utility tools, we’ve compiled a curated list of standout packages to enhance your Laravel application. Benefit from insights into the top packages, empowering you to optimise your development workflow, add powerful features, and boost the overall efficiency of your Laravel application.
Which aspects of the application development process can be streamlined with Laravel packages?
Laravel packages play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges effectively. For debugging and profiling, these packages provide tools and utilities that streamline the identification and resolution of issues during development. In the realm of payments, billing, and subscriptions, Laravel packages offer pre-built solutions, simplifying the integration of financial functionalities into your application.
Authentication and authorisation are crucial aspects that Laravel packages handle seamlessly, ensuring secure access control. Additionally, for tasks like image and file management and manipulation, API development and authentication, security, admin panel creation, and testing, Laravel packages serve as invaluable resources, offering pre-built functionalities that enhance efficiency and maintainability in the development process.
In the below sections of the article, we will break down Laravel packages, starting with overarching categories and then delving into specific related packages and their associated features, unraveling the diverse functionalities they offer for tasks such as authentication, authorisation, image and file management, API development, admin panel creation, and testing.
Billing and subscriptions
In today’s business landscape, incorporating billing and subscription features has become integral for applications, facilitating seamless financial transactions and user engagement. Leveraging Laravel packages significantly streamlines the implementation of these essential features in a Laravel application, offering a more efficient and straightforward integration process for developers.
From managing subscription plans to handling one-time payments, Laravel packages ensure a seamless and reliable experience for both developers and end-users. By incorporating these packages, your application development team can significantly reduce the development time and effort required for implementing robust and scalable payment solutions.
| Package Name | Features |
| Laravel Cashier Stripe | Simple and fluent interface for subscription billing with Stripe.Automatic generation of subscription renewal invoices.Proration support for mid-cycle plan changes.Easily add and manage subscription coupons.Webhooks for handling subscription-related events. |
| Laravel Cashier Paddle | Handle Paddle’s webhooks efficientlySupports the creation and management of products and plans on the Paddle platform, enabling easy configuration of offerings and pricing.Facilitates the implementation of subscription-based billing models.Can easily manage user subscriptions, including actions such as creating, updating, canceling, and resuming subscriptions.Facilitates the generation of invoices for billing periods. |
| Laravel PayPal | Seamless integration with PayPal for secure and reliable payment processing.Support for one-time payments and subscription billing.Express Checkout functionality for a quick and user-friendly payment experience.IPN (Instant Payment Notification) support for real-time transaction updates.Customisable payment forms and interfaces. |
Authentication and authorisation
Authentication and authorization have become indispensable features for business applications, ensuring secure access and data protection. Simplifying the integration process, Laravel packages make implementing robust authentication and authorisation mechanisms in a Laravel application notably easier, enhancing overall system security and user management.
Laravel packages follow best practices for security, offering features like password hashing, CSRF protection, and secure session management. Utilising these packages ensures that the application adheres to industry-standard security measures, reducing the risk of unauthorised access and data breaches.
Check out this article on how can you implement authentication in a Laravel application using packages to reach out that perfect package for implementing authentication and authorisation in your application efficiently.
| Package Name | Features |
| Laravel Jetstream | Pre-built application scaffolding with robust authentication features.Support for two-factor authentication for enhanced security.Team and organisation management features for multi-user applications.Customisable user profile and settings pages.Integrated session management for web applications. |
| Laravel Socialite | OAuth authentication support for popular social media platforms.Streamlined social login functionality with user profile synchronisation.Support for custom OAuth providers through extendable drivers.Easy integration with Laravel’s authentication system.Configurable and customisable to accommodate various social authentication scenarios. |
| Laravel Breeze | Lightweight authentication and user management scaffolding.Designed for small to medium-sized applications.Simplifies user registration, login, and password reset workflows.Tailwind CSS integration for customisable frontend views.CSRF protection and secure password hashing out of the box. |
| Laravel Fortify | Reimagined authentication backend for Laravel applications.Customisable authentication views and components.Support for email verification and two-factor authentication.Integration with Laravel’s password reset functionality.Simplified configuration and customisation options for tailored authentication workflows. |
Image and file management
Image and file management have evolved into essential components of business applications, facilitating organised data storage and retrieval. Implementing this crucial feature in a Laravel application is notably streamlined with Laravel packages, offering developers a more straightforward and efficient solution for seamless image and file handling within the application.
