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Run Symfony on Docker

What is Symfony?​

Symfony is a mature PHP framework and a set of reusable components used both directly and as the foundation of other projects (Laravel, Drupal, and many more all borrow Symfony components). It ships routing, the Doctrine ORM, a service container, and a console, and it powers everything from small APIs to large enterprise applications. A Symfony app needs a web server, a PHP runtime, and, once Doctrine is involved, a real database: MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, or SQLite.

Why run Symfony in Docker?​

Docker packages each of those pieces (a web server, PHP-FPM, a database) 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 8.4 while another 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 Symfony​

Symfony has its own official Docker setup, symfony-docker, built around FrankenPHP, plus Symfony Flex recipes that can add compose files automatically when you require a package. So, unlike most PHP projects, Symfony 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 site, or a plain PHP script beside your Symfony app, it runs in the same environment with the same commands. A Symfony-specific setup 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 Symfony-specific setup 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.

For Symfony specifically, Laradock wires a production-style NGINX + PHP-FPM stack (FrankenPHP is also available as a web server if you want it), MySQL/PostgreSQL/MariaDB, and a workspace container with Composer, the Symfony console, Node, npm and git already installed.

Run Symfony on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

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

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

2. Pick the services your app needs​

Most Symfony apps need a web server, a database, and PHP-FPM (the web server pulls PHP-FPM in automatically):

docker compose up -d nginx mysql workspace

Prefer PostgreSQL or MariaDB? Swap the name: docker compose up -d nginx postgres workspace. Need Redis for cache and sessions later, or Mercure for real-time updates? Add it any time: docker compose up -d redis or docker compose up -d mercure. The full catalog is here.

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

3. Point Symfony at the containers​

In your app's .env, set DATABASE_URL to the service name as the hostname:

DATABASE_URL="mysql://default:secret@mysql:3306/default?serverVersion=8.4&charset=utf8mb4"

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 Composer, the Symfony console and Node live, and run the usual commands:

docker compose exec workspace bash
composer create-project symfony/skeleton .   # only if you have no Symfony app yet
composer require doctrine
php bin/console doctrine:database:create
php bin/console doctrine:migrations:migrate

Then open http://localhost. That is a full Symfony 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

Symfony 7 requires PHP 8.2 or newer, and Laradock covers anything from PHP 5.6 to 8.5, so the same tool runs a legacy Symfony 4 project on an older PHP version and a brand-new Symfony 7 one side by side, each isolated, none of it installed on your machine.

Install the Symfony CLI in the workspace​

Laradock can also install the official Symfony CLI (the symfony binary) inside the workspace container, and ships a ready NGINX vhost template for Symfony:

  1. In .env, set WORKSPACE_INSTALL_SYMFONY to true.
  2. Rebuild the workspace: 
    docker compose build workspace
  3. The NGINX sites include a symfony.conf.example; edit it so root points to your project's public directory.
  4. If the containers were already running, restart them: 
    docker compose restart
  5. Visit symfony.test.

Frequently Asked Questions​

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

No. Everything lives inside the containers. Composer, the Symfony console, 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 Symfony app?​

nginx mysql workspace covers most apps. Swap mysql for postgres or mariadb if you prefer, and add extras like redis (cache/sessions) or mercure (real-time) whenever a feature needs them.

Can I run multiple Symfony 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, or FrankenPHP if you choose it), so it is far closer to production than the built-in Symfony CLI server. 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.