Why Ruby on Rails Developers Will Love Laravel Intermediate
Overview
Welcome to Why Ruby on Rails Developers Will Love Laravel — a comprehensive guide designed specifically for Ruby on Rails developers who want to explore the Laravel ecosystem. If you've built web applications with Rails, you'll find that Laravel isn't just PHP's answer to Rails—it's a framework that learned from Rails, improved on many patterns, and added its own innovations.
Laravel and Rails share remarkably similar philosophies: convention over configuration, elegant syntax, developer happiness, and rapid application development. Both frameworks believe in "magic that makes sense"—abstractions that feel intuitive once you understand the patterns.
This series isn't about convincing you that Ruby is wrong or that PHP is better. Instead, it's an honest exploration of how your Rails mindset, tools, and best practices translate to Laravel—and where Laravel might offer advantages or different approaches worth considering.
Who This Is For
This series is designed for:
- Ruby on Rails developers who want to explore PHP and Laravel
- Full-stack developers looking to expand their framework toolkit
- Technical leads evaluating Laravel for new projects
- Developers working on polyglot teams who need to understand both ecosystems
- Rails developers curious about how the "PHP Rails" compares to the original
You don't need to abandon Ruby or choose sides. This series helps you understand Laravel so you can make informed decisions about when each framework makes sense.
Prerequisites
Software Requirements:
- Ruby on Rails experience (you should be comfortable building Rails apps)
- PHP 8.4 (we'll help you install it if needed)
- Composer (PHP's dependency manager, similar to Bundler)
- Laravel (we'll install it together)
- Text editor or IDE (VS Code, PhpStorm, RubyMine, or your preferred editor)
- Terminal/Command line access
- MySQL or PostgreSQL (for database examples)
Time Commitment:
- Estimated total: 15–20 hours to complete all chapters
- Per chapter: 30 minutes to 2 hours
- Bonus project (Chapter 10): 3–4 hours
Skill Assumptions:
- You're comfortable with Ruby syntax and Rails conventions
- You understand MVC patterns (from Rails)
- You've worked with ActiveRecord
- You're familiar with REST APIs and HTTP concepts
- You can use the command line and install software
- No prior PHP knowledge required
What You'll Build
By working through this series, you will:
- Understand Laravel equivalents for every Rails concept you know
- Build comparison examples showing Rails vs Laravel side-by-side
- Create a complete Laravel application demonstrating routing, models, views, and APIs
- Master Laravel's developer tools (Artisan CLI, migrations, testing)
- Learn modern PHP 8.4 syntax and how it compares to Ruby
- Build REST APIs in Laravel and compare with Rails approaches
- Deploy a Laravel application and understand the deployment ecosystem
- Complete a hands-on project porting Rails patterns to Laravel
Every code example includes both Rails (familiar) and Laravel (new) versions, so you can see exactly how concepts translate.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this series, you will be able to:
- Map Rails concepts to Laravel equivalents confidently
- Write modern PHP 8.4 code following best practices
- Build Laravel applications using familiar MVC patterns
- Use Eloquent ORM effectively (comparing to ActiveRecord)
- Create REST APIs in Laravel (comparing to Rails)
- Understand Laravel's ecosystem and when it excels vs Rails
- Make informed decisions about when to use Laravel vs Rails
- Deploy and maintain Laravel applications professionally
How This Series Works
This series follows a comparison-first approach: we'll show you Rails code you already know, then demonstrate the Laravel equivalent. This helps you leverage your existing knowledge while learning new syntax and patterns.
Each chapter includes:
- Side-by-side code comparisons (Rails → Laravel)
- Concept mapping tables (ActiveRecord vs Eloquent, etc.)
- Practical examples you can run immediately
- Honest discussions about when each framework makes sense
- Troubleshooting tips for common transition challenges
We'll start by mapping familiar concepts (routing, models, views), then dive into PHP-specific syntax, explore Laravel's developer experience, and finish with a hands-on project that brings everything together.
TIP
Type the code yourself instead of copy-pasting. The muscle memory of typing PHP syntax will help you internalize the differences from Ruby.
Quick Start
Want to see Laravel in action right now? Here's how to get a Laravel app running in under 5 minutes:
# 1. Install Laravel installer (if you don't have it)
composer global require laravel/installer
# 2. Create a new Laravel project
laravel new quickstart
cd quickstart
# 3. Start the development server
php artisan serve
# Expected: Server running at http://localhost:8000What's Next? If that worked, you're ready to start! Head to Chapter 00 to understand why Laravel deserves your attention, or jump to Chapter 01 to start mapping Rails concepts to Laravel.
