Ever feel like you’re re-writing the same code for common tasks in your Laravel projects? Building features from scratch can be time-consuming and hinder your development speed.
The solution lies in Laravel packages – pre-built, reusable code modules that tackle common functionalities. These packages can streamline your workflow, boost security, and enhance your application’s functionality.
This article is your one-stop guide for Laravel packages. We’ll explore types, understand packages vs. bundles, and unveil a curated list best Laravel packages to build apps faster.
What’s a Package in Laravel?
A Laravel package is like a toolbox filled with specialized tools for every development task.
It’s a pre-built, reusable code module that tackles a specific functionality within your Laravel application. Packages save you time by eliminating the need to build everything from scratch, allowing you to focus on your app’s core features.
Laravel Package vs. Bundle
While both terms are often used interchangeably, there’s a subtle difference.
Feature | Package | Bundle |
Origin | Developed by community or third-party | Developed by Laravel Core Team |
Inclusion | Not included by default | Included with fresh Laravel installation |
Examples | Debugbar, Socialite | Authentication, Caching |
Types of Laravel Packages
Laravel packages come in two main categories: framework-independent and framework-specific.
1. Framework-Independent
These packages are designed specifically for Laravel. They leverage Laravel’s features, conventions, and architecture to provide functionalities tailored to Laravel applications. Examples include authentication packages or caching extensions.
2. Framework-Specific
These packages are not tied to Laravel and can be used in any PHP project, regardless of the framework. They offer functionalities unrelated to Laravel’s architecture, making them versatile across various PHP projects. Examples include database access libraries or form validation tools.
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List of the Best Laravel Packages
Here’s the list of the best Laravel packages based on their functionality:
Category | Package Name | Description |
Development | Laravel Debugbar | Adds a developer toolbar for debugging purposes. |
Laravel User Verification | Handles user verification and validates emails. | |
Socialite | Enables login via social networks (e.g., Facebook, Google). | |
Laravel Mix | Asset compilation tool built on top of Webpack. | |
Eloquent-Sluggable | Generates SEO-friendly slugs for models. | |
Migrations Generator | Automates generating migration files based on database schema. | |
Laravel Backup | Creates backups of your application files and database. | |
Laravel IDE Helper | Improves developer experience with IDEs (auto-completion, type-hinting). | |
Security | Entrust | Provides role-based permissions for your application. |
No Captcha | Implements Google reCaptcha validation to prevent spam. | |
Admin Panel | Voyager | Visual builder for creating admin panels. |
LaraAdmin | Open-source admin panel and CRUD generator. | |
Orchid | Open-source toolkit for building admin interfaces and dashboards. | |
Ecommerce | Bagisto | Open-source Laravel ecommerce package. |
AvoRed | Open-source Laravel shopping cart with mobile-friendly interface. | |
SEO | Laravel Meta Manager | Manages website’s meta tags for SEO optimization. |
SEOTools | Optimizes website SEO according to best practices. | |
Laravel-SEO | Inserts, manages, and deletes website meta tags. | |
Debugging | Laravel Telescope | Provides insights into requests, exceptions, logs, etc. |
Testing | Orchestral Testbench | Helps write Laravel package tests. |
Laravel Development Packages
These development packages help you streamline your development workflow with tools for debugging, asset compilation, and code generation.
1. Laravel Debugbar
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16k | 1.5k | 200 |
Struggling to identify bugs in your Laravel application? Look no further than Laravel Debugbar! This essential package adds a developer toolbar, giving you real-time insights into your application’s performance.
Debugbar displays all database queries, rendered templates, and passed parameters. It even lets you add custom messages for easy debugging. Spend less time guessing and more time building with Laravel Debugbar.
Debugbar::info($object); Debugbar::error('Error!'); Debugbar::warning('Watch out…'); Debugbar::addMessage('Another message', 'mylabel')
2. Laravel User Verification
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831 | 113 | 22 |
The Laravel User Verification package simplifies user onboarding by handling email verification and validation. It offers flexibility to customize email templates, verification logic, and the user experience to perfectly fit your application’s needs.
Plus, the package integrates seamlessly with Laravel’s authentication and notification systems, saving you development time and effort.
public function register(Request $request) { $this->validator($request->all())->validate(); $user = $this->create($request->all()); event(new Registered($user)); $this->guard()->login($user); UserVerification::generate($user); UserVerification::send($user, 'My Custom E-mail Subject'); return $this->registered($request, $user) ?: redirect($this->redirectPath()); }
3. Socialite
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5.5k | 933 | 131 |
Say goodbye to complex social login setups! Laravel Socialite, developed by the Laravel team itself, offers a breeze-through solution. Users can log in with popular platforms like Facebook, Google, and Twitter.
Socialite integrates seamlessly with Laravel’s authentication system and handles OAuth complexities under the hood. This frees you to focus on core features while leveraging secure social logins.
