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Web Development · head to head

Laravel vs SolidStart

Laravel logo

Laravel

Web Development

The PHP framework for web artisans

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SolidStart logo

SolidStart

Web Development

Full-stack meta-framework for SolidJS with fine-grained reactivity

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; SolidStart smaller ecosystem compared to Next.js or Remix due to relative newness
  • They diverge on capability: Laravel covers Eloquent ORM, SolidStart covers Fine-grained reactivity.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Laravel and SolidStart actually diverge.

Attributes where Laravel and SolidStart differ
AttributeLaravelSolidStart
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 SolidStart

  • Fine-grained reactivity
  • Server actions
  • Single-flight mutations
  • Request deduplication
  • Multi-router support
  • Automatic API generation
  • Vite integration

What people use each for

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

Laravel

  • Web application developmentnot SolidStart
  • API developmentnot SolidStart
  • E-commerce platformsnot SolidStart
  • Content managementnot SolidStart
  • Enterprise applicationsnot SolidStart

SolidStart

  • Building lightweight full-stack applications with minimal runtime overheadnot Laravel
  • Projects requiring fine-grained reactivity and automatic dependency trackingnot Laravel
  • Applications targeting multiple deployment platforms with single codebasenot Laravel
  • Teams prioritizing performance and small bundle sizesnot 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

SolidStart

  • Smaller ecosystem compared to Next.js or Remix due to relative newness
  • SolidJS less familiar to developers with React experience
  • Community documentation not as extensive as larger frameworks
  • Limited third-party UI component libraries compared to React ecosystem

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

SolidStart

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the SolidStart 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 SolidStart if

  • You need fine-grained reactivity.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want server actions.
SolidStart review

Questions people ask

Is Laravel or SolidStart better?
Neither clearly leads. Laravel starts at Free and SolidStart at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Laravel or SolidStart?
Laravel starts at Free and SolidStart at Free.
Does Laravel or SolidStart run on more platforms?
Laravel runs on Web, CLI. SolidStart 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 SolidStart is typically brought in for.
What can Laravel do that SolidStart cannot?
Laravel covers Eloquent ORM, Artisan CLI, Blade templating, Middleware. SolidStart covers Fine-grained reactivity, Server actions, Single-flight mutations, Request deduplication.

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
SolidStart: What is SolidJS and how does it differ from React?

SolidJS uses fine-grained reactivity and automatic dependency tracking instead of React's virtual DOM, resulting in smaller bundles and better performance.

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
SolidStart: How many deployment platforms does SolidStart support?

SolidStart supports over 20 deployment platforms including Cloudflare, Netlify, Vercel, Deno, AWS, and Azure through Vite plugins.

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
SolidStart: Can I use TanStack Router with SolidStart?

Yes, SolidStart supports using either the official Solid Router or TanStack Router depending on project requirements.

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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