09: When to Use Laravel (and When Rails Still Makes Sense)

09: When to Use Laravel vs Rails Intermediate

Overview

After exploring Laravel’s capabilities, you might wonder: “Should I use Laravel or stick with Rails?” The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. Both frameworks excel in different scenarios.

This chapter provides a practical decision framework to help you choose the right tool for your project, considering team skills, performance needs, hosting constraints, and business requirements.

Prerequisites

Before starting this chapter, you should have:

• Completed Chapter 08: Ecosystem, Community, Packages or equivalent understanding of Laravel’s ecosystem
• Understanding of both Rails and Laravel fundamentals from previous chapters
• Experience making technical decisions for projects
• Estimated Time: ~45-60 minutes

What You’ll Learn

• Decision framework for choosing frameworks
• When Laravel is the better choice
• When Rails is still the right choice
• Performance and cost comparisons
• Team and hiring considerations
• Migration strategies from Rails to Laravel
• Real-world scenarios and recommendations
• Using both frameworks together

📦 Code Samples & Resources

Reference implementations for framework comparison:

• TaskMaster in Laravel — Complete production-ready Laravel application
• Code Samples for All Chapters — Comprehensive examples across all topics

Compare frameworks:

git clone https://github.com/dalehurley/codewithphp.git
cd codewithphp/code/rails-developers-love-laravel

Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Evaluate project requirements against a seven-factor decision framework
• Identify when Laravel is the optimal choice for your project
• Recognize when Rails remains the better option
• Compare performance, cost, and deployment complexity between frameworks
• Plan migration strategies from Rails to Laravel when appropriate
• Apply real-world decision-making principles to framework selection
• Understand hybrid approaches for using both frameworks together

The Decision Framework

When choosing between Laravel and Rails, consider these seven factors:

1. Team & Skills

Choose Laravel if:

• ✅ Team knows PHP already
• ✅ Easier to hire PHP developers (larger pool)
• ✅ Team wants stricter type safety
• ✅ Coming from Symfony/WordPress background

Choose Rails if:

• ✅ Team is already proficient in Ruby/Rails
• ✅ Team prefers Ruby’s syntax
• ✅ You have Rails expertise to leverage
• ✅ Team is productive with Rails

Reality Check:

“The best framework is the one your team knows best.” - Every experienced developer

Hiring Considerations:

Factor	Rails	Laravel	Notes
Developer Pool Size	~50,000 active	~200,000+ active	PHP has larger ecosystem
Junior Developer Availability	Moderate	High	More PHP bootcamps/courses
Remote Hiring	Good	Excellent	More global PHP developers
Average Salary (US, 2024)	$90k-$130k (mid)	$85k-$120k (mid)	Rails slightly higher
Time to Productivity	2-3 months	1-2 months (for Rails devs)	Laravel easier for Rails devs
Freelance Rates	$80-$150/hr	$70-$140/hr	Similar ranges
Enterprise Demand	High	Very High	Laravel in more enterprises

Key Insight: While Rails developers may command slightly higher salaries, Laravel offers a larger hiring pool and faster onboarding for Rails-experienced developers.

2. Performance Requirements

Choose Laravel if:

• ✅ High-traffic application (10k+ req/min)
• ✅ CPU-intensive operations
• ✅ Cost optimization is critical
• ✅ Need lower memory footprint
• ✅ Serverless deployment needed

Performance Benchmarks:

Metric	Rails 7.x + Ruby 3.3	Laravel 12 + PHP 8.4
Simple JSON Response	~5,000 req/sec	~15,000 req/sec
Memory per Worker	~100-150 MB	~30-50 MB
Cold Start Time	~2-3 seconds	~0.5-1 second
API Response (P95)	~50ms	~20ms

Real Cost Impact:

Example: 1 million requests/month

Rails Infrastructure:
- 2x 4GB servers: $40/month
- Total: $40/month

Laravel Infrastructure:
- 1x 2GB server: $12/month
- Total: $12/month

Savings: $28/month ($336/year)

For startups and small businesses, this matters!

