Getting Started with Laravel Starter Kits: Build Apps Faster

Laravel, one of the most popular PHP frameworks, is loved for its elegance and developer-friendly tools. If you’re tired of manually setting up authentication (login, registration, password reset) for every new project, Laravel’s Starter Kits are here to save the day. Let’s break down how these kits help you jumpstart your application development effortlessly.

What Are Laravel Starter Kits?

Laravel Starter Kits are pre-built scaffolding tools that handle authentication and basic UI setup for your app. Instead of writing repetitive code for user registration, login, and password management, these kits generate all the necessary components for you. They’re perfect for:

• Rapid prototyping
• Avoiding boilerplate code
• Focusing on your app’s unique features

Two official kits are available:

1. Breeze: Minimalist starter kit with Blade templates (good for simple apps).
2. Jetstream: Advanced kit with optional teams, 2FA, and Livewire/Inertia.js integration (ideal for complex apps).

How to Create an App Using a Starter Kit

Let’s use Laravel Breeze to create a basic application with authentication in minutes.

Step 1: Install Laravel

First, create a new Laravel project:

composer create-project laravel/laravel example-app
cd example-app

Step 2: Install Breeze

Install the Breeze package via Composer:

composer require laravel/breeze --dev

Step 3: Scaffold Authentication

Run the Breeze installer to generate authentication views, routes, and controllers:

php artisan breeze:install

Choose your preferred frontend stack (e.g., blade for server-rendered templates):

php artisan breeze:install blade

Step 4: Run Migrations

Set up your database in .env and run migrations:

php artisan migrate

Step 5: Start the Server

Compile assets and run the app:

npm install && npm run dev
php artisan serve

Visit http://localhost:8000, and you’ll see a fully functional login/registration system!

What’s Included in the Starter Kit?

After installing Breeze, you’ll get:

• Authentication routes (/login, /register, /forgot-password).
• Blade templates for all auth pages.
• Controllers (e.g., AuthController, PasswordResetController).
• Tailwind CSS styling (customizable).

Example generated route in routes/web.php:

Route::get('/dashboard', function () {
    return view('dashboard');
})->middleware(['auth', 'verified'])->name('dashboard');

Why Use Starter Kits?

1. Time-Saving: Skip weeks of coding authentication from scratch.
2. Security: Built-in protection against common vulnerabilities (e.g., CSRF, SQL injection).
3. Scalable: Easily extend the generated code for custom features.
4. Modern Tooling: Integrated with Laravel’s ecosystem (e.g., Sanctum for API auth).

Breeze vs. Jetstream: Which to Choose?

Breeze

• Simple Blade-based UI
• Basic auth features (login, register, password reset)
• Best for small projects or APIs

Jetstream

• Advanced features: 2FA, team management, profile photos
• Supports Livewire (server-side) or Inertia.js (SPA)
• Ideal for SaaS apps or projects needing robust user management

Customizing the Starter Kit

Starter Kits are not black boxes. Modify the generated files to match your needs:

• Edit Blade templates in resources/views/auth/.
• Update routes in routes/web.php.
• Tweak controllers in app/Http/Controllers/Auth/.

For example, to change the registration form:

// app/Http/Controllers/Auth/RegisteredUserController.php
public function create()
{
    return view('auth.register', ['title' => 'Join My App']);
}

Final Thoughts

Laravel Starter Kits remove the grunt work of building authentication systems, letting you focus on what makes your app unique. Whether you choose Breeze or Jetstream, you’ll get a secure, customizable foundation in minutes.

Ready to start?

composer create-project laravel/laravel your-app-name

Check the official Laravel docs for more details!