The Growing Popularity of Laravel for SaaS Projects

Introduction

At a time when people want to avail themselves of everything as a service, subscription-based software has become the default model. This goes from simple productivity tracking tools to niche CRM systems. And this shift is showing no signs of turning back.

In fact, in a report by Grand View Research, it was stated that the global SaaS market crossed US$399 billion as of 2024 and is set to grow at a CAGR of 12% in the next five years! This whopping growth is driven by the convenience factor, the need to reduce infrastructure expenses, and, unsurprisingly, remote accessibility.

But as you know, behind every successful SaaS product lies a tech stack that made it all possible.

The Technology Stack Confusion

We know the SaaS approach is highly lucrative and attractive, owing to the recurring revenue. However, despite that, developing a SaaS platform comes with certain tough decisions, and none of them is more important than choosing the right development framework. Laravel (PHP), Django (Python), and ASP.NET are some of the best SaaS development frameworks. So the question is, which one should you process with?

Each has its own advantages, but in the last few years, Laravel has become extremely popular among developers and product owners. In this blog post, we will explore the reason behind this shift and see what features Laravel offers for SaaS application development.

What Features or Capabilities Do you Need for SaaS Development?

You need more than a great idea to build an impactful SaaS application—you need a robust back-end to power the entire experience and scale with your user base. This is often achieved through a set of features that support consistent performance and can be tailored to your business’s goals and user expectations. Ideally, the best SaaS development framework should have the following:

• Built-in user authentication and role-based access
• Subscription and billing management features
• Scalable multi-tenancy support
• Secure API integrations
• Real-time event handling
• Streamlined deployment and automation capabilities
  
  The following sections will explore how Laravel stands out and delivers on all these parameters. 

What Makes Laravel an Ideal Framework Built for Modern SaaS?

To launch and scale a successful SaaS platform, the back-end framework you choose must offer more than just speed—it should provide the features that directly support core SaaS functionality. That’s where Laravel for SaaS development stands out. 

1. Built-in Authentication and Authorization
   Laravel excels in managing user roles. It offers several starter kits, packages, and authentication tools like Passport, Breeze, and Jetstream, making it easier to design and implement secure login systems. You can also set up role- and attribute-based access controls (RBACs and ABACs), which are essential components for any modern SaaS application.
   
2. Multi-Tenancy Support
   In a SaaS platform, multiple customers (called “tenants”) often use the same application, but they still need their data to be kept separate and secure. This is where multi-tenancy comes in. Laravel supports this setup by allowing you to choose how each tenant’s data is stored.
   
3. Laravel Cashier for Billing
   SaaS applications inherently handle recurring billing, subscription trials, and constant payment updates. While this is one of the most complex parts, Laravel SaaS development makes it easy with Cashier—its built-in tool that offers native integration with third-party services like Stripe and Paddle. This makes it easier to implement PCI-DSS-compliant payment and subscription models. 
   
4. Real-Time Features with Laravel Echo
   Another reason why Laravel is a powerful back-end for SaaS applications is its real-time capabilities. It offers a dedicated library called Laravel Echo that enables real-time functionalities, like live chat support, through WebSockets and event broadcasting. 
   
5. Scalable Queue System
   For a memorable SaaS experience, tasks such as processing files or syncing data shouldn’t slow down the users. To make this happen, Laravel comes with a robust queue system that pushes these time-consuming tasks into the background. 
   
   Moreover, Laravel also supports other queue systems like Redis and Amazon SQS, allowing developers to defer tasks and execute them asynchronously. For teams exploring Laravel for scalable SaaS projects, this queue system is critical for maintaining performance, especially while handling large volumes of data.
   
6. Deployment Tools for SaaS
   Developing a SaaS product is only half the battle—deploying it in a way that it’s secure, scalable, and live is just as important. Laravel comes with two powerful deployment tools that simplify this process: Laravel Forge and Laravel Vapor. Both these tools make it easier for you to deploy your SaaS application with Laravel on leading platforms (with Vapor being a dedicated serverless deployment platform, particularly for AWS). These tools take care of every aspect, from SSL certificates and data backups to monitoring each and every server, freeing you up from the hassle of managing an infrastructure.

