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Django vs Laravel

Two batteries included options for backend framework. When each fits, what it costs, who moves from one to the other, and what makers who chose it say.

DjangoBatteries included
LaravelBatteries included
Ask your AI about this, with this page as the source:ChatGPT ↗Claude ↗Perplexity ↗

Which fits you

Choose Django if
  • The backend is the product — many models, an admin, jobs and emails

Use it whenYou need an internal admin to manage data without building one.

Trade-offConventions to learn, and a modern interactive frontend is a separate piece.

Choose Laravel if
  • The backend is the product — many models, an admin, jobs and emails

Use it whenYou want first-party tools for deploying and running the app, not just the framework.

Trade-offThe smoothest path runs through Laravel's paid add-ons.

At a glance

DjangoLaravel
Used by36 makers' products · 58 open-source projects72 makers' products
Downloads11.7M/wk★ 34.9k
PricingFree (open source).Framework is free (open source); paid add-ons exist (Forge, Vapor, Nova, Cloud). · paid from $5/mo (Laravel Cloud)
Free tierYesYes
Open sourceYes · self-hostableYes · self-hostable

What makers say

Makers on using it for backend framework, from Product Hunt and Starter Story interviews, each linked to the source. Products with a page of their own and fuller notes first.

On Django
Django makes my life easy. I've used it at least 4 projects. It's been around for a while so it's stable and LLMs have a ton of knowledge about it. It's a great project that I will continue to use for life.
CamelAI, the makerSep 2026 ↗
We chose Django for its robust framework and built-in tools, allowing us to build and maintain the backend efficiently with secure, scalable architecture.
Layer, the makerSep 2026 ↗
I don't think there is a better framework for creating web apps with Python, simply amazing!
Hexpay, the makerSep 2026 ↗
15 more on the Django page →
On Laravel
I use Bitbucket to manage my git repository and have Laravel Homestead running locally so I can test and work on my code in an environment that matches my production servers.
ClearCheckbook Money Management, the makerSep 2021 ↗
So, here’s what we use; Gmail (obvious) AWS as our cloud of choice Laravel Forge to deploy our product on servers Webflow to power our landing page Ghost to power our blog Transistor.fm to
Mailman, the makerDec 2021 ↗
We use Laravel as the backbone of our app. Thanks to it, we've been able to built this from the ground up in record time, and have it super easy to run and maintain.
Recurrr, the makerSep 2026 ↗
43 more on the Laravel page →

Loved and watch-outs

Themes that recur in makers' words and Hacker News comments, each linked to what it summarises.

Django
Most loved
  • Admin panel, ORM, migrations, password resets and security features come built in and work together, so makers skip rebuilding them. PHPH 2PH 3HN
  • It is mature and stable with thorough documentation, and LLMs write it consistently because they know it well. PHHNHN 2
  • When something is missing, a third-party package usually already covers it. PHPH 2
Watch-outs
  • It trades runtime performance for development speed, and template-level database access makes pages slower still. HNHN 2
  • Dynamic Python offers weaker runtime guarantees, pushing some teams toward statically typed stacks, especially for agent-written code. HNHN 2
On Product Hunt: 5.0★, 25 reviews · mentioned most: batteries included, built-in tools, rapid development
Laravel
Most loved
  • First-party packages for billing, queues, WebSockets and UI let one developer build and run a large product from one codebase. PHPH 2PH 3HN
  • Eloquent ORM, authentication, rate limiting and protection against SQL injection and CSRF come built in instead of from scattered packages. PHPH 2HNHN 2
  • Its documentation and community are strong enough that makers get an MVP running in days. PHPH 2PH 3PH 4
Watch-outs
  • The framework is a huge codebase on a dynamic language, which some see as a maintenance and type-safety risk next to Go. HNHN 2
  • PHP's shared-nothing runtime makes worker concurrency, memory use and real-time workloads harder to tune. HNHN 2
On Product Hunt: 5.0★, 65 reviews · mentioned most: fast development, robust ecosystem, strong community support

Who uses each

Django36 makers' products
3D AI StudioAntiquotedBaboo TravelBadger MapsBoondockers WelcomeButtondownCamelAIEpixel SolutionsEvolweFormulaerHexpayLayer+24 more
Laravel72 makers' products
AgiledAmplooBuilt for DevsClearCheckbook Money ManagementDGLegacyEngine Room MediaHi.EventsImagined with AIInvite.socialIPRoyalLaunch Cart, Inc.Live helper chat+60 more

What makers pair each with

With Django
Frontend Framework
Hosting
Payments
Web Analytics
With Laravel
Frontend Framework
Transactional Email
Hosting
Web Analytics

Neither quite right?

See the whole backend framework decision →
HonoMinimal routerSmall TypeScript APIs that run on Node, Bun, Deno or edge platforms like Cloudflare Workers.
ExpressMinimal routerNode.js servers where you want a widely documented default and a huge middleware catalog.
FastifyMinimal routerNode.js APIs that want low overhead, JSON-schema request validation and a structured plugin system.
FastAPIMinimal routerPython APIs with request validation and interactive docs generated from type hints.vs Django →
Ruby on RailsBatteries includedFull-stack Ruby apps where one developer builds models, views, jobs and emails with strong conventions.vs Django →vs Laravel →
NestJSStructured TypeScriptLarger TypeScript backends organized into modules, with dependency injection and decorators.