3. Hosting & Deployment

Choose Laravel if:

• ✅ Shared hosting required (client projects)
• ✅ Limited server access
• ✅ Need simplest deployment possible
• ✅ Want serverless option (Vapor)
• ✅ Budget is very tight

Choose Rails if:

• ✅ Full server control available
• ✅ Using Heroku (excellent Rails support)
• ✅ Team comfortable with Capistrano
• ✅ Infrastructure already Rails-optimized

Deployment Complexity:

Rails Deployment:

# Need:
- Reverse proxy (Nginx)
- Application server (Puma/Unicorn)
- Process manager (systemd/Foreman)
- Asset compilation
- Background job processor (Sidekiq)

# Configuration files:
- puma.rb
- database.yml
- secrets.yml
- nginx config
- systemd services

Laravel Deployment:

# Need:
- Web server (Apache/Nginx)
- PHP-FPM

# Configuration:
- .env file
- Server config (simpler)

# Laravel Forge: One-click setup

Laravel deployment is objectively simpler.

4. Integration Requirements

Choose Laravel if:

• ✅ Integrating with WordPress/Drupal
• ✅ Legacy PHP systems exist
• ✅ Need to use PHP libraries
• ✅ Working with PHP-heavy ecosystem

Choose Rails if:

• ✅ Integrating with Ruby systems
• ✅ Need specific Ruby gems
• ✅ Working with data science (Ruby + Python bridges)
• ✅ Existing Rails apps/services

Example Scenario:

Client has WordPress site (5M visits/month) and needs custom admin panel.

Laravel wins: Easy to integrate with existing WordPress database, can share authentication, deploy on same server, use same PHP stack.

5. Project Type

Project Type	Best Choice	Why
Content Management	Laravel	Easier integration with WordPress/headless CMS
SaaS Application	Laravel	Laravel Spark, better type safety
E-commerce	Tie	Both excellent (Spree vs Lunar/Bagisto)
API-First	Laravel	Faster, built-in Sanctum, better docs
Real-time Apps	Rails	Better WebSocket support (ActionCable)
Data Processing	Rails	Better Ruby data libraries
Marketplace	Tie	Both work well
Social Network	Tie	Both work well

6. Development Speed

Laravel is Faster for:

• ✅ API development (built-in auth, resources)
• ✅ Admin panels (Nova/Filament)
• ✅ File handling (built-in storage)
• ✅ CRUD apps (resource controllers)
• ✅ SaaS (Laravel Spark)

Rails is Faster for:

• ✅ Prototyping (rails generate scaffold)
• ✅ Test-driven development (RSpec matchers)
• ✅ Convention-heavy apps
• ✅ Apps with complex business logic (Ruby’s expressiveness)

Reality: Both are equally fast for experienced developers.

7. Long-Term Maintenance & Support

Choose Laravel if:

• ✅ Need predictable LTS releases (every 2 years)
• ✅ Want frequent security updates
• ✅ Prefer clear upgrade paths
• ✅ Need active community support

Choose Rails if:

• ✅ Comfortable with Rails’ release cycle
• ✅ Have Rails maintenance expertise
• ✅ Using stable, mature Rails version
• ✅ Team handles Rails updates well

Maintenance Comparison:

Aspect	Rails	Laravel	Winner
LTS Releases	Every 2-3 years	Every 2 years	Tie
Security Updates	Regular	Very regular	Tie
Breaking Changes	Major versions	Major versions	Tie
Upgrade Guides	Comprehensive	Excellent	Tie
Community Support	Strong	Very Strong	Tie
Documentation	Excellent	Excellent	Tie

Reality: Both frameworks have excellent long-term support. Laravel’s LTS schedule is slightly more predictable (every 2 years), but Rails’ LTS versions are supported longer (5+ years).

