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Run Laravel on Docker

What is Laravel?​

Laravel is the most popular PHP web framework: an expressive, full-stack toolkit for building everything from APIs to large applications, with routing, an ORM (Eloquent), queues, a scheduler, and a huge ecosystem. A real Laravel app rarely runs alone; it wants a web server, a PHP runtime, a database, usually Redis for cache and queues, and often a search engine or a mail catcher alongside it.

Why run Laravel 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 project can run PHP 8.4 while another runs 7.4, 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 Laravel​

Laravel has its own official Docker tools (Sail) and native runtimes (Herd, Valet), 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 Symfony service, a WordPress site, or a plain PHP script beside your Laravel app, it runs in the same environment with the same commands. Laravel-only tools cannot do that.
  • Far more flexibility. 100+ ready services and any PHP version from 5.6 to 8.5, versus the short curated list a Laravel-specific tool gives you.
  • 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.

Laradock is a ready-made Docker environment for PHP: 100+ pre-configured services you start with plain docker compose, no binary to install and no wrapper command to learn. For Laravel specifically it gives you:

  • A production-style stack out of the box - real NGINX (or Apache/Caddy) in front of PHP-FPM, not artisan serve.
  • Every service Laravel touches, already wired - MySQL/PostgreSQL, Redis, Meilisearch, Beanstalk, Mailpit, and dozens more, each a single up command away.
  • Any PHP version, per project - switch between PHP 5.6 and 8.5 by changing one line, without touching your machine.
  • A workspace container - a Linux shell with Composer, Node, npm, git and Artisan already installed, so you run every command there and keep your host clean.

Run Laravel on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

cd my-laravel-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.)

2. Pick the services your app needs​

Most Laravel apps need a web server, a database, and Redis. Start exactly those (the web server pulls in PHP-FPM automatically):

docker compose up -d nginx mysql redis workspace

Need Postgres instead of MySQL? Swap the name: docker compose up -d nginx postgres redis workspace. Need search or a mail catcher later? Add it any time: docker compose up -d meilisearch or docker compose up -d mailpit. The full catalog is here.

Prefer to be asked? The optional CLI detects Laravel and pre-selects nginx/mysql/redis for you: ./laradock setup, then ./laradock up. It prints every real command it runs.

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. Run your app from the workspace​

Enter the shell where Artisan, Composer and npm live, and run the usual commands:

docker compose exec workspace bash
composer install
php artisan key:generate
php artisan migrate

Then open http://localhost. That is a full Laravel app 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=8.3
docker compose build php-fpm workspace

Anything from PHP 5.6 to 8.5 works, so the same tool runs a legacy Laravel 5 project and a brand-new Laravel 11 one 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 Laravel 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.

Which services should I start for a typical Laravel app?​

nginx mysql redis workspace covers most apps. Swap mysql for postgres if you prefer, and add extras like meilisearch (search) or mailpit (catching outgoing mail) whenever a feature needs them.

Can I run multiple Laravel apps 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 apps); 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 artisan serve or a native install. See Prepare Laradock for Production for the hardening steps.

Already using Laravel Sail and considering the switch? See the side-by-side with a migration guide: Laradock vs Laravel Sail. Ready to start? Getting Started takes about five minutes.