Next.js API Routes vs Laravel for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

Next.js API Routes Overview

Next.js API Routes let you build backend endpoints directly inside your Next.js project. Drop a file in app/api/, export a handler, and you've got an endpoint. No separate server, no CORS headaches, no deployment complexity. Everything ships as one unit.

I've used this approach for several smaller projects where the backend was simple. A few database queries, some authentication logic, maybe a webhook handler. For those cases, API Routes are perfect. You stay in one codebase, one language, and one deployment. The mental overhead is almost zero.

But here's the thing. API Routes are not a backend framework. They're an escape hatch. You get request/response handling and that's about it. No ORM, no migrations, no admin panel, no job queues built in. You're assembling everything yourself from npm packages. For a contact form or a Stripe webhook, that's fine. For a real application with users, roles, and business logic, you'll feel the gaps fast.

Laravel Overview

Laravel is PHP's answer to "what if we just included everything?" Authentication, Eloquent ORM, migrations, queues, scheduling, mail, notifications, an admin package ecosystem. You run laravel new and you have more built-in tooling than most Node.js developers assemble across 15 packages.

Honestly, I underestimated Laravel for years because of PHP's reputation. That was a mistake. The developer experience is genuinely excellent. Artisan commands generate boilerplate. Migrations handle schema changes cleanly. Eloquent makes database queries readable. And the ecosystem around it, Filament for admin panels, Livewire for reactivity, Forge for deployment, is mature and battle-tested.

For solo developers specifically, Laravel's "batteries included" approach means you're building features instead of configuring infrastructure. That trade-off matters when you're the only person on the team.

Key Differences

Scope is the biggest gap. Next.js API Routes are a feature inside a frontend framework. Laravel is an entire backend platform. Comparing them directly is like comparing a Swiss Army knife blade to a full chef's knife set. Both cut, but one does a lot more.

Database tooling is night and day. Laravel ships with Eloquent ORM and a migration system that just works. Next.js API Routes? You'll need Prisma or Drizzle, plus separate migration tooling. It's doable, but it's more setup and more things to maintain.

Authentication out of the box. Laravel has Breeze, Jetstream, and Sanctum for auth. Next.js has NextAuth, which works but requires more configuration. Laravel's auth scaffolding is faster to get running.

Language ecosystem. If your frontend is already React/Next.js, API Routes keep everything in JavaScript. Picking Laravel means running PHP separately, which adds operational complexity. For solo developers, running one stack is simpler than running two.

Deployment model. Next.js API Routes deploy as serverless functions on Vercel with zero config. Laravel needs a proper server, whether that's Forge, a VPS, or a container. Serverless is easier, but serverless has cold starts and execution limits.

When to Choose Next.js API Routes

• Your frontend is already Next.js and the backend is simple
• You want a single codebase and single deployment
• The API is mostly CRUD with a few custom endpoints
• You prefer JavaScript/TypeScript everywhere
• You're deploying to Vercel and want zero-config hosting

When to Choose Laravel

• You need a real backend with auth, queues, scheduling, and an admin panel
• Your business logic is complex enough to benefit from a structured framework
• You want an ORM with migrations that doesn't require assembly
• You're building something that will grow beyond a simple API
• You value convention and built-in tooling over flexibility

The Verdict

If you're already in Next.js and your backend needs are modest, API Routes will save you time. Don't spin up a separate framework for three endpoints and a webhook.

But if you're building a real application with users, roles, complex data relationships, and background processing, Laravel wins by a wide margin. The amount of functionality you get out of the box is hard to beat as a solo developer. You'll spend less time wiring up libraries and more time building the actual product.

For most solo developers building a real product, I'd pick Laravel for the backend and keep Next.js for the frontend. Best of both worlds, even if it means running two stacks.