PHP Starters: An Introduction

Despite what you might have heard, PHP is far from dead. In fact, it is alive, thriving, and powering a substantial fraction of the internet. PHP continues to be a reliable, efficient, and versatile language that developers of all experience levels can use to create complex, dynamic websites and applications. The community is continuously developing new libraries and tools that simplify the process of building applications, known as starters.

Starter kits, as they’re often called, are a set of pre-configured frameworks and libraries that significantly reduce the time taken to get a project off the ground. These kits typically include user authentication systems, error handling, database connections, and many other useful features. Some even go a step further, offering built-in functionalities such as subscription billing or multi-tenancy right out of the box.

These starter kits provide a great jump-off point, saving you from reinventing the wheel. They’re made by developers who’ve already handled the boilerplate code for you, and who understand the best practices for secure, robust, and efficient coding.

In 2023, there are many quality starter kits available for PHP, and notably, some excellent ones for the Laravel framework. Laravel has garnered much praise for its elegance and simplicity, which has contributed to its immense popularity among developers. It features an expressive syntax aimed at easing common tasks such as routing, authentication, and caching, and it remains one of the best PHP frameworks available today.

Now, let’s explore some of the prominent Laravel PHP starter kits you might consider using in your next project:

1. Larakits: Larakits is a powerful Laravel starter kit for Software as a Service (SaaS) applications. It comes packed with features including subscriptions, invoices, credit card payments, and user impersonation. Larakits also provides advanced security features, including two-factor authentication and brute force protection.

2. Laravel Spark: Laravel Spark is a premium Laravel starter kit developed by the creator of Laravel, Taylor Otwell. It provides an elegant and feature-rich starting point for your next Laravel application. Spark is designed specifically to help you launch your SaaS product faster, as it comes pre-equipped with user authentication, subscription billing, team management, and security measures.

3. SaaS Starter Kit: This kit is a robust and scalable starting point for SaaS projects. It offers a multitude of features such as multi-tenancy, subscription billing, user management, and API support. The SaaS Starter Kit is designed to be flexible, allowing you to customize the application to your specific needs.

4. Wave: Wave is a self-proclaimed software as a service starter kit built on Laravel and Voyager. Voyager is an admin interface that allows for easy control over your application’s data. Wave combines the strengths of Laravel and Voyager, providing a robust and highly customizable foundation for your SaaS application.

Choosing the right starter kit can be pivotal in the development process. Consider your project’s requirements and your level of expertise with PHP and Laravel. No matter which one you choose, these Laravel PHP starter kits provide a solid and efficient starting point for your SaaS application, allowing you to focus more on building the unique parts of your application and less on boilerplate coding. Happy coding!