Laravel 12 Released: Here's What's New.

Laravel 12 has just landed! The new version was released on February 24, 2025, and this update is just different from others - Laravel 12 is more of a maintenance release, meaning it focuses on small improvements rather than big, scary changes.

If you're planning to upgrade, you should expect quality-of-life improvements, dependency updates, and tweaks that make modern web development even more fun.

You can think of Laravel 12 as a software update on your phone - new features and better security, but no need to relearn everything.

So, let’s take a closer look at what’s new and why you should care.

Support Policy

• Bug fixes will be provided for 18 months (until August 13, 2026).

• Security updates will be available for 2 years (until February 24, 2027).

• Supports PHP versions 8.2 to 8.4.

These policies ensure Laravel stays stable, secure, and up-to-date while making upgrades as painless as possible.

Minimal Breaking Changes

One of the best things about Laravel 12 is that it keeps breaking changes to a minimum which makes it super easy to upgrade.

As mentioned earlier, this version focuses on dependency updates and quality-of-life improvements instead of disruptive changes. That means you get a better, more polished framework without needing to rewrite your app.

Most Laravel projects can upgrade to Laravel 12 without modifying any existing code. So, if you’re already using Laravel 11, you’re in for a smooth ride.

New Application Starter Kits

Laravel 12 introduces brand-new starter kits that make building modern web applications faster and more efficient. These starter kits are designed for three of the most popular front-end frameworks: React, Vue, and Livewire.

React Starter Kit

• Built with Inertia 2, TypeScript, shadcn/ui, and Tailwind CSS.

• Provides a seamless developer experience with server-side rendering and a reactive UI.

• Designed to make full-stack Laravel + React apps more structured.

Vue Starter Kit

• Uses Inertia 2, TypeScript, shadcn/ui, and Tailwind CSS, just like the React kit.

• Helps developers build Vue-powered Laravel applications with modern UI components.

• Simplifies the front-end workflow while keeping Laravel’s backend power.

Livewire Starter Kit

• Built with the Flux UI component library (Tailwind-based) and Laravel Volt.

• Perfect for developers who prefer server-side components over JavaScript-heavy front-ends.

• Enables rapid development with Laravel’s built-in Livewire functionality.

WorkOS AuthKit Integration & Authentication Features

All three starter kits come with Laravel’s built-in authentication system, now enhanced with WorkOS AuthKit integration. This means you get:

• Login and registration

• Password reset

• Email verification

• User sessions and security improvements

• Social authentication (Google, Facebook, etc.)

• Passkeys for passwordless authentication

• Single Sign-On (SSO) support

Bonus: WorkOS offers free authentication for applications with up to 1 million monthly active users, making it a powerful and cost-effective option for developers.

Impact of New Starter Kits

These new starter kits make Laravel even more developer-friendly and allow them to quickly spin up applications with React, Vue, or Livewire without the hassle of manually setting up authentication and UI components. They replace Laravel Breeze and Jetstream (Deprecated) and provide a more modern, scalable, and easy-to-use starting point for web applications.

Deprecation of Laravel Breeze and Jetstream

With the introduction of the new React, Vue, and Livewire starter kits, Laravel is saying goodbye to Laravel Breeze and Jetstream. These older starter kits will no longer receive updates, and developers are encouraged to transition to the new kits for future projects.

The new starter kits offer more flexibility, modern front-end tools, and improved authentication features. If you’re starting a new Laravel project, it’s best to adopt these updated starter kits to ensure long-term support and compatibility with the latest Laravel ecosystem.

Discussion Around Laravel 12

With the release of Laravel 12, developer communities have heatedly discussed the new features. Many appreciate the new features, but some argue that Laravel is moving in the wrong direction. The main points of criticism revolve around the removal of Jetstream, the introduction of WorkOS for authentication, the increasing reliance on Volt and Flux, and the overall shift towards more modern but somewhat opinionated tools. Some developers feel that Laravel is becoming overly complex and forcing unnecessary changes on users, making it harder for beginners to understand the framework.

Yes, Laravel is adding some commercial and paid services, but we believe this is a natural progression for any successful open-source project. Despite these changes, Laravel remains open-source and easy to get started with. For example, WorkOS offers authentication services for free up to 1 million users per month - most of the projects will never need a higher limit. The same applies to Laravel’s cloud services and other premium features—it’s about offering additional options, not forcing anyone to pay.

Ultimately, Laravel is still Laravel. The flexibility of the framework has not changed. It just comes with new offerings, which you can either embrace or ignore. Open-source projects require funding to grow, and Laravel continues to provide an incredible ecosystem - for free - to developers worldwide.

Final Thoughts: Why Laravel 12 Matters

Laravel 12 is a stable, developer-friendly release that makes upgrading effortless while providing modern tools to keep up with today’s web development demands.

Here’s all the important components of the Laravel 12 update:

• Minimal breaking changes make upgrades smooth and hassle-free.

• New starter kits bring powerful modern front-end support for React, Vue, and Livewire.

• WorkOS integration adds enterprise-grade authentication features, including social login, passkeys, and SSO.

• Laravel remains committed to continuous improvements, ensuring developers have the best tools while maintaining stability.

If you’re using Laravel, this release makes it even easier, faster, and more secure to build amazing applications. So go ahead - upgrade to Laravel 12 and enjoy the ride! 🚀