Security & Updates:

• Both frameworks receive regular security patches
• Both have active security teams
• Both follow responsible disclosure practices
• Laravel: Security updates typically within 24-48 hours
• Rails: Security updates typically within 24-72 hours

Upgrade Considerations:

• Laravel: Clear upgrade guides, automated upgrade tools (Laravel Shift)
• Rails: Comprehensive upgrade guides, community tools
• Both: Breaking changes primarily in major versions
• Both: Provide migration paths and deprecation warnings

When to Choose Laravel

Scenario 1: High-Performance API

Requirements:

• 50,000+ requests/minute
• Low latency (< 50ms P95)
• Cost-conscious
• API-only backend

Why Laravel:

• ✅ 3x faster request handling
• ✅ Lower memory usage = fewer servers
• ✅ Built-in API authentication (Sanctum)
• ✅ Laravel Vapor for auto-scaling
• ✅ Better API documentation tools

Example:

Mobile app backend serving 1M users

Rails Setup:
- 5x 4GB servers
- Load balancer
- Sidekiq workers
- Cost: ~$200/month

Laravel Setup:
- 2x 2GB servers
- Queue workers included
- Cost: ~$50/month

Savings: $150/month ($1,800/year)

Scenario 2: Client Projects

Requirements:

• Multiple client sites
• Shared hosting sometimes
• Easy deployment
• Handoff to clients

Why Laravel:

• ✅ Works on any hosting
• ✅ Clients can manage easier
• ✅ Lower hosting costs
• ✅ More hosting providers
• ✅ Simpler stack

Real Example:

“We build websites for small businesses. Switching from Rails to Laravel cut our hosting costs by 60% and made client handoffs easier.” - Agency Developer

Scenario 3: Legacy PHP Integration

Requirements:

• WordPress integration
• Existing PHP codebase
• Use PHP libraries
• Shared database with PHP app

Why Laravel:

• ✅ Native PHP interop
• ✅ Can share WordPress database
• ✅ Use existing PHP libraries
• ✅ Team already knows PHP
• ✅ Same server, same stack

Scenario 4: Startup with Tight Budget

Requirements:

• MVP development
• Limited funding
• Need to scale quickly
• Pay-per-use infrastructure

Why Laravel:

• ✅ Laravel Vapor (serverless)
• ✅ Lower server costs
• ✅ Laravel Forge ($12/month)
• ✅ Better performance = fewer servers
• ✅ Free admin panel options (Filament)

Cost Comparison:

Year 1 Costs:

Rails Stack:
- Heroku Dyno: $25/month × 12 = $300
- Redis: $15/month × 12 = $180
- Database: $50/month × 12 = $600
Total: $1,080

Laravel Stack:
- DigitalOcean: $12/month × 12 = $144
- Laravel Forge: $12/month × 12 = $144
- Database included
Total: $288

Savings: $792 (73% less)

Scenario 5: Type-Safety Critical

Requirements:

• Financial application
• Medical records
• Compliance required
• Type safety essential

Why Laravel:

• ✅ Strict types built-in
• ✅ IDE type checking
• ✅ Static analysis (Larastan/PHPStan)
• ✅ Compile-time error catching
• ✅ Better refactoring safety

Example:

<?php
// Laravel - Type errors caught immediately
declare(strict_types=1);

function processPayment(
    User $user,
    int $amountInCents,
    Currency $currency
): PaymentResult {
    // Type-safe!
}

// This fails at runtime:
processPayment($user, "100", "USD");  // TypeError!

# Rails - Duck typing, errors at runtime
def process_payment(user, amount_in_cents, currency)
  # Might work, might not
end

# This might fail much later:
process_payment(user, "100", "USD")  # No error until much later

When to Choose Rails

Scenario 1: Team is Rails-Expert

Requirements:

• Team of Rails developers
• Existing Rails codebase
• High productivity with Rails
• Rails infrastructure in place

Why Rails:

• ✅ Team expertise maximized
• ✅ No retraining needed
• ✅ Leverage existing knowledge
• ✅ Faster development (for your team)
• ✅ Maintain existing apps

Reality Check:

“Switching frameworks for small performance gains when your team is Rails-expert is usually a bad trade-off.”

