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Laravel vs Ruby on Rails

Laravel logo

Laravel

Web Development

The PHP framework for web artisans

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ruby on Rails logo

Ruby on Rails

Web Development

A full-stack framework for building web applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Laravel performance overhead from abstractions, middleware pipeline, and multiple layers can slow applications compared to minimal frameworks; Ruby on Rails licensed under the MIT License per rubyonrails.org; as open source software it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Laravel and Ruby on Rails actually diverge.

Attributes where Laravel and Ruby on Rails differ
AttributeLaravelRuby on Rails
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsWeb, CLIWeb
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Web Development).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Laravel

  • Eloquent ORM
  • Artisan CLI
  • Blade templating
  • Middleware
  • Authentication
  • Caching
  • Queue system
  • Event broadcasting

Only in Ruby on Rails

Nothing recorded that Laravel does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Laravel

  • Web application developmentnot Ruby on Rails
  • API developmentnot Ruby on Rails
  • E-commerce platformsnot Ruby on Rails
  • Content managementnot Ruby on Rails
  • Enterprise applicationsnot Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails

  • Building e-commerce platforms that scale from startup to IPOnot Laravel
  • Developing SaaS applications with consistent conventions across teamsnot Laravel
  • Creating marketplace platforms like Airbnb with transactional workflowsnot Laravel
  • Integrating cloud file storage and real-time WebSocket updatesnot Laravel
  • Enforcing encryption and security protections against common attacksnot Laravel

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Laravel

  • Performance overhead from abstractions, middleware pipeline, and multiple layers can slow applications compared to minimal frameworks
  • Dependency management is complex with many interdependent packages requiring careful version coordination

Ruby on Rails

  • Licensed under the MIT License per rubyonrails.org; as open source software it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare
  • The framework is Ruby-only by design, per rubyonrails.org's own description of its convention over configuration approach, requiring the Ruby runtime rather than supporting alternate languages

Pricing, plan by plan

Laravel

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full framework
    • Artisan CLI
    • Eloquent ORM
  • Laravel Forge$12/month
    • Server management
    • Deployment automation
    • SSL certificates
  • Laravel Vapor$39/month
    • Serverless deployment
    • Auto-scaling
    • AWS integration

Ruby on Rails

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Ruby on Rails review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Laravel if

  • You need eloquent orm.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI.
  • You also want artisan cli.
Laravel review

Choose Ruby on Rails if

  • You want to start without paying.
Ruby on Rails review

Questions people ask

Is Laravel or Ruby on Rails better?
Neither clearly leads. Laravel starts at Free and Ruby on Rails at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Laravel or Ruby on Rails?
Laravel starts at Free and Ruby on Rails at Free.
Does Laravel or Ruby on Rails run on more platforms?
Laravel runs on Web, CLI. Ruby on Rails runs on Web.
Can I use Laravel for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Laravel best used for?
Laravel is most often used for web application development, api development, e-commerce platforms, content management. Of those, web application development and api development are not what Ruby on Rails is typically brought in for.
What can Laravel do that Ruby on Rails cannot?
Laravel covers Eloquent ORM, Artisan CLI, Blade templating, Middleware.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Laravel: Is Laravel free and open source?

Yes, Laravel is completely free and open source under the MIT License. You can use, modify, and distribute it without restrictions.

Source
Ruby on Rails: Is Ruby on Rails free?

Yes, Ruby on Rails is free and open-source, licensed under the MIT License. There are no costs associated with using or distributing the framework.

Source
Laravel: What are the key features Laravel provides?

Laravel includes an ORM (Eloquent), database migrations, authentication, authorization, caching, queues, email, testing, and deployment tools. It supports multiple databases and provides starter kits for full-stack and API development.

Source
Ruby on Rails: What is Ruby on Rails licensed under?

Ruby on Rails is licensed under the MIT License, a permissive open-source license that allows commercial and private use.

Source
Laravel: Can I deploy Laravel on any server?

Yes, Laravel can be deployed on any PHP server. You can use shared hosting, VPS, or managed platforms like Laravel Cloud, which starts at $5/month with auto-scaling and git-like branching.

Source
Laravel: Does Laravel have testing and local development tools?

Yes, Laravel includes Dusk for browser testing, PHPUnit for unit tests, and Herd (free for basic use) for local development environments with built-in PHP, Composer, and Nginx support.

Source
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