Laravel Support & Upgrades
for Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane businesses.
Laravel version upgrades, PHP upgrades, security patching, Composer dependency management, and ongoing support. If your Laravel app is behind, we bring it current.
We also take over Laravel codebases from previous developers. Perth-based, Australia-wide.
Laravel upgrades are not optional — they are a security requirement
Laravel moves fast. A new major version every year. Each version gets 2 years of bug fixes and 3 years of security support. After that, you are on your own. No patches, no fixes. If your Laravel application is on version 9 or earlier, it is already past security support.
The upgrade itself is not trivial. Breaking changes between versions, Composer dependency conflicts, deprecated features, and PHP version requirements all need handling. Skipping versions makes it worse — a Laravel 5.8 → 11 upgrade crosses seven major version boundaries.
We upgrade Laravel applications version by version, resolving breaking changes at each boundary. PHP is upgraded alongside. Composer dependencies are updated to maintained versions. Everything is tested in staging before production.
Laravel support services — by type
Version upgrades, security patching, ongoing support, performance tuning, and package migration.
Laravel Version Upgrades
Laravel releases a new major version annually. Each major version receives 2 years of bug fixes and 3 years of security fixes. Laravel 9 security support ended February 2024. Laravel 10 bug fixes ended August 2025. If you are on Laravel 8 or earlier, you are already past security support.
We upgrade Laravel applications through each major version — 5.x → 6, 6 → 7, 7 → 8, 8 → 9, 9 → 10, 10 → 11, 11 → 12. Each jump has breaking changes: deprecated methods, renamed classes, changed configuration, and package compatibility. We handle every one.
The PHP version often needs upgrading alongside Laravel. Laravel 11 requires PHP 8.2+. Laravel 10 requires PHP 8.1+. If your server is running PHP 7.4 or 8.0, the PHP upgrade happens first.
Laravel Security Patching
Composer packages with known CVEs. Outdated dependencies that no longer receive patches. Insecure authentication configuration. Missing CSRF protection. SQL injection through raw queries. XSS through unescaped Blade output.
We run `composer audit` to identify vulnerable packages, review authentication and authorisation logic, check for common Laravel security mistakes, and fix everything. Dependencies updated to patched versions.
For applications on end-of-life Laravel versions, the most critical security fix is the version upgrade itself. Running Laravel 7 or 8 means no security patches from the framework — any vulnerability discovered in those versions will not be fixed.
Ongoing Laravel Maintenance
Monthly support plans for Laravel applications. Composer dependency updates, security monitoring, bug fixes, performance optimisation, and small feature requests. A developer who knows your codebase.
Proactive monitoring: uptime checks, error tracking (Sentry or Flare), queue health, scheduled task monitoring, and dependency vulnerability scanning. Monthly reports on application health and any issues resolved.
Previous developer left? We take over Laravel codebases. Audit the application structure, review the routes, models, and services, set up proper CI/CD (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Laravel Forge), and resume development.
Laravel Performance Optimisation
Slow Laravel application. Pages loading in 3+ seconds. API responses taking too long. Queue workers falling behind. Database queries mounting up — the N+1 problem is the most common performance issue in Laravel.
We profile the application using Laravel Telescope, Debugbar, or Clockwork. Identify the bottlenecks: N+1 queries (eager loading fixes), missing database indexes, unoptimised Eloquent queries, cache not configured, and slow queue processing.
Common fixes: eager loading relationships, database query optimisation, Redis caching for frequently accessed data, route caching, config caching, view caching, and queue tuning. The result is sub-second response times for most pages.
Deprecated Package Replacement
Composer packages that are abandoned, archived, or no longer maintained. Popular packages that broke compatibility with newer Laravel versions. Custom fork dependencies that nobody wants to maintain.
Common migrations: Laravel Passport → Sanctum, Entrust/Sentinel → Spatie Permissions, Intervention Image updates, Maatwebsite Excel major version jumps, abandoned payment integrations replaced with Cashier or direct Stripe SDK.