Scenario 2: Real-Time Features

Requirements:

• WebSocket connections
• Live chat
• Real-time notifications
• Live updates

Why Rails:

• ✅ ActionCable built-in
• ✅ Better WebSocket support
• ✅ Hotwire/Turbo for reactive UIs
• ✅ Mature ecosystem

Laravel has broadcasting, but Rails’ ActionCable is more mature.

Scenario 3: Data Science Integration

Requirements:

• Machine learning
• Data processing pipelines
• Python integration
• Scientific computing

Why Rails:

• ✅ Better Python bridges (via microservices)
• ✅ Ruby data libraries
• ✅ Jupyter notebook integration
• ✅ Academic community

Though PHP can work with Python, Ruby’s ecosystem is stronger here.

Scenario 4: Heroku-Optimized

Requirements:

• Heroku deployment required
• Need Heroku add-ons
• 12-factor app methodology
• Git-push deployment

Why Rails:

• ✅ Best Heroku support
• ✅ Rails-specific buildpacks
• ✅ Better documentation
• ✅ Seamless integration

Laravel works on Heroku, but Rails is first-class citizen.

Scenario 5: Ruby Gem Dependency

Requirements:

• Specific Ruby gem needed
• No PHP equivalent
• Gem is critical
• Can’t rewrite functionality

Why Rails:

• ✅ Access to Ruby gems
• ✅ Native Ruby ecosystem
• ✅ No reimplementation needed

Example:

Need specific payment processor with Ruby-only SDK? Stick with Rails.

The Hybrid Approach

You don’t have to choose just one! Many companies use both:

Strategy 1: Rails for Core, Laravel for API

Architecture:
- Rails: Main application (web interface)
- Laravel: Public API (high-performance)

Benefits:
- Rails for complex business logic
- Laravel for API speed
- Best of both worlds

Companies doing this:

• Large e-commerce platforms
• SaaS with public APIs
• Enterprises with multiple stacks

Strategy 2: Microservices

Microservice Architecture:
- User Service: Rails (complex auth logic)
- Payment Service: Laravel (high performance)
- Notification Service: Laravel (high volume)
- Admin Panel: Laravel (Nova)
- Main App: Rails

Benefits:

• ✅ Use right tool for right job
• ✅ Scale services independently
• ✅ Team can specialize

Strategy 3: Gradual Migration

Migration Path:
1. Start: 100% Rails
2. New features: Laravel
3. Performance-critical parts: Laravel
4. Eventually: Mixed codebase

When this works:

• Large existing Rails app
• Performance issues in specific areas
• Team learning Laravel gradually
• Risk-averse migration

Migration Strategies

From Rails to Laravel

Option 1: Big Bang (Not Recommended)

• Rewrite entire app
• High risk
• Long timeline
• Business disruption

Option 2: Strangler Fig Pattern (Recommended)

Phase 1: Run both apps
- Rails handles existing routes
- Laravel handles new features
- Nginx routes based on path

Phase 2: Migrate modules
- One module at a time
- Test thoroughly
- Roll back if needed

Phase 3: Complete migration
- All features in Laravel
- Deprecate Rails app

Option 3: API Gateway

Architecture:
- API Gateway (Laravel)
- Rails app (internal)
- Gradually move logic to Laravel
- Eventually decommission Rails

Code Migration Example

Rails Model:

app/models/post.rb

class Post < ApplicationRecord
  belongs_to :user
  has_many :comments, dependent: :destroy
  has_many :tags, through: :post_tags

  validates :title, presence: true, length: { maximum: 255 }
  validates :body, presence: true

  scope :published, -> { where(published: true) }
  scope :recent, -> { order(created_at: :desc) }

  def excerpt(length = 100)
    body.truncate(length)
  end
end

Laravel Equivalent:

app/Models/Post.php

<?php
namespace App\Models;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\BelongsTo;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\HasMany;
use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\BelongsToMany;
use Illuminate\Support\Str;

class Post extends Model
{
    protected $fillable = ['title', 'body', 'published', 'user_id'];

    protected $casts = [
        'published' => 'boolean',
    ];

    public function user(): BelongsTo
    {
        return $this->belongsTo(User::class);
    }

    public function comments(): HasMany
    {
        return $this->hasMany(Comment::class);
    }

    public function tags(): BelongsToMany
    {
        return $this->belongsToMany(Tag::class);
    }

    public function scopePublished($query)
    {
        return $query->where('published', true);
    }

    public function scopeRecent($query)
    {
        return $query->latest();
    }

    public function excerpt(int $length = 100): string
    {
        return Str::limit($this->body, $length);
    }
}