$user = Socialite::driver('github')->user(); // OAuth Two Providers $token = $user->token; $refreshToken = $user->refreshToken; // not always provided $expiresIn = $user->expiresIn; // All Providers $user->getId(); $user->getName(); $user->getEmail(); $user->getAvatar();
4. Laravel Mix
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5.2K | 807 | 212 |
Boost your development workflow with Laravel Mix, the go-to asset compilation tool for Laravel projects. This successor to Laravel Elixir offers a clean and powerful API for defining your build steps in a more effective way.
Laravel Mix integrates seamlessly with Webpack, letting you leverage hot module replacement (HMR) and browser synchronization. See changes reflected instantly without manual reloads, saving you valuable development time.
mix.js('resources/assets/js/app.js', 'public/js') .sass('resources/assets/sass/app.scss', 'public/css');
5. Eloquent-Sluggable
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3.8K | 457 | 60 |
Tired of manually crafting SEO-friendly URLs? Laravel Eloquent-Sluggable automates the process! This handy tool generates unique slugs based on your model attributes, creating clean and search-engine-friendly URLs for your Laravel application.
Eloquent-Sluggable offers customization options for slug fields, separators, and update behavior. Plus, it provides hooks for handling special cases and integrating your own logic, ensuring your URLs are always optimized.
class Post extends Eloquent { use Sluggable; protected $fillable = ['title']; public function sluggable() { return [ 'slug' => [ 'source' => ['title'] ] ]; } } $post = new Post([ 'title' => 'My Awesome Blog Post', ]); // $post->slug is "my-awesome-blog-post
6. Migrations Generator
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3.3K | 592 | 20 |
Struggling with manual database migration creation in Laravel? The Laravel Migrations Generator package is here to help! This time-saving tool analyzes your existing database schema and automatically generates migration files.
Focus on building your application logic, not writing migrations. Simply run the provided command to generate migrations for all your database tables at once. Let Laravel Migrations Generator handle the heavy lifting!
php artisan migrate:generate
You can also choose only certain tables you want to migrate:
php artisan migrate:generate table1,table2
7. Laravel Backup
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5.5k | 739 | 212 |
Don’t risk losing valuable data! The Laravel Backup package safeguards your application by creating backups. It zips up your chosen directories and database, ensuring a complete snapshot of your project.
You can create a complete snapshot of your project with a single command, including files and database. This simplifies the backup process and keeps your application safe and secure.
php artisan backup:run
8. Laravel IDE Helper
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13.8K | 1.2K | 220 |
Supercharge your coding in Laravel with the IDE Helper package! This must-have tool enhances your IDE experience (e.g., PhpStorm, VS Code) with features like auto-completion and type-hinting specifically for Laravel components.
No more manual lookups! Get instant suggestions and clear guidance on available methods and parameters. Plus, the package generates documentation annotations, making navigating the Laravel API a breeze – all within your familiar IDE.
Laravel Security Packages
These security packages help you enhance your application’s security with features like user authentication, role-based permissions, and reCAPTCHA integration.
9. Entrust
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6.1K | 1.3K | 88 |
With Entrust, you can define user roles and assign specific permissions to each role. This ensures users only access functionalities relevant to their role, enhancing your application’s security.
This package creates the following four tables:
- roles table for storing role records
- permissions table for storing permission records
- role_user table for storing one-to-many relations between roles and users
- permission_role table for storing many-to-many relations between roles and permissions.
You can create a role by executing the following lines of code:
$admin = new Role(); $admin->name = 'admin'; $admin->display_name = 'User Administrator'; // optional $admin->description = 'User is allowed to manage and edit other users'; // optional $admin->save();
Let’s check how to assign the roles to the users,
user = User::where('username', '=', 'michele')->first(); $user->attachRole($admin);
Now, you must give permissions to these roles:
$createPost = new Permission(); $createPost->name = 'create-post'; $createPost->display_name = 'Create Posts'; $createPost->description = 'create new blog posts'; $createPost->save(); $admin->attachPermission($createPost);
10. No Captcha
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1.7K | 233 | 32 |
Shield your Laravel forms from automated bots with No Captcha! This package integrates Google’s reCaptcha validation, adding an extra layer of security. Simply obtain a free API key and let No Captcha handle the rest.
Plus, No Captcha offers customization options for the CAPTCHA widget, ensuring it blends seamlessly with your form design and doesn’t disrupt the user experience. Focus on real users, not bots, with No Captcha.
NoCaptcha::shouldReceive('verifyResponse') ->once() ->andReturn(true); $response = $this->json('POST', '/register', [ 'g-recaptcha-response' => '1', 'name' => 'Pardeep', 'email' => '[email protected]', 'password' => '123456', 'password_confirmation' => '123456', ]);
Laravel Admin Panel Packages
These admin panel packages help you quickly build user-friendly admin interfaces for managing your application’s backend.
11. Voyager
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11.7K | 2.7K | 362 |
Building beautiful and functional admin panels can be time-consuming. Voyager, a Laravel package, simplifies the process with a clean, user-friendly interface.
This well-documented package includes a clean front-end theme, dummy data for testing, and a powerful media manager. Get started quickly and focus on building the core functionalities of your Laravel application.
12. LaraAdmin
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1.5K | 529 | 9 |
LaraAdmin is a free and open-source powerhouse for Laravel developers. This package simplifies admin panel creation with features like user management, role-based access control, and dynamic menus.