We identify every deprecated or abandoned package, find the modern replacement, migrate the code, update tests, and verify the application works correctly. No more "abandoned package" warnings in your Composer output.
Customer portal that cut phone calls by 55%
We built a tenant and landlord portal for a property maintenance company. Maintenance requests, job tracking and contractor assignment — all self-service.
Read the full case study →Why keeping Laravel current matters
End-of-life Laravel versions are a security risk
Laravel 8 security support ended January 2024. Laravel 9 ended February 2024. If you are on these versions or earlier, known vulnerabilities will not be patched. The framework maintainers have moved on.
It is not just the framework — PHP versions matter too. PHP 8.0 reached EOL November 2023. PHP 7.4 reached EOL November 2022. Running an old Laravel on old PHP is a double security gap.
After upgrading: current Laravel version with active security support, current PHP version with active patches, and all Composer dependencies on maintained versions.
Modern Laravel is a much better framework
Laravel has improved dramatically between versions. Laravel 11 simplified the application structure — no more Http Kernel, Console Kernel, or Exceptions Handler files. Slimmer, cleaner, and easier to understand.
Real improvements: first-party packages for common tasks (Sanctum, Cashier, Jetstream, Breeze), improved testing tools, better queue management, native rate limiting, better Eloquent features, and improved Artisan commands.
Your developers will be more productive on modern Laravel. Better documentation, more community resources, and access to recent packages that require Laravel 10+.
Developers want to work on current Laravel
No developer wants to maintain a Laravel 5.8 application. Candidates ask about the tech stack. "Laravel 5" signals technical debt, management issues, and boring maintenance work. "Laravel 11" signals a team that keeps current.
Contractors and agencies charge a premium for legacy Laravel work. Finding someone who remembers how Laravel 6 routing differed from Laravel 8 is increasingly difficult. Upgrading makes hiring easier and cheaper.
Your existing developers will be happier too. Modern Laravel with modern PHP is a significantly better development experience. Better IDE support, better testing tools, and a modern framework that follows current PHP standards.
Composer packages require modern Laravel
New Composer packages and major version updates increasingly require Laravel 10 or 11. Spatie packages, Filament, Livewire 3, Inertia.js, and most popular packages have dropped support for older Laravel versions.
Running old Laravel means you are stuck on old package versions — which may have their own security vulnerabilities, bugs, or missing features. The dependency chain compounds.
After upgrading, the full Composer ecosystem is available. Every package, every update, every new feature. Your application is no longer constrained by a framework version that the community has moved past.
Laravel support and maintenance services
Emergency fixes, security audits, code takeovers, and monthly support plans.
Emergency Laravel Fixes
Production down? Critical bug? Security breach? We diagnose and fix Laravel application emergencies quickly.
Composer Dependency Management
Outdated, conflicting, or abandoned packages sorted out. Dependencies updated to maintained versions.
Security Audit
Composer audit, authentication review, authorisation logic, CSRF, XSS, SQL injection, and rate limiting checks.
Code Takeover
Previous developer left? We audit the Laravel app, set up CI/CD, and resume development and maintenance.
Performance Tuning
N+1 queries, missing indexes, cache configuration, queue optimisation, and slow endpoint profiling.
Monthly Support Plans
Retainer-based support with allocated hours. Dependency updates, security patches, bug fixes, and feature development.
Laravel Support
Laravel application behind on versions?
Send us access to the repo and we will audit it. Clear upgrade plan, fixed-price quote, no obligations.
Laravel support situations we handle
If one of these sounds familiar, we can help.
Laravel 5.x → 11/12
Multi-version jump from Laravel 5.x through to the latest. Each version boundary handled carefully. The biggest upgrades we do.
PHP 7.4 → 8.2/8.3
PHP upgrade alongside Laravel. Named arguments, enums, readonly properties, fibers — modern PHP is a significant improvement.
Developer Left
Previous Laravel developer or agency disappeared. Need someone to audit the code, understand it, and take over maintenance.
