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Run Aimeos on Docker

What is Aimeos?​

Aimeos is an e-commerce package, not a standalone application: it is installed via Composer into an existing Laravel, Symfony or TYPO3 project (the Laravel integration, aimeos/aimeos-laravel, is by far the most common path) to add a full storefront, catalog and order system on top. It needs whatever its host framework needs: a web server, PHP-FPM, and a MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL database; Redis is a common addition for cache and sessions.

Why run Aimeos in Docker?​

Docker packages each of those pieces (NGINX, PHP-FPM, MySQL, Redis) into isolated containers that run the same on every machine. Instead of installing PHP and MySQL onto your laptop, where versions collide between projects and "works on my machine" starts, you run disposable containers that mirror production and vanish cleanly when you delete them. One Aimeos project can run PHP 8.2 while another Laravel app runs a different version, on the same computer, with nothing installed globally.

The catch: wiring those containers together yourself (base images, PHP extensions, networking, permissions) is a week of fiddly Docker work. That is exactly what Laradock removes.

Why Laradock is the best fit for Aimeos​

Since Aimeos is a package you add to a host framework rather than a standalone product, it has no Docker tool of its own; whatever you use has to serve the host app (usually Laravel), not just Aimeos. Here is why Laradock is the best fit:

  • You are never locked into one ecosystem. Laradock is framework-agnostic. The Laravel app that hosts Aimeos can sit beside a Symfony service, a WordPress site, or a plain PHP script, all in the same environment with the same commands.
  • Far more flexibility. 100+ ready services and any PHP version from 5.6 to 8.5, so an older Aimeos/Laravel combination and a current one each get exactly the runtime they need.
  • Nothing is hidden and you own everything. No generated files, no magic, no wrapper binary between you and Docker. Every Dockerfile and compose file is right there for you to read and edit.
  • Nothing new to learn. What you use is plain docker compose, knowledge that transfers straight to production and to every other Laravel project. Our CLI is an optional nicety, never a requirement.

Concretely, for an Aimeos-powered app it gives you a production-style NGINX + PHP-FPM stack, MySQL/MariaDB/PostgreSQL and Redis already wired, and a workspace container with Composer, Node, npm, git and Artisan already installed.

Run Aimeos on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

cd my-aimeos-app
git clone https://github.com/laradock/laradock.git
cd laradock && cp .env.example .env

(No Laravel app yet? Clone Laradock first, then create one from the workspace container; Aimeos is added into it in the steps below.)

2. Pick the services your app needs​

Aimeos needs whatever your host Laravel app needs: a web server, a database, and usually Redis. Start exactly those:

docker compose up -d nginx mysql redis workspace

Prefer PostgreSQL or MariaDB? Swap the name: docker compose up -d nginx postgres redis workspace. The full catalog is here.

3. Point Laravel at the containers​

In your app's .env, use the service names as hostnames:

DB_HOST=mysql
REDIS_HOST=redis

The default database, user and password live in mysql/defaults.env; override any of them by adding the line to Laradock's .env (it always wins).

4. Install Aimeos into your app and run it​

Enter the workspace container, where Artisan, Composer and npm live, add Aimeos to your existing Laravel app and set it up:

docker compose exec workspace bash
composer require aimeos/aimeos-laravel
php artisan vendor:publish --tag=config --tag=public
php artisan migrate
php artisan aimeos:setup --option=setup/default/demo:1

Create an admin account through the artisan command Aimeos ships for that, then open http://localhost for the storefront and http://localhost/admin for the back office. That is a full Aimeos-powered store running on Docker.

Change the PHP version anytime​

This is where a native install hurts and Laradock shines. Set the version in Laradock's .env and rebuild:

PHP_VERSION=8.2
docker compose build php-fpm workspace

Current Aimeos releases target current Laravel LTS versions and need a modern PHP (8.2 or newer is a safe baseline; check aimeos/aimeos-laravel's composer.json for the exact floor of the release you install), so the same tool can still run an older Laravel app on a lower PHP version in a separate Laradock instance, each isolated, none of it installed on your machine.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Do I need to install PHP or Composer to run Aimeos with Laradock?​

No. Everything lives inside the containers. Composer, Node, npm, git and Artisan are all in the workspace container; you never install PHP on your host.

Do I need a Laravel app before I can add Aimeos?​

Yes. Aimeos is a package, not a standalone platform; it is installed into an existing Laravel (or Symfony/TYPO3) project. If you don't have one yet, create it from the workspace container first.

Which services should I start for a typical Aimeos project?​

nginx mysql redis workspace covers most Laravel + Aimeos apps. Swap mysql for postgres or mariadb if you prefer.

Can I run multiple Aimeos projects on different PHP versions?​

Yes. Give each its own Laradock with a unique COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME and DATA_PATH_HOST, set a different PHP_VERSION in each, and they run independently on the same machine.

Is this the same Docker setup I would use in production?​

The containers are production-style (real NGINX + PHP-FPM), so it is far closer to production than a native install. See Prepare Laradock for Production for the hardening steps.

Comparing environments? See the full Laradock vs Others breakdown. Ready to start? Getting Started takes about five minutes.