If you got an error, don't worry—we'll walk you through the complete setup in Chapter 00.
Learning Path Overview
Part 1: Introduction and Concept Mapping (Chapters 00–01)
Get oriented and understand how Rails concepts translate to Laravel.
00 — Introduction: Why Look at Laravel
If you're a Rails developer, Laravel will feel both familiar and fresh. This chapter explores why Laravel, heavily inspired by Rails, has become PHP's most popular framework. We'll explore Laravel's evolution, what it learned from Rails, and how your Rails skills translate naturally to Laravel. By the end, you'll understand the value proposition and have a clear roadmap for the series ahead.
01 — Mapping Concepts: Rails vs Laravel
If you've worked with Rails, you already understand web frameworks—you just need to see how those concepts translate to Laravel. This chapter shows you Rails code you know, then demonstrates the Laravel equivalent. You'll see that Laravel isn't fundamentally different from Rails—it's the same concepts with different syntax and conventions. You'll understand routing, views, templates, MVC patterns, and ORM comparisons, recognizing that your Rails knowledge accelerates your Laravel learning.
Part 2: Modern PHP and Syntax (Chapters 02–04)
Discover modern PHP and learn the language differences.
02 — Modern PHP: What's Changed
Before diving deeper into Laravel, understand the language itself. Modern PHP (versions 7.4+ and especially 8.0+) is fundamentally different from PHP 5.x. PHP 8.0+ added JIT compilation, union types, match expressions, and constructor property promotion. PHP 8.4 continues with property hooks, asymmetric visibility, and improved JIT performance. You'll see side-by-side comparisons showing how PHP's type system, modern syntax, and performance characteristics compare to Ruby.
03 — Laravel's Developer Experience
Laravel's developer experience tools are where Laravel truly shines. If you've worked with Rails' `rails` command or Rake tasks, you'll find Laravel's Artisan CLI familiar yet more powerful. Laravel follows Rails' "convention over configuration" philosophy, meaning you spend less time configuring and more time building. You'll learn how Laravel's command-line tools, migrations, testing framework, and naming conventions compare to Rails equivalents—and where Laravel might surprise you.
04 — PHP Syntax & Language Differences for Rails Devs
When you start writing PHP code, you'll immediately notice syntax differences. The concepts are the same, but PHP uses different symbols, keywords, and conventions. If you're comfortable with Ruby, you already understand variables, methods, classes, modules, and blocks. PHP does all of these things too—just with different syntax. We'll show you Ruby code you know, then demonstrate the PHP equivalent side-by-side.
Part 3: Data and APIs (Chapters 05–06)
Master working with data and building APIs in Laravel.
05 — Working with Data: Eloquent ORM & Database Workflow
If you've worked with ActiveRecord, you already understand the Active Record pattern, migrations, associations, and query interfaces. Eloquent ORM—Laravel's database abstraction layer—follows the same principles with PHP syntax. The concepts are identical: models represent tables, relationships connect data, migrations version your schema, and query builders let you chain methods. We'll compare every major feature to ActiveRecord, showing you Rails code you know, then demonstrating the Laravel equivalent.
06 — Building REST APIs: From Rails to Laravel
If you've built REST APIs with Rails, you already understand the fundamentals: routes map to endpoints, controllers handle requests, serializers format responses, and authentication protects resources. Laravel's API development follows the same principles with PHP syntax. We'll compare every major feature to Rails, showing you Rails code you know, then demonstrating the Laravel equivalent. You'll master API routes, controllers, resources (response formatting), request validation, authentication (API tokens, Sanctum), pagination, filtering, external API integrations, and API versioning.
Part 4: Professional Development (Chapters 07–09)
Testing, deployment, ecosystem, and honest decision-making.
07 — Testing, Deployment, DevOps: Best Practices
Professional development requires testing your code, automating deployments, containerizing applications, and managing background jobs. If you've worked with RSpec, Minitest, Capistrano, Docker, Sidekiq, or deployment platforms like Heroku, you already understand the fundamentals. Laravel's testing, deployment, and DevOps tooling follows the same principles with PHP syntax. You'll master testing with PHPUnit (comparing to RSpec), CI/CD workflows, Docker containerization, deployment platforms (Laravel Forge/Vapor vs Heroku), and background jobs with Laravel Queues (comparing to Sidekiq).