Slow Application
Laravel app getting slower as the data grows. N+1 queries, no caching, slow queue processing. Performance investigation and fixing.
Security Audit Failed
Client or compliance audit flagged the Laravel version, PHP version, or specific vulnerabilities. Remediation under deadline.
Abandoned Package Migration
Key Composer package abandoned or archived. Need to migrate to a maintained alternative without breaking the application.
Laravel upgrade process — step by step
Version by version. Tested in staging. Deployed with rollback ready.
Technologies alongside Laravel support
PHP, databases, frontend frameworks, and deployment platforms involved in Laravel projects.
Laravel
Our main Laravel development page covering new Laravel projects, APIs, and full-stack development.
PHP
Laravel runs on PHP. PHP version upgrades are part of most Laravel upgrade projects.
MySQL / PostgreSQL
The database behind most Laravel applications. May also need upgrading alongside the Laravel version.
Vue.js / React
Many Laravel apps have a JavaScript frontend (Inertia.js, Vue SPA). The frontend may need updating alongside the backend.
Redis
Cache, session, and queue backend for Laravel. Configuration may change between Laravel versions.
Laravel Forge / Vapor
Deployment platforms for Laravel. Forge for traditional servers, Vapor for serverless on AWS Lambda.
Our Laravel 6 application was stuck on PHP 7.4 and we could not find anyone to upgrade it. HELLO PEOPLE took it from Laravel 6 / PHP 7.4 to Laravel 11 / PHP 8.3 in six weeks. All Composer packages updated, tests passing, and deploying to Forge properly now.
Common questions about Laravel support and upgrades
How much does a Laravel upgrade cost?
Single version jump (e.g., Laravel 10 → 11): $2,000 to $8,000 depending on application complexity and Composer dependencies. Multi-version jump (5.x → 11): $8,000 to $25,000. Large applications with many custom packages: $25,000+. We audit first and quote fixed-price.
How long does a Laravel upgrade take?
Single version jump: 1-3 weeks. Two-version jump: 2-5 weeks. Four+ version jumps (e.g., 5.8 → 11): 4-10 weeks. The main variables are the number of Composer dependencies, custom code volume, and test coverage.
Can you upgrade directly from Laravel 5 to 11?
We upgrade through each major version sequentially — 5 → 6 → 7 → 8 → 9 → 10 → 11. Each boundary has specific breaking changes. Skipping versions risks missing critical changes. Some versions (6 → 7, 7 → 8) have fewer breaking changes and go faster.
Will the upgrade break our application?
Not in production. Everything is done in staging first. The upgrade branch is tested thoroughly before deployment. We run automated tests, manual testing, and regression checks. Production is only updated when staging is verified.
Our Laravel app has no tests. Is that a problem?
It makes the upgrade riskier and requires more manual testing. We often write key tests as part of the upgrade — testing critical workflows, API endpoints, and authentication. These tests then serve the application going forward.
Can you also upgrade our PHP version?
Yes. PHP upgrades are usually part of the Laravel upgrade. Each Laravel version has a minimum PHP requirement. We upgrade PHP on the staging server first, verify compatibility, and then upgrade production.
What about our hosting? We use Laravel Forge.
We work with Forge, Vapor, Envoyer, Digital Ocean, AWS, or whatever hosting you use. CI/CD pipeline updates are included in the upgrade. If you want to change hosting platform during the upgrade, we can handle that too.
Can you take over our Laravel app from another developer?
Yes. This is very common. We need repository access and server access (or Forge/hosting access). We audit the application, document the architecture, set up proper CI/CD, and handle ongoing maintenance.
Get Started
Ready to upgrade your Laravel application?
Send us repository access. We will audit the application and provide an upgrade plan with fixed pricing.
Tell Us About Your Laravel Application
Laravel version, PHP version, and what you need done. We will audit and come back with a plan.
Prefer a quick chat? Call 0425 531 127 – we're Perth-based and we answer the phone.