Laravel FormRequest (Validation):

app/Http/Requests/StorePostRequest.php

<?php
namespace App\Http\Requests;

use Illuminate\Foundation\Http\FormRequest;

class StorePostRequest extends FormRequest
{
    public function authorize(): bool
    {
        return true; // Or add authorization logic
    }

    public function rules(): array
    {
        return [
            'title' => 'required|string|max:255',
            'body' => 'required|string',
        ];
    }
}

Nearly identical patterns!

Real-World Decision Examples

Example 1: E-commerce Platform

Requirements:

• 100k+ daily visitors
• Complex product catalog
• Multiple payment methods
• Admin panel
• Mobile app API

Decision: Laravel

Why:

• ✅ High traffic (Laravel’s performance)
• ✅ Laravel Nova for admin panel
• ✅ Sanctum for mobile API
• ✅ Lower infrastructure costs
• ✅ Good e-commerce packages (Lunar)

Estimated Savings:

• Infrastructure: $500/month
• Admin panel: $199 one-time (vs$1000 custom)
• Development time: 20% faster API development

Example 2: Social Media Analytics

Requirements:

• Real-time data processing
• WebSocket connections
• Large data imports
• Complex queries
• Team of 5 Rails developers

Decision: Rails

Why:

• ✅ Team expertise (Rails developers)
• ✅ ActionCable for real-time features
• ✅ Better data processing libraries
• ✅ ActiveJob for background processing
• ✅ Team already productive

Why not Laravel:

• Team would need 3-6 months to learn
• No real performance bottleneck
• Existing infrastructure optimized for Rails

Example 3: Multi-Tenant SaaS

Requirements:

• Subscription billing
• Team management
• API for integrations
• Admin portal
• Startup budget

Decision: Laravel

Why:

• ✅ Laravel Spark ($99 - saves months)
• ✅ Built-in multi-tenancy packages
• ✅ Laravel Forge for easy deployment
• ✅ Better API performance
• ✅ Lower hosting costs

Cost Analysis:

Rails Custom Build:
- Subscription system: 80 hours × $100 = $8,000
- Team management: 40 hours × $100 = $4,000
- API development: 60 hours × $100 = $6,000
Total: $18,000 + $200/month hosting

Laravel with Spark:
- Laravel Spark: $99
- Customization: 20 hours × $100 = $2,000
- API development: 40 hours × $100 = $4,000
Total: $6,099 + $50/month hosting

Savings: $11,901 (66% less)

Example 4: Enterprise Internal Tool

Requirements:

• Internal employees only (< 100 users)
• Complex business logic
• Integration with Rails services
• Existing Rails infrastructure
• Team of experienced Rails developers

Decision: Rails

Why:

• ✅ Low traffic (performance doesn’t matter)
• ✅ Team expertise
• ✅ Integration with existing services
• ✅ Complex logic (Ruby’s expressiveness helps)
• ✅ Existing infrastructure

Why not Laravel:

• No performance benefit needed
• Integration complexity
• Team would need training
• Higher risk, no clear benefit

The Honest Truth

What Marketing Won’t Tell You

Laravel Marketing:

“Laravel is faster, more modern, better ecosystem!”

Reality:

• Laravel IS faster, but for most apps it doesn’t matter
• Modern PHP is great, but Ruby 3 is also excellent
• Ecosystems are comparable in quality

Rails Marketing:

“Rails is mature, battle-tested, elegant!”

