Are you a developer who uses Laravel as your preferred PHP framework? If yes, you must be familiar with the challenges of deploying your Laravel application to a production environment. Fortunately, Laravel Forge and Laravel Vapor offer a convenient solution to this problem. These are two cloud-based platforms that automate the deployment process and make it hassle-free.
In this article, we will compare Laravel Forge and Laravel Vapor and highlight their features, benefits, and drawbacks. We will also provide answers to some frequently asked questions to help you make an informed decision.
Laravel Forge
Laravel Forge is a server provisioning and deployment platform that is designed to simplify the process of setting up and managing web servers. It allows you to create and manage servers on popular cloud providers like AWS, DigitalOcean, and Linode, among others.
Features
- Simple and intuitive web interface
- Automated server setup and configuration
- One-click deployment for Laravel applications
- Support for SSL certificates
- Auto-scaling for web applications
- Integration with popular third-party tools like Github, Slack, and HipChat.
Benefits
- Easy to set up and use, even for non-technical users
- Reliable and secure, with frequent security updates
- Affordable pricing plans
- Excellent customer support, including a comprehensive knowledge base, video tutorials, and a community forum.
Drawbacks
- Limited customization options
- No support for other PHP frameworks apart from Laravel
- No support for serverless architecture.
Deploying Applications on Laravel Forge
To deploy a Laravel application on Laravel Forge, follow these steps:
- Create a server on Laravel Forge: Select your preferred cloud provider and server size, and then set up the server using Laravel Forge's simple web interface.
- Connect your server to Laravel Forge: Follow the on-screen instructions to connect your server to Laravel Forge, and then add your server to your Laravel Forge account.
- Install your application: Use Laravel Forge's automated deployment process to install your Laravel application on your server with a single click.
- Configure your application: Use Laravel Forge's web interface to configure your application's settings, including SSL certificates, environment variables, and database credentials.
- Deploy your application: Once your application is configured, use Laravel Forge's web interface to deploy your application to your server.
Laravel Forge makes it easy to deploy Laravel applications, and the automated setup and configuration process saves time and effort. However, as noted earlier, Laravel Forge is only designed for Laravel applications, so if you need to deploy applications built with other PHP frameworks, you'll need to use a different platform.
Difference Between Laravel Forge and Laravel Vapor
Laravel Vapor
Laravel Vapor is a serverless deployment platform that is specifically designed for Laravel applications. It runs on AWS Lambda, a cloud computing platform that allows you to run code without provisioning or managing servers.
Features
- Serverless architecture, with no need for servers or virtual machines
- Automatic scaling and load balancing
- Secure and scalable database hosting
- Support for custom domains and SSL certificates
- Integration with popular third-party tools like Stripe, Algolia, and SendGrid.
Benefits
- Hassle-free deployment process
- Reduced server costs, as you only pay for what you use
- High scalability and performance
- Secure and compliant with industry standards
- Support for background jobs and queues.
Drawbacks
- Limited to Laravel applications only
- Not as customizable as Laravel Forge
- Requires some knowledge of AWS services.
Deploying Applications on Laravel Vapor
To deploy a Laravel application on Laravel Vapor, follow these steps:
- Set up your Laravel application: Before deploying your application to Laravel Vapor, you'll need to configure your Laravel application to use the Vapor package. Follow the Vapor documentation to do this.
- Create a Vapor environment: Use Vapor's command-line interface (CLI) to create a new environment, which will create an AWS Lambda function to host your application.
- Configure your environment: Use Vapor's CLI to configure your environment, including settings like database credentials, environment variables, and cache settings.
- Deploy your application: Use Vapor's CLI to deploy your application to your Vapor environment.
Laravel Vapor's serverless architecture allows for high scalability and performance, and the automatic scaling and load balancing features make it an ideal choice for applications that require flexibility and efficiency. However, Vapor's use of AWS services requires some knowledge of AWS, and it's only designed for Laravel applications.
Pricing
Laravel Forge offers three pricing plans:
- Forge: $15 per month per server: Includes support for one server, one site, and one database.
- Forge Plus: $30 per month per server: Includes support for unlimited servers, sites, and databases, as well as SSL certificates and scheduled backups.
- Forge Pro: $80 per month per server: Includes all the features of Forge Plus, as well as team collaboration features, custom recipes, and API access.
Which One to Choose?
The choice between Laravel Forge and Laravel Vapor depends on your specific needs and requirements. If you are looking for a simple and affordable solution for deploying Laravel applications on a traditional server, Laravel Forge is a good choice. It offers a user-friendly interface, automated setup, and configuration, and one-click deployment.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a more advanced solution that leverages serverless architecture, automatic scaling, and high performance, Laravel Vapor is the way to go. It offers a modern and scalable infrastructure, reduced server costs, and seamless integration with third-party tools.
In summary, if you are looking for a quick and easy deployment solution for Laravel, go with Laravel Forge. If you want a more advanced and scalable solution that leverages serverless architecture, choose Laravel Vapor.
FAQs
Q. Can I use Laravel Forge with other PHP frameworks apart from Laravel?
No, Laravel Forge is designed specifically for Laravel applications.
Q. Is Laravel Vapor more expensive than Laravel Forge?
No, Laravel Vapor is not necessarily more expensive than Laravel Forge. It uses a pay-per-use model, which means that you only pay for what you use.
Q. Does Laravel Forge offer support for serverless architecture?
No, Laravel Forge is designed for traditional server-based hosting.
Q. Can I use Laravel Vapor with other cloud providers apart from AWS?
No, Laravel Vapor is designed to run on AWS Lambda,