How to Get Started with Laravel Development?

Now that we know how promising Laravel is for SaaS application development, let’s see how to get started with it. As Laravel is a widely used and well-documented framework, the process won’t overwhelm you, especially if you have a proper development strategy in place. Here is how to build a SaaS platform with Laravel:

1. Start by Setting up your Laravel Development Environment
   
   Install PHP, Composer, and all other necessary libraries and packages. Then head over to Laravel Installer to create a project in which you’ll work. If needed, you can also use dedicated tools like Laravel Valet (for Mac apps) and directly get started with local development. 
   
2. Select An Ideal Authentication Starter Kit
   
   When building a SaaS application with Laravel, you can embed security protocols from the very start. Make use of ready-made starter kits like Breeze (simple auth) to provide a solid base for user login and registration.
   
3. Integrate Billing Features with Laravel Cashier
   
   This Laravel SaaS development step is valid if you are building a subscription-based product. Install Laravel Cashier and configure your selected billing provider by adding the respective API keys. You will get access to Cashier’s built-in models like newSubscription(), swap(), and cancel() within your user model or controller to manage subscriptions.
   
4. Add Real-Time Features Using Laravel Echo
   
   Install Pusher (or any other compatible WebSocket service) along with Laravel Echo to configure event broadcasting and start pushing events from your SaaS app’s back-end.
   
5. Set up All Background Jobs with Laravel Queues
   
   Once you have chosen a queue driver (like Redis), configure it and start creating jobs using this command: php artisan make:job ProcessNewSignup. Dispatch jobs as soon as you create them to optimize the performance of your Laravel SaaS app.
   
6. Deploy with Laravel Forge or Vapor
   
   Depending on your target cloud platform, use Forge or Vapor (for AWS) to access their managed servers. You just have to connect your own server, link your repository, and deploy your Laravel SaaS application. If you want to go with the serverless route, prefer using Vapor to host your app on AWS Lambda. You can set up queues, databases, and storage through Vapor’s dashboard and deploy your app directly from its CLI (command line interface). 

While following the steps when utilizing Laravel for SaaS application development will streamline the process, it can still be technically demanding. But, fortunately, there are several development approaches to help you proceed with Laravel SaaS development. 

Development Approaches: In-house vs Hire Dedicated Laravel Developers vs Outsource Laravel Development

Once you’ve decided to build your SaaS application with Laravel, the next big decision is how to proceed with it. This is a crucial decision to make as it impacts everything from your go-live timeline and application quality to long-term scalability and development cost. We will discuss the three most commonly used approaches:

1. In-House Development
   
   Developing a Laravel SaaS application within your organization gives you full control over the process. However, it is often a slow, time-consuming, and costly approach (unless you already have a dedicated team of developers proficient in working with Laravel). 
   
   
   
2. Hiring Dedicated Laravel Developers for On-Demand Expertise
   
   When you approach Laravel SaaS development this way, you benefit from periodic, contract-based hiring that offers more flexibility than in-house development while still retaining control over product execution. This is a balanced approach that brings dedicated experts on board while still offloading a good portion of development responsibility from your internal teams.  
   
   

• Outsourcing Laravel Development Services
  
  This approach offers the quickest path to developing a Laravel SaaS application without having to worry about the process. You collaborate with an IT outsourcing firm that specializes in Laravel development. Their dedicated team will work on your app and ensure timely delivery while meeting all performance benchmarks. 
  
  
  

Clearly, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It all depends on your app’s requirements and business goals. If you’re a startup planning to build an MVP quickly, speed and agility are the topmost priorities, and hence, outsourcing development will be an advisable approach. Similarly, if you are scaling operations, hiring dedicated Laravel developers will be a great way to expand your workforce gradually. No matter the path, having a clear strategy and Laravel-experienced developers is key to building a successful, scalable SaaS product.