Reality:

• Rails IS mature, but Laravel caught up quickly
• Both are battle-tested at scale
• Elegance is subjective

What Actually Matters

1. Team Skills - The framework your team knows wins
2. Project Requirements - Choose based on specific needs
3. Cost Constraints - Laravel often cheaper
4. Performance Needs - Laravel faster, but often doesn’t matter
5. Integration Requirements - Use what integrates best
6. Maintainability - Both are equally maintainable

The Best Answer

“Use Rails if your team knows Rails and has no compelling reason to switch. Use Laravel if you’re starting fresh, need better performance, or have PHP expertise.”

Decision Matrix

Factor	Rails	Laravel	Winner
Team is Rails-expert	✅	❌	Rails
Team knows PHP	❌	✅	Laravel
High Performance Needed	❌	✅	Laravel
Tight Budget	❌	✅	Laravel
Real-time Features	✅	❌	Rails
API-First Application	❌	✅	Laravel
Type Safety Critical	❌	✅	Laravel
Complex Business Logic	✅	❌	Rails
Shared PHP Hosting	❌	✅	Laravel
Data Science	✅	❌	Rails
SaaS Application	❌	✅	Laravel
Admin Panel Needed	❌	✅	Laravel
Heroku Deployment	✅	❌	Rails
Long-Term Maintenance	✅	✅	Tie
Hiring Pool Size	❌	✅	Laravel

Key Takeaways

1. No Wrong Choice - Both frameworks are excellent
2. Team Matters Most - Choose what your team knows
3. Performance Usually Overrated - Unless you actually need it
4. Cost Matters for Startups - Laravel often cheaper
5. Don’t Rewrite for Fashion - Switching has costs
6. Both Can Scale - Both power huge applications
7. Learning Both is Valuable - Polyglot developers are better

Questions to Ask Yourself

Before choosing, honestly answer:

1. Does my team know one framework significantly better?

   • If yes → Use that one

2. Do I have actual performance requirements?

   • If yes, and high → Laravel
   • If no → Either works

3. Am I cost-constrained?

   • If yes → Laravel (probably)
   • If no → Either works

4. Do I need real-time features?

   • If yes → Rails (ActionCable)
   • If no → Either works

5. Is this greenfield or existing app?

   • If existing Rails → Stick with Rails
   • If greenfield → Evaluate all factors

6. Do I have legacy PHP integration?

   • If yes → Laravel
   • If no → Either works

Wrap-up

You’ve completed a comprehensive decision-making framework for choosing between Laravel and Rails. Here’s what you’ve accomplished:

• ✅ Decision Framework - Seven key factors to evaluate (team, performance, hosting, integration, project type, development speed, long-term maintenance)
• ✅ Laravel Scenarios - Five specific situations where Laravel excels (high-performance APIs, client projects, PHP integration, budget constraints, type safety)
• ✅ Rails Scenarios - Five situations where Rails is still the better choice (team expertise, real-time features, data science, Heroku, Ruby gems)
• ✅ Hybrid Approaches - Strategies for using both frameworks together
• ✅ Migration Strategies - Practical approaches for moving from Rails to Laravel
• ✅ Real-World Examples - Four detailed case studies with cost analysis
• ✅ Decision Matrix - Quick reference table for common scenarios
• ✅ Honest Assessment - Realistic perspective on what actually matters

You now have the tools to make informed framework decisions based on your specific project needs, team capabilities, and business constraints. Remember: there’s no universally “better” framework—only the right tool for your specific situation.

Further Reading

• Laravel Documentation — Official Laravel documentation
• Ruby on Rails Guides — Official Rails documentation for comparison
• Laravel Forge — Server management and deployment platform
• Laravel Vapor — Serverless deployment platform
• Laravel Spark — SaaS application scaffolding
• Strangler Fig Pattern — Martin Fowler’s pattern for gradual migration
• Framework Comparison: Laravel vs Rails — Additional comparison resources

What’s Next?

Now that you know when to use each framework, the final chapter provides a hands-on mini project where you’ll build a complete application in Laravel, applying everything you’ve learned.

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::: tip Continue Learning Move on to Chapter 10: Hands-On Mini Project to build a complete task manager app in Laravel. :::