Editorial take
Why it stands out
Laravel Cloud vs Forge vs Vapor—pick one mental model per env to avoid double billing.
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Tool profile
PHP framework for building web apps with elegant routing, ORM tools, queues, and strong developer ergonomics.
SaaS and internal tools in PHP-first orgs
Opinionated PHP framework: routing, Eloquent ORM, queues, events, and a huge package ecosystem for full-stack web apps.
Laravel framework code is MIT-licensed—free to ship. Taylor Otwell-led products (Forge, Vapor, Nova, Envoyer, Laravel Cloud) bill separately for server management, serverless, admin UI, and hosting abstractions.
Laravel shines when PHP hiring exists and Rapid CRUD + queues matter; Symfony remains the choice for some enterprise component stacks.
Quick fit
Editorial take
Laravel Cloud vs Forge vs Vapor—pick one mental model per env to avoid double billing.
What it does well
Primary use cases
Fit notes
Compare with
Pressure-test this pick against nearby alternatives.
Ant Design
Free planEnterprise and back-office React applications
Enterprise-class React UI design system and component library with a free MIT-licensed core and a strong opinionated visual language.
Choose Ant Design when speed and enterprise-style consistency matter more than design neutrality.
Pricing snapshot
Laravel itself is MIT licensed and free as a framework. Laravel's commercial products are separate: Laravel Cloud starts with a Starter pay-as-you-go tier that includes $5 of free credit, Growth at $20 per month plus usage, Business at $200 plus usage, and Enterprise custom. Laravel Forge is a separate flat-rate product at $12, $19, and $39 per month for its public tiers.
Apollo GraphQL
Free planGraphQL federation, routing, and schema governance
Commercial GraphQL platform for schema management, federation, routing, and API governance with free and usage-based GraphOS plans.
Choose Apollo when GraphQL has become important enough to need governance, routing, and federation workflows.