LaraAdmin also offers customizable data tables with sorting, filtering, and pagination, allowing you to manage complex data sets with ease. Spend less time building admin interfaces and more time on core functionalities!
13. Orchid
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4.2K | 624 | 159 |
Supercharge your Laravel admin panel creation with Orchid! This open-source toolkit offers a flexible and extendable design, allowing you to build user-friendly interfaces tailored to your project’s needs.
Orchid goes beyond basic admin panels, acting as a core system for web applications. Think of it as a CMS or CMF foundation, simplifying content and user management within your Laravel application.
Laravel Ecommerce Packages
These ecommerce packages help you jumpstart your online store development with features like product management, shopping carts, and payment gateways.
14. Bagisto
Bagisto is an open-sourceLaravel ecommerce package that caught the Laravel community’s eyes quickly. It offers out-of-the-box Laravel user management, multi-warehouse inventory management options, and more.
Also, theLaravel CMS package is bundled with built-in user-friendly admin panel navigation and offers functionalities like multi-currency, localization, access control level, multi-channel, Payment integration, and much more.
15. AvoRed
AvoRed easily lets you customize the open-source Laravel Shopping Cart as per your needs. It offers a mobile-friendly interface layout by default and is also included among the best Laravel SEO packages.
AvoRed allows you to create product entities like categories, attributes, etc., with efficient order management capabilities for order tracking, customer information, inventory management, and more.
Laravel SEO Packages
These SEO packages help you optimize your app for search engines by managing meta tags, sitemaps, and structured data.
16. Laravel Meta Manager
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Laravel Meta Manager lets you optimize your website’s SEO, helping your website rank higher on the SERPs. It emphasizes the application’s Meta tags and allows you to correct them following the best SEO practices.
The package comes with recommended Meta tags, including Standard SEO, Dublin Core, Google Plus, Facebook Open Graph, and many others. After configuration, add the generated meta tags to your desired page’s head section.
@include('meta::manager')
The above will use the predefined configurations to prefill the generated meta tags. However, if you define certain options on the fly, you can use the code below.
@include('meta::manager', [ 'title' => 'My Example Title', 'description' => 'This is my example description', 'image' => 'Url to the image', ])
Example:
<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>Document</title> @include('meta::manager', [ 'title' => 'My Example Title', 'description' => 'This is my example description', 'image' => '', ]) </head> <body> </body> </html>
17. SEOTools
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SEOTools allows you to optimize your Laravel SEO according to the best SEO practices. It offers excellent website optimization features and is supported by both Laravel and Lumen frameworks.
The package is fairly easy to integrate within the projects, as it has a user/beginner-friendly interface. It also lets you set the titles and Meta tags for both Twitter and Open Graph.
18. Laravel-SEO
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524 | 47 | 13 |
Take control of your Laravel application’s SEO with Laravel-SEO! This package simplifies Meta tag management, allowing you to insert, edit, and delete them with ease.
It even lets you add structured data for enhanced search engine results. Manage popular Meta tags like Open Graph and Dublin Core effortlessly, optimizing your Laravel application’s visibility and ranking potential.
Laravel Debugging Packages
These debugging packages help you gain valuable insights into your application’s behavior with debugging tools and performance profilers.
19. Laravel Telescope
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4.7K | 549 | 163 |
Laravel Telescope is your secret weapon for debugging Laravel applications. This powerful debugger unveils everything happening under the hood. It tracks incoming requests, exceptions, logs, database queries, and more.
It also provides real-time insights into your application’s behavior, helping you pinpoint and fix bugs efficiently. This makes Telescope an essential tool for any Laravel developer working in a local development environment.
Laravel Testing Packages
These testing packages help you enhance code quality and maintainability by setting up robust unit and integration tests.
20. Orchestral Testbench
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2K | 135 | 40 |
When writing Laravel packages, your package won’t have access to all Laravel’s testing helpers. So, if you want to write your package tests as if they existed within a typical Laravel application, you can use the Orchestral Testbench package.
- Set up your Composer.json file for New Package
- Add Service Provider
- Set Alias
- Create a Facade class
These are four important steps that you must know for writing a Laravel package for your speedy development process.
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Summary
This blog has listed the best Laravel packages to help you optimize your project’s productivity.
Choosing the right Laravel package mainly depends upon your project’s requirements. As Laravel provides ease to developers for executing custom-defined operations, you can use these packages to perform functional tasks efficiently.
If you want to recommend more Laravel packages, feel free to share them in the comments below.
Q. What are Laravel packages?
A. Packages in PHP are a collection of routes, controllers, and views that are configured to add or extend the functionality of a Laravel application.
Q. What is a bundle in Laravel?
A. Introduced in Laravel 3.0, bundles are a great way of grouping code into components that could be plugged into Laravel applications. With bundles, the developers do not have to create these components from scratch.
Inshal Ali
Inshal is a Content Marketer at Cloudways. With background in computer science, skill of content and a whole lot of creativity, he helps business reach the sky and go beyond through content that speaks the language of their customers. Apart from work, you will see him mostly in some online games or on a football field.