What's New in Laravel 12 and Its New Starter Structure

When people ask what's new in Laravel 12, the most honest answer is also the most important one to set up front: the release that landed in February 2025 is not a feature-packed revolution but, for the most part, a maintenance and compatibility release. The team kept the slim application skeleton introduced in Laravel 11 and instead spent its energy on refreshing dependencies, hardening the framework, and shipping new starter kits that speed up day-one development. In this guide I walk through what genuinely changed, what stayed the same, and how to upgrade an existing project with confidence.

What's new in Laravel 12: the real picture

Let's calibrate expectations first. With Laravel's modern release approach, major versions no longer mean sweeping breakage; most big features now flow in throughout the year via minor releases. That is exactly the story of Laravel 12:

• Compatibility updates: The core packages and testing tooling were moved to current versions, keeping the ecosystem aligned with modern PHP.
• Minimal breaking changes: The changes listed in the upgrade guide are small; most applications migrate by touching only a handful of files, or none at all.
• The same skeleton: Laravel 11's streamlined structure (a thin bootstrap/app.php, fewer default files) is preserved, so there's no new architecture to learn.
• New starter kits: The most visible addition is a fresh set of starter kits that modernize how you spin up a brand-new project.

In short, Laravel 12 reinforces the solid ground everything else is built on. That isn't "boring" — for long-lived projects, stability is itself a feature.

The new starter kits: React, Vue, and Livewire

The new starter kits introduced with Laravel 12 reimagine how you begin a fresh application. Authentication and front-end scaffolding that used to require separate packages and extra setup steps can now be chosen straight from the official starter kits:

• React starter kit — ships with a modern, Inertia-based React front end.
• Vue starter kit — the Vue flavor of the same approach, giving you a component-based, reactive interface.
• Livewire starter kit — for those who prefer server-driven, PHP-centric development, letting you build dynamic interfaces without a heavy JavaScript build step.

These kits arrive with ready-made authentication flows, session handling, and a tidy starting layout. The goal is to compress the jump from "blank canvas" to a production-shaped structure down to minutes. When you create a new application, the installer asks which kit you want, and you pick React, Vue, or Livewire based on your team's strengths.

Upgrading with Composer

Here's the part everyone cares about: how do I move an existing project across? The good news is that in most cases it's refreshingly simple. First, bump the core dependency in your composer.json:

"require": {
    "php": "^8.2",
    "laravel/framework": "^12.0"
}

Then resolve and update the dependencies:

composer update laravel/framework --with-all-dependencies

To refresh first-party and third-party packages together, you can update everything:

composer update

Steps I recommend following during the upgrade:

• Verify your PHP version first: Modern Laravel releases require a current PHP version; make sure both your server and local environment qualify.
• Open the official upgrade guide: Laravel publishes a detailed "Upgrade Guide" for each release. Check there which small changes actually affect you.
• Check third-party packages: Confirm the packages you use support Laravel 12; some may have shipped a new major version of their own.
• Run your tests: If you have automated tests, run the full suite after upgrading; if not, manually review your critical flows.
• Clear the caches: After migrating, refresh config and route caches with php artisan optimize:clear.

If you're starting a brand-new project, it's even easier — the Laravel installer already pulls the latest version:

laravel new project-name

Who should upgrade now, and who can wait?

Every team has its own upgrade calendar. A practical decision framework:

• New projects: Start on Laravel 12 and the new starter kits without hesitation; you'll be on the most current foundation.
• Actively developed projects: Because the upgrade guide is short, migrating during a planned maintenance window is usually quick.
• Projects with many legacy packages: Validate dependency compatibility first; the bottleneck is rarely the framework itself but third-party packages.

Under Laravel's official support policy, previous major versions keep receiving bug and security fixes for a while. So if you're not in a rush, migrating on a planned schedule once your packages are ready is perfectly reasonable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Laravel 12 a major release or a minor update?

Technically it's a major release, but its contents are mostly maintenance and compatibility focused. It carries no sweeping architectural changes; it keeps Laravel 11's slim structure, and its most visible addition is the new starter kits.

Is upgrading from Laravel 11 to 12 hard?

For most applications, no. The changes in the upgrade guide are small; updating the framework version in composer.json, running composer update, and running your tests is usually enough.

Do I have to upgrade my old project right away?

No. Since the previous major version keeps receiving security fixes for a while, you can wait until your third-party packages are ready and then perform a planned migration.

Want to move your Laravel project up to 12, or start fresh on a solid footing with the new starter kits? I can help with everything from an upgrade plan to a code review — get in touch and let's talk through your project.