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Run Sylius on Docker

What is Sylius?​

Sylius is an open-source e-commerce platform built on the Symfony framework, aimed at developers who want a fully customizable, API-first store rather than a plugin-heavy monolith. As a Symfony application it needs a web server, PHP-FPM, and a MySQL or PostgreSQL database; Node.js is needed at build time for its front-end assets, and Redis is a common addition for cache and sessions on larger stores.

Why run Sylius in Docker?​

Docker packages each of those pieces (NGINX, PHP-FPM, MySQL/PostgreSQL, Redis) into isolated containers that run the same on every machine. Instead of installing PHP and a database 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 8.3 while another runs a different Symfony/Sylius 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 Sylius​

Sylius has no official standalone Docker product; the Symfony Docker examples in its documentation are minimal starting points, not a maintained tool. Here is why Laradock is the best fit:

  • You are never locked into one ecosystem. Laradock is framework-agnostic. The day you add a Laravel admin panel, a WordPress marketing site, or a plain PHP script beside your Sylius store, it runs 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 a legacy Sylius install 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 Symfony or non-Symfony project. Our CLI is an optional nicety, never a requirement.

Concretely, for Sylius it gives you a production-style NGINX + PHP-FPM stack, MySQL/MariaDB or PostgreSQL and Redis already wired, and a workspace container with Composer, Node and git already installed.

Run Sylius on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

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

(No Sylius app yet? Clone Laradock first, then scaffold one from the workspace container in the next steps.)

2. Pick the services your store needs​

Sylius needs a web server and a database, either MySQL/MariaDB or PostgreSQL. Redis is optional for cache and sessions:

docker compose up -d nginx postgres redis workspace

Prefer MySQL instead of PostgreSQL? Swap the name: docker compose up -d nginx mysql redis workspace. The full catalog is here.

3. Point Sylius at the containers​

Sylius (like any Symfony app) reads its database connection from the DATABASE_URL environment variable, normally set in your app's .env or .env.local:

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://default:secret@postgres:5432/default?serverVersion=15&charset=utf8

Use mysql:// in place of postgresql:// if you started mysql instead. The default database, user and password live in postgres/defaults.env (or mysql/defaults.env); override any of them by adding the line to Laradock's .env (it always wins).

4. Install and run your store​

Enter the workspace container, where Composer, Node and git live, scaffold the project and run the installer:

docker compose exec workspace bash
composer create-project sylius/sylius-standard .
bin/console sylius:install

sylius:install walks through database setup, fixtures and an admin user interactively. Then open http://localhost for the shop and http://localhost/admin for the back office. That is a full Sylius 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=8.3
docker compose build php-fpm workspace

Sylius currently requires PHP 8.2 or newer, so keep PHP_VERSION at 8.2+ for a current Sylius install; the same tool can still run an older Symfony 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, Composer or Node to run Sylius 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 Sylius store?​

nginx postgres redis workspace (or mysql instead of postgres) covers most stores: web server, database, cache, and a shell.

Can I run multiple Sylius 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.

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 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.