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Run Drupal on Docker

What is Drupal?​

Drupal is an enterprise-grade open source CMS known for modeling complex, structured content: multiple content types, taxonomies, multilingual sites, and fine-grained permissions, all through modules and a large ecosystem. A Drupal site is a PHP application backed by a database (MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL or SQLite are all supported), served through a web server, and it benefits from Redis for caching on busier installs.

Why run Drupal 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 sites and "works on my machine" starts, you run disposable containers that mirror production and vanish cleanly when you delete them. One site can run PHP 8.3 while another, older Drupal 9 install runs 8.1, 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 Drupal​

Drupal ships its own official Docker image on Docker Hub, so, unlike most PHP projects, it does not strictly need Laradock. It is still the best fit, and here is why:

  • You are never locked into one ecosystem. Laradock is framework-agnostic. The day you add a Laravel API, a WordPress marketing site, or a plain PHP script beside your Drupal site, it runs in the same environment with the same commands. A single-purpose image cannot do that.
  • Far more flexibility. 100+ ready services and any PHP version from 5.6 to 8.5, versus the narrower set of tags the official image maintains.
  • 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 project. Our CLI is an optional nicety, never a requirement.

For Drupal specifically, Laradock wires a production-style NGINX + PHP-FPM stack, MySQL/MariaDB/PostgreSQL and Redis, and a workspace container with Composer, Node, npm and git already installed.

Run Drupal on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

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

(No Drupal codebase yet? Clone Laradock first, then build one from the workspace container in the next steps.)

2. Pick the services your site needs​

Most Drupal sites need a web server, a database, and Redis for caching. Start exactly those (the web server pulls in PHP-FPM automatically):

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.

Prefer to be asked? The optional CLI walks you through the choices: ./laradock setup, then ./laradock up. It prints every real command it runs.

3. Point Drupal at the containers​

In sites/default/settings.php, use the service name as the database host:

$databases['default']['default'] = [
  'database' => 'default',
  'username' => 'default',
  'password' => 'secret',
  'host' => 'mysql',
  'driver' => 'mysql',
];

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

4. Install and run your site​

Enter the workspace container, where Composer and git live, and set the site up:

docker compose exec workspace bash
composer create-project drupal/recommended-project .   # only if you have no Drupal codebase yet

Then open http://localhost and finish the install wizard in the browser: it asks for the database host (mysql), name, user and password from the step above, then creates the admin account.

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=8.3
docker compose build php-fpm workspace

Drupal 10 needs PHP 8.1 or newer, and Drupal 11 needs PHP 8.3 or newer; Laradock covers anything from PHP 5.6 to 8.5, so the same tool runs a legacy Drupal 9 site and a brand-new Drupal 11 site side by side, each isolated, none of it installed on your machine.

Frequently Asked Questions​

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

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

Which services should I start for a typical Drupal site?​

nginx mysql redis workspace covers most sites: web server, database, cache, and a shell. Swap mysql for postgres or mariadb if you prefer.

Can I run multiple Drupal sites 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.

Does this work the same on macOS, Windows and Linux?​

Yes. Laradock runs anywhere Docker runs. On macOS/Windows, file-sync speed depends on Docker Desktop (VirtioFS helps a lot for vendor/-heavy sites); it is a Docker Desktop trait, not specific to Laradock.

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.