08 — Ecosystem, Community, Packages & Where Laravel Excels
A framework is only as strong as its ecosystem: the packages, community, and tools that extend its capabilities. If you've worked with Ruby's gem ecosystem, you already understand the importance of a thriving ecosystem. Laravel's ecosystem follows the same principles, but with PHP syntax and Laravel's unique strengths. We'll compare every major aspect to Ruby/Rails equivalents, showing you Rails patterns you know, then demonstrating the Laravel equivalent. You'll master package management with Composer (comparing to Bundler), discover popular Laravel packages (Spatie, Livewire, Inertia), and understand where Laravel excels.
09 — When to Use Laravel (and When Rails Still Makes Sense)
Understanding a technology isn't enough. You need to know **when to use it**—and when your existing Rails stack is still the better choice. This chapter is an honest, practical guide to technology decision-making. We'll give you a clear framework for evaluating your specific situation: project type, team expertise, budget, performance requirements, and long-term maintenance. You'll learn when Laravel's ecosystem, exceptional developer experience, and deployment simplicity make it the right choice—and when Rails' maturity, gems, or team expertise make Rails the better fit.
Part 5: Hands-On Project (Chapter 10)
Build a complete application using everything you've learned.
10 — Bonus: Hands-On Mini Project
Bring everything together by building a **complete, production-ready Task Manager application**. Instead of comparing Rails to Laravel, we'll build a full application that demonstrates everything you've learned. We'll create **both a traditional full-stack Laravel application with Blade views AND an API-only backend**, showing how Laravel excels at both approaches. You'll implement authentication with Sanctum, Eloquent relationships, comprehensive testing, and deploy to production using Laravel Forge's latest features. This project will showcase how easy Laravel makes common development tasks.
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm happy with Rails. Why should I learn Laravel? You don't have to choose! This series helps you understand Laravel so you can make informed decisions. Many developers use both frameworks depending on the project. Laravel excels at certain hosting environments and integrations, while Rails remains a mature, battle-tested framework with a rich ecosystem.
Will I need to forget Rails to learn Laravel? Not at all! Your Rails knowledge is an asset. This series maps Rails concepts to Laravel equivalents, so you're building on existing knowledge rather than starting from scratch.
Is PHP really modern? I've heard it's outdated. Modern PHP (7.4+ and especially 8.0+) is a completely different language from PHP 5. It has typed properties, JIT compilation, modern OOP features, and excellent performance. We'll show you exactly what's changed in Chapter 02.
How long will it take to become productive in Laravel? If you're already comfortable with Rails, you can become productive in Laravel within a few days. The concepts are similar; it's mainly syntax and tooling differences. This series accelerates that learning curve.
What about performance? Is Laravel slower than Rails? Modern PHP 8+ with JIT is actually faster than Ruby in most benchmarks. Laravel's performance is excellent for typical web apps. We'll discuss performance considerations in Chapter 09.
Which is better: Laravel or Rails? Neither is universally better—they excel in different areas. Laravel offers exceptional developer experience and PHP's deployment simplicity. Rails provides a mature ecosystem and Ruby's elegant syntax. We'll help you understand when each makes sense.
Getting Help
Stuck on something? Here's where to get help:
- Read the troubleshooting sections in each chapter for common issues
- Check the code samples in
docs/series/rails-developers-love-laravel/code/for working examples - Consult Laravel documentation: laravel.com/docs is comprehensive and well-maintained
- PHP Manual: php.net for language reference
- GitHub Discussions: Ask questions and share progress
- Report issues: Open an issue for unclear explanations or broken examples
Related Resources
Want to dive deeper? These resources complement the series:
- Laravel Documentation: Official Laravel docs (bookmark this!)
- PHP: The Right Way: Modern PHP best practices
- PHP Manual: Official PHP language reference
- Laracasts: Excellent Laravel video tutorials
- Laravel News: Stay updated on Laravel ecosystem
For Rails developers specifically:
- Rails Guides: Reference for comparison
- Rails API Documentation: Reference for comparison
Ready to Start?
Head to Chapter 00: Introduction: Why Look at Laravel to begin your journey!
Continue Your Learning
Want to go deeper with PHP and Laravel?
→ PHP Basics — Master PHP fundamentals from scratch → AI/ML for PHP Developers — Add AI capabilities to your Laravel apps