Laravel 12 with PostgreSQL: A Complete Setup Guide (2025)

Thinking about switching from MySQL to PostgreSQL in your Laravel project? Great choice! 🎯

PostgreSQL (or Postgres) is a powerful, open-source relational database that works beautifully with Laravel. In this post, you’ll learn how to set up Laravel 12 with a PostgreSQL database, step by step.

Whether you're a beginner or transitioning from MySQL, this guide is for you.

🧠 Why Choose PostgreSQL with Laravel?

Before we dive in, here’s why developers love Postgres:

• ✅ Open-source and widely supported
• ✅ Handles complex queries and JSON better than MySQL
• ✅ Strong ACID compliance and indexing options
• ✅ Perfect for large-scale and modern Laravel applications

⚙️ Step 1: Install PostgreSQL

Make sure PostgreSQL is installed on your machine.

For macOS:

brew install postgresql

For Ubuntu/Linux:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-contrib

For Windows:

Download from https://www.postgresql.org/download/

After installation, create a new user and database:

sudo -u postgres psql
CREATE USER laraveluser WITH PASSWORD 'secret';
CREATE DATABASE laraveldb OWNER laraveluser;

Then exit the psql shell:

\q

🛠️ Step 2: Create a New Laravel 12 Project

If you haven’t already, create a new Laravel project:

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

Or use Laravel Sail for a dockerized setup:

./vendor/bin/sail up

📝 Step 3: Configure .env for PostgreSQL

Open your Laravel project’s .env file and update the database settings:

DB_CONNECTION=pgsql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=5432
DB_DATABASE=laraveldb
DB_USERNAME=laraveluser
DB_PASSWORD=secret

Also, in config/database.php, make sure the pgsql driver is properly configured (it usually is by default):

'pgsql' => [
    'driver' => 'pgsql',
    'host' => env('DB_HOST', '127.0.0.1'),
    'port' => env('DB_PORT', '5432'),
    'database' => env('DB_DATABASE', 'forge'),
    'username' => env('DB_USERNAME', 'forge'),
    'password' => env('DB_PASSWORD', ''),
    'charset' => 'utf8',
    'prefix' => '',
    'schema' => 'public',
    'sslmode' => 'prefer',
],

🧪 Step 4: Test the Connection

To test that Laravel can connect to your PostgreSQL database:

1. Create a test migration:

   php artisan make:migration create_books_table
   

2. In the migration file:

   Schema::create('books', function (Blueprint $table) {
       $table->id();
       $table->string('title');
       $table->string('author');
       $table->timestamps();
   });
   

3. Run the migration:

   php artisan migrate
   

If no errors show up — 🎉 You’re officially connected to PostgreSQL!

🚀 Step 5: Bonus – Seed Some Data

Let’s seed a few books to test further.

Create a factory:

php artisan make:factory BookFactory --model=Book

In BookFactory.php:

public function definition(): array
{
    return [
        'title' => fake()->sentence(),
        'author' => fake()->name(),
    ];
}

Create a seeder:

php artisan make:seeder BookSeeder

In BookSeeder.php:

public function run(): void
{
    \App\Models\Book::factory()->count(10)->create();
}

Then call it from DatabaseSeeder.php:

$this->call(BookSeeder::class);

Run it all:

php artisan db:seed

You should now see 10 books seeded into your PostgreSQL database.

🧠 Pro Tips

• ✅ Use pgAdmin or TablePlus to visually manage and inspect your PostgreSQL data.
• 🛑 Watch out for case sensitivity in Postgres (e.g., "User" and "user" are different).
• 🌐 PostgreSQL supports JSON columns and powerful indexing — great for modern apps.

🔍 Common Errors & Fixes

✅ Recap: Laravel + PostgreSQL Setup

🧪 Try It Yourself

Build a simple students table with name, email, and course, and seed it with 5 fake records using factories.

🎁 Bonus: Use PostgreSQL’s json column type to store optional metadata like hobbies or languages.

💬 FAQs

Q1: Is Laravel slower with PostgreSQL?
Not at all! Laravel works efficiently with both MySQL and PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL even handles complex data structures better.

Q2: Can I use PostgreSQL in Laravel Sail?
Yes, just modify the docker-compose.yml to use the postgres image and update your .env.

Q3: Can I connect to multiple databases?
Absolutely. Just define additional connections in config/database.php.

📣 Final Thoughts

Using PostgreSQL with Laravel 12 opens up a world of flexibility and scalability. Whether you're working with large datasets, need advanced features like JSONB, or just prefer Postgres over MySQL, Laravel makes the switch easy.

So go ahead — mix Laravel's elegance with PostgreSQL's power and build something amazing! 💻💪

❓What’s Next?

What project are you planning to build with Laravel and PostgreSQL?
Drop your idea in the comments and let’s share tips and feedback! 👇