Laravel Upgrade Guide 2026: Version Support, PHP Requirements and a Safe Upgrade Plan

Which Laravel versions are still supported?

As of October 2026, Laravel 13 is fully supported and Laravel 12 receives security fixes only, until 24 February 2027. Laravel 11 security support ended on 12 March 2026, and every older version is unsupported. Laravel’s policy is 18 months of bug fixes and 2 years of security fixes per major release.

Running an unsupported Laravel version means framework vulnerabilities found from now on will not be patched for your app.

What PHP version does Laravel need?

Laravel 13 requires PHP 8.3 to 8.5, and Laravel 12 supports PHP 8.2 to 8.5. Since PHP 8.2 reaches end of life on 31 December 2026, the safe target for most apps is Laravel 13 on PHP 8.4 or 8.5. Check that your server, hosting and every Composer package support the PHP version before switching.

Our guide on how to check your PHP version shows how to confirm what your app actually runs.

How do you upgrade Laravel step by step?

Upgrade Laravel one major version at a time: update PHP if needed, update the framework and packages in composer.json, apply the changes in the official upgrade guide, run tests and fix failures, then deploy to staging before production. Repeat for each version until you reach the target.

• 1. Audit: current Laravel and PHP versions, packages, test coverage.
• 2. Add tests for critical flows if coverage is low (login, payments, key forms).
• 3. Upgrade PHP to a version both the current and next Laravel support.
• 4. Update laravel/framework and packages one major version.
• 5. Apply the official upgrade guide changes; use Shift or Rector to automate.
• 6. Run tests, fix failures, check logs for deprecations.
• 7. Deploy to staging, test manually, then release to production.
• 8. Repeat until you reach Laravel 13.

Which tools help with Laravel upgrades?

Laravel Shift is a paid service that opens a pull request with the code changes for each version upgrade. Rector is an open-source tool that applies automated PHP and Laravel refactoring rules. PHPStan or Larastan finds type errors and deprecated calls. Together they handle much of the mechanical work; tests and manual review cover the rest.

What are the risks of a Laravel upgrade?

The main risks are abandoned packages with no compatible version, breaking changes in authentication, queues or database code, and low test coverage that hides failures until production. Large jumps, such as Laravel 8 to 13, multiply these risks, which is why upgrading one version at a time with tests is safer.

• Abandoned packages: replace or fork them before upgrading.
• Custom auth or queue code: review against each upgrade guide.
• No tests: write tests for critical flows first.
• Server differences: match staging to production PHP and extensions.

How long does a Laravel upgrade take and what does it cost?

A Laravel upgrade takes from a day for a small, well-tested app moving one version, to several weeks for a large app jumping several versions with old packages and few tests. Cost follows effort. WebsNexus modernization work starts from $130 per day, with a fixed estimate after a short audit.

Upgrading PHP and Laravel together is usually cheaper than doing them in separate projects, because the testing effort is shared.

Upgrade Laravel or rewrite the app?

Upgrade when the app’s structure is sound and the business logic still fits. Consider a partial rewrite when the code is unmaintainable, depends on many abandoned packages, or no longer matches how the business works. Most apps are better served by an upgrade plus targeted refactoring than by a full rewrite.