Laravel vs Django for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

Laravel Overview

Laravel is the framework that made PHP cool again. It takes the language that powers WordPress and wraps it in an elegant, modern framework with built-in auth, queues, job scheduling, broadcasting, and an entire ecosystem of first-party tools. Laravel Forge handles deployment. Laravel Nova gives you an admin panel. Livewire lets you build reactive UIs without writing JavaScript.

The developer experience is where Laravel shines. Artisan commands scaffold anything you need. Blade templates are clean and readable. Eloquent ORM makes database queries feel natural. The framework is opinionated in a way that saves time. You don't debate folder structure or configuration patterns. Laravel decides, and the decisions are good.

For solo developers, the Laravel ecosystem is a huge advantage. Forge deploys your app for $12/month. Cashier handles Stripe subscriptions. Sanctum handles API auth. You can go from idea to production SaaS with just Laravel and its first-party packages.

Django Overview

Django is the Python equivalent of Laravel. Batteries included. ORM, admin panel, authentication, forms, security, all built in. It's been around since 2005 and powers Instagram, Pinterest, and Mozilla. The stability is unmatched.

Django's admin panel is legendary. You define your models and Django generates a full-featured back-office interface automatically. I use it daily to manage data, debug user issues, and update content. No other framework gives you this much free functionality out of the box.

Python is the other major advantage. If you're doing anything with AI, data processing, or machine learning alongside your web app, Django lets you use the same language and ecosystem. NumPy, Pandas, scikit-learn, PyTorch. All available in your Django views. That's a massive advantage in 2026 when every app seems to need some AI integration.

Key Differences

Language ecosystem is the big differentiator. Python gives you access to the entire data science and AI ecosystem. PHP gives you the largest web hosting ecosystem. If your app involves any data processing or ML, Python and Django make that trivial. If you need cheap shared hosting everywhere, PHP and Laravel win.

Admin panels take different approaches. Django auto-generates an admin from your models. It works out of the box, handles CRUD, filtering, and search. Laravel has Nova ($199 license) for a similar experience, or you can use the free Filament package. Django's admin being free and built-in is a real cost advantage.

Deployment story. Laravel has Forge ($12/month) that provisions servers, configures Nginx, handles SSL, and deploys with one click. Django deployment is more DIY. You'll set up Gunicorn, Nginx, and configure everything yourself, or use a PaaS like Railway. Laravel's deployment ecosystem is more polished for solo developers.

Async support. Laravel handles async jobs and queues elegantly with Horizon. Django's async support (via ASGI) is improving but less mature. For background tasks, Django uses Celery, which works well but requires a separate Redis/RabbitMQ setup.

Template engines. Laravel's Blade is clean and modern. Django's template language is functional but feels dated. Laravel also has Livewire for reactive components without JavaScript, which is genuinely great for solo developers who don't want to build a separate frontend.

When to Choose Laravel

• You know PHP or are willing to learn it
• You want the best deployment story with Forge
• You prefer Livewire for building reactive UIs without a JS framework
• You need queues, jobs, and broadcasting with minimal setup
• You want an elegant, well-designed framework with excellent documentation

When to Choose Django

• You're already a Python developer
• Your app involves AI, data science, or machine learning
• You want a free, built-in admin panel without any add-ons
• You value the Python job market and ecosystem
• You need rock-solid security defaults and a battle-tested framework

The Verdict

Both are excellent frameworks for solo developers. The honest answer is to pick the language you know. If you're a Python developer, Django is the obvious choice. If you're a PHP developer, Laravel is the obvious choice.

If you're starting fresh and have no preference, I'd lean Django. Python is more versatile beyond web development, the admin panel is free, and the AI/ML ecosystem integration is increasingly valuable. Laravel has the better deployment story and Livewire is fantastic, but Django's broader ecosystem gives it a slight edge for solo developers who might need their backend to do more than just serve web pages.