Laravel 12 Authentication Options: Breeze vs Jetstream vs Laravel UI – A Beginner's Guide

Choosing the right authentication system is crucial when starting a Laravel project. In this guide, we'll compare the three main options in Laravel 12: Breeze, Jetstream, and Laravel UI, helping you pick the best solution for your needs.

🔍 Overview of Laravel Authentication Options

🚀 1. Laravel Breeze – The Simple Starter Kit

What is Breeze?

Breeze is Laravel's lightweight authentication scaffolding that provides:

• Login/registration
• Password reset
• Email verification
• Basic profile editing

Installation

composer require laravel/breeze --dev
php artisan breeze:install
npm install && npm run dev
php artisan migrate

Pros

✅ Minimal and clean
✅ Supports Blade, React, or Vue
✅ Perfect for simple apps
✅ Easy to customize

Cons

❌ No advanced features like 2FA
❌ No team support

Best for: Blogs, small business sites, simple web apps.

💨 2. Laravel Jetstream – The Full-Featured Solution

What is Jetstream?

Jetstream is a more powerful authentication system with:

• Two-factor authentication (2FA)
• Team management
• API support (Sanctum)
• Browser session management

Installation (Inertia.js Version)

composer require laravel/jetstream
php artisan jetstream:install inertia
npm install && npm run build
php artisan migrate

Pros

✅ Built-in team support
✅ 2FA security
✅ Modern stack (Livewire/Inertia)
✅ API token management

Cons

❌ More complex than Breeze
❌ Harder to customize

Best for: SaaS apps, projects needing teams or API tokens.

🛠 3. Laravel UI – The Legacy Option

What is Laravel UI?

This is the traditional authentication system (used before Breeze/Jetstream) with:

• Basic Blade-based auth
• Bootstrap styling
• Simple login/register

Installation

composer require laravel/ui
php artisan ui bootstrap --auth
npm install && npm run dev
php artisan migrate

Pros

✅ Simple setup
✅ Familiar for legacy Laravel devs
✅ Works with Bootstrap

Cons

❌ No modern frontend (React/Vue)
❌ No advanced features
❌ Not recommended for new projects

Best for: Maintaining old Laravel apps or using Bootstrap.

📊 Comparison Table

🎯 Which One Should You Choose?

Choose Breeze If...

✔ You need simple authentication
✔ You want Blade, React, or Vue
✔ You're building a small project

Choose Jetstream If...

✔ You need teams or 2FA
✔ You're building a SaaS app
✔ You want API token support

Choose Laravel UI If...

✔ You're working on a legacy project
✔ You prefer Bootstrap
✔ You need basic Blade auth

🔧 How to Switch Later?

You can migrate between them, but it's easier to pick the right one from the start:

• Breeze → Jetstream: Possible but requires manual work
• Laravel UI → Breeze: Recommended upgrade path

🚀 Final Recommendation

• For most new projects → Use Breeze (simple & flexible)
• For SaaS/teams → Use Jetstream (powerful features)
• For old projects → Keep Laravel UI

Need help deciding? Ask in the comments! 😊👇

Happy coding! 🚀