How to Check Laravel Project Version Installed in CMD?

Whether you’re a solo developer or part of a larger team, RunCloud streamlines your workflow and enhances your productivity.RunCloud is a powerful web server control panel that makes it incredibly easy to deploy, manage, and scale Laravel applications.This is where RunCloud comes in to simplify your Laravel deployment and management processes.Do you develop Laravel projects regularly? If so, you might eventually forget what version you used while developing the application.Suggested read: How To Optimize Laravel for Performance (8 Expert Tips) 

What is Laravel?

Laravel is a PHP framework, so PHP is a prerequisite and must therefore be installed first.
Install PHP on your system before installing Laravel.
Ensure your PHP version meets Laravel’s requirements. For Laravel 11, PHP 8.2+ is required.
Additional PHP extensions (such as  OpenSSL, PDO, Mbstring, Tokenizer, XML, Ctype, JSON) may be needed.
Install Composer, the PHP dependency manager used to install Laravel.
After setting up PHP and Composer, you can proceed with Laravel installation.Run the following command to start Laravel Tinker:

Understanding Laravel’s Version Numbering

Suggested read: How To Configure LSCache for Laravel (Configuration Guide) 

1. MAJOR version changes indicate incompatible API changes
2. MINOR version changes add functionality in a backward-compatible manner
3. PATCH version changes make backwards-compatible bug fixes

Execute the following Composer command:

Importance of Knowing Your Laravel Version

composer show laravel/framework

Laravel provides several methods to check its version. Here are five different approaches you can use:

How to Check the Laravel Version

Laravel is a powerful, open-source PHP web application framework designed to make web development more efficient and enjoyable. It offers a wide range of built-in tools and libraries that simplify common tasks such as routing, authentication, caching, and database management.

Method 1: How to Check Laravel Version Using Artisan Commands

1. Open Your Command Line Interface (CLI)

Suggested read: Laravel Octane – What It Is, Why It Matters & Getting Started 

2. Navigate to Your Laravel Project Directory

Don’t let server management complexities slow down your Laravel development. Sign up for RunCloud today and experience the ease of managing your Laravel applications in a user-friendly, efficient environment.For security reasons, remember to remove this route after checking the version.Laravel follows semantic versioning (SemVer), which uses a three-part version number: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH.

Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting with Laravel, knowing how to quickly and accurately determine your project’s version is essential.

Method 2: How to Check the Laravel Framework Application File

1. Locate the composer.json File

Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting with Laravel, knowing how to quickly and accurately determine your project’s version is essential.

Method 3: How to Check Laravel Version Using Composer

1. Open Your Command Line Interface (CLI)

Open your routes/web.php file and add the following code snippet at the bottom of the file:

2. Navigate to Your Laravel Project Directory

Use the cd command to navigate to your Laravel project’s root directory.

3. Run the Composer Show Command

Use the cd command to navigate to your Laravel project’s root directory.

3. Start Laravel Tinker

Suggested read: The 10 Best PHP Frameworks (Complete Guide) app()->version();

Route::get('/laravel-version', function () {
    return 'Laravel Version: ' . app()->version();
});

The “best” framework depends on specific project needs, team expertise, and personal preferences. Some frameworks often compared to Laravel include:
Symfony: More modular, suitable for large, complex applications.
CodeIgniter: Lighter and faster for smaller projects.
Yii: Known for its performance and security features.
Zend/Laminas: Enterprise-level framework with a steep learning curve.
Lumen: Laravel’s micro-framework for microservices and APIs.
Laravel stands out for its elegant syntax, robust features, and excellent documentation. It