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Run ThinkPHP on Docker

What is ThinkPHP?​

ThinkPHP is one of the most widely used PHP frameworks in China, a full-stack MVC framework with routing, a built-in ORM, and two decades of production use behind it. A real ThinkPHP app needs a web server, a PHP runtime, and a database; its ORM ships MySQL support by default and can be extended to other drivers through PDO.

Why run ThinkPHP in Docker?​

Docker packages each of those pieces (NGINX, PHP-FPM, MySQL, ...) 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 on the current ThinkPHP 8 branch while another runs an older ThinkPHP 6 app on PHP 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 ThinkPHP​

Unlike Laravel, ThinkPHP has no official Docker tool or first-party runtime of its own, so a ready-made, no-lock-in environment matters even more. Here is why Laradock is the best fit:

  • You are never locked into one ecosystem. Laradock is framework-agnostic. Run ThinkPHP today, add a Laravel service, a WordPress site, or a plain PHP script beside it tomorrow, 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 ThinkPHP 5 app and a brand-new ThinkPHP 8 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. Our CLI is an optional nicety, never a requirement.

Concretely, for ThinkPHP it gives you a production-style NGINX + PHP-FPM stack, MySQL already wired, and a workspace container with Composer and git installed.

Run ThinkPHP on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

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

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

2. Pick the services your app needs​

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

docker compose up -d nginx mysql 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 ThinkPHP at the containers​

ThinkPHP 6+ reads config/database.php, which pulls from a .env file at your project root using an env() helper. Add:

DATABASE_HOSTNAME = mysql
DATABASE_DATABASE = default
DATABASE_USERNAME = default
DATABASE_PASSWORD = secret

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). Older ThinkPHP 5 apps configure the same values directly in application/database.php instead.

4. Install and run your app​

Enter the workspace container, where Composer and git live:

docker compose exec workspace bash
composer create-project topthink/think .   # only if you have no ThinkPHP files yet

Then open http://localhost. That is a full ThinkPHP 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=8.0
docker compose build php-fpm workspace

The current ThinkPHP 8 branch requires PHP 8.0 or newer; ThinkPHP 6 runs on PHP 7.1+. Either way, a legacy project and a modern one each run on the version they need, isolated, none of it installed on your machine.

Frequently Asked Questions​

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

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

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

nginx mysql workspace covers most apps: web server, database, and a shell.

Can I run multiple ThinkPHP 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. This is especially useful for ThinkPHP, where 5.x, 6.x and 8.x projects often coexist with different PHP requirements.

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); 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 the built-in development 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.