These packages provide features like file uploading, image manipulation, and storage management, eliminating the need for developers to build these functionalities from scratch. This ensures that the application can scale efficiently as the user base grows, providing a seamless experience for users even with increased media content.
| Package Name | Features |
| Laravel MediaLibrary | Powerful package for managing media files with eloquent support.Support for image and file uploading with validation.Built-in features for image resizing and manipulation.Integration with popular storage solutions like Amazon S3.Ability to associate media files with eloquent models for easy retrieval and management. |
| Laravel Flysystem | Integration with the Flysystem filesystem abstraction library.Support for local and cloud-based filesystems for flexible storage options.Streamlined file and directory manipulation with a consistent API.Compatibility with various storage providers, including AWS S3 and Google Cloud Storage.Configurable and customisable for diverse storage requirements. |
| Laravel Intervention Image | Simplifies image handling with an easy-to-use API for common tasks.Support for image manipulation operations like resizing, cropping, and filtering.Integration with Laravel’s file upload functionalities.Automatic image response caching for improved performance.Comprehensive documentation and community support for troubleshooting and guidance. |
| Laravel Filemanager | Seamless handling of file uploads with robust management capabilities.Built-in validation mechanisms to ensure secure and error-free file uploads.Advanced image manipulation features, including cropping and resizing functionalities.User-friendly interface designed to be responsive across various devices and screen sizes.Complete customisation options for tailoring the file manager’s appearance and functionality. |
API authentication
In today’s world of modern applications, developing and making use of APIs are becoming the order of the day. Simplifying the implementation, Laravel packages provide a user-friendly solution for incorporating robust API authentication features into a Laravel application, enhancing overall functionality and interoperability.
Laravel packages offer customisation options, allowing businesses to tailor the API authentication processes to their specific requirements. This adaptability ensures that the API aligns with the unique needs of the business.
| Package Name | Features |
| Laravel Passport | Full OAuth2 server implementation for API authentication.Simplifies API token generation and management.Customisable scopes for controlling access to different parts of the API.Integration with Laravel’s authentication system.Support for issuing and revoking access tokens. |
| Laravel Sanctum | Lightweight package for API token authentication.Support for token abilities and token expiration features.Designed for single-page applications (SPAs) and mobile apps.Token management and authentication without the need for OAuth2.Seamless integration with Laravel’s authentication system. |
| Jwt-auth | Utilises JSON Web Tokens (JWT) for secure and robust user authentication.Token-based authorisation system, providing controlled access to resources.Allows flexible payload customisation, including user details and permissions.Streamlines data exchange between the client and server through compact and URL-safe tokens.Includes token expiration and refresh token features for enhanced security. |
Application code analysis
Application code analysis has become vital for ensuring code quality and identifying potential issues in business applications. Streamlining this process, Laravel packages simplify the implementation of code analysis features in a Laravel application, offering developers a convenient tool to enhance code reliability, security, and maintainability effortlessly.
By embracing SAST tools, you can systematically analyse the codebase, identify security gaps, and implement preemptive measures to safeguard against potential threats, contributing to a more resilient and secure Laravel application, which ultimately contributes towards boosting your business.
| Package Name | Features |
| PHP_CodeSniffer | Checks code against a defined set of coding standards.Helps identify security vulnerabilities and adherence to best practices.Customisable for Laravel-specific standards. |
| Larastan | Scans for common security vulnerabilitiesProvides static analysis for Laravel applications.Identifies potential bugs and security vulnerabilities.Offers insights into code quality and best practices. |
| Laravel Pint | Automatic InstallationZero Configuration RequirementProvides a robust foundation for code style fixing and adherence.Follows the opinionated coding style of Laravel, ensuring that your code aligns with Laravel’s recommended conventions.helps to improve the readability and maintainability of your code by fixing code style issues and ensuring consistency. |
Admin panel or team formation
The integration of an admin panel or team formation has emerged as a crucial aspect of business applications, facilitating efficient management and collaboration. Simplifying this implementation, Laravel packages provide a seamless solution for incorporating robust admin panel features and team formation functionalities into a Laravel application, enhancing overall organizational control and coordination.
These packages offer features such as customisable dashboards, role-based access control, team collaboration tools, and more, allowing you to focus on building robust administrative interfaces without starting from scratch.
| Package Name | Features |
| Spatie Laravel Permission | Package for managing user roles and permissions in Laravel applications.Intuitive API for defining roles and associating permissions.Middleware for easy integration with Laravel’s authentication system.Support for role checking in Blade views and controller actions.Ability to assign and revoke permissions dynamically at runtime. |
| Backpack for Laravel | Modular admin panel package for Laravel with a range of pre-built features.Customisable admin dashboard with drag-and-drop components.Built-in CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) functionality for managing resources.Support for managing user roles and permissions with ease.Integration with Laravel’s authentication system for secure access control. |
| Laravel Jetstream | Robust application scaffolding with built-in team collaboration features.Team-based user roles and permissions for managing collaborative projects.Tailwind CSS integration for modern and responsive frontend views.Two-factor authentication (2FA) for enhanced security.API support for integrating with external applications and services. |
| Laravel generator | Generate Laravel APIs with ease.Quickly scaffold Laravel applications.Integrate AdminLTE templates seamlessly into Laravel projects.Create CRUD operations based on an existing database table.Supports publishing and customisation of templates |
Testing
Testing is crucial for ensuring the reliability and functionality of business applications in today’s software development landscape.
In Laravel applications, the implementation of testing features is made more accessible, providing a structured framework for unit and integration testing. This simplifies the development process, allowing developers to create more robust and error-resistant applications, ultimately enhancing the overall quality of the software. With these testing packages, you can create comprehensive test suites, perform unit testing, and automate the testing process, ultimately contributing to the overall stability and quality of Laravel applications.
| Package Name | Features |
| PHPUnit | PHPUnit is the default testing framework for Laravel applications.Provides a robust and flexible environment for writing and executing tests.Supports various types of tests, including unit tests, integration tests, and feature tests.Offers a wide range of assertion methods for validating expected outcomes.Integration with Laravel’s testing tools for seamless test execution. |
| Pest | Testing framework for PHP that aims to be more elegant and developer-friendly.Provides a clean and intuitive structure for organising tests.Supports parallel test execution for faster testing workflows.Integrates seamlessly with Laravel applications and follows Laravel’s conventions. |
| Laravel Dusk | Package for browser automation and end-to-end testing of Laravel applications.Simplifies the process of interacting with web pages and performing user actions.Supports Chrome and Firefox browsers for test execution.Enables testing of JavaScript components and features.Provides an expressive syntax for defining browser automation scenarios. |
| Faker | Library for generating fake data for testing purposes.Simplifies the creation of test data with realistic and randomised values.Supports various data types, including names, addresses, emails, and more.Customisable and extensible to meet specific testing requirements.Integrates seamlessly with Laravel’s testing tools for data seeding in tests. |
Debugging and profiling
Debugging and profiling have become essential for maintaining the health and performance of business applications. Simplifying the implementation, Laravel packages offer an efficient solution for incorporating robust debugging and profiling features into a Laravel application, providing developers with effective tools to identify and resolve issues, ultimately enhancing the application’s stability and efficiency.
| Package Name | Features |
| Telescope | Real-time insights into requests, exceptions, and queries.serves as a centralised log viewer, consolidating logs from various parts of the application into a unified and easy-to-access interface.Database query insights, including query time and execution details.User-friendly interface for effortless debugging and analysis. |
| Clockwork | Detailed overview of application requests, database queries, and other performance metrics.You can add it as an extension to your browser as well.Visual timeline providing insights into application workflow.Interactive timeline for granular analysis of each request.Database query information, including query times and execution details. |
| Laravel Debugbar | It offers toolbar insights into the same page itself for requests, logs, views, time taken, memory utilised and more.Detailed timeline for SQL queries, route information, and cache usage.Interactive views for inspecting variables, and application configuration. |
How to build a new Laravel application
By now, you’ve gained a comprehensive understanding of the diverse purposes and key areas where leveraging packages can significantly enhance your Laravel application development. Each package discussed caters to specific needs, offering a myriad of features to streamline various aspects of application development.
As your journey in Laravel application development unfolds, your next crucial step is understanding the most effective and efficient way to build a new Laravel application from the ground up. Dive into our insightful article on how to embark on this journey effectively, covering the essential steps and best practices to ensure a seamless and robust Laravel application development process for more insights.Feel free to reach out to our team in case you have any queries on how you can make the better use of Laravel packages for impleteing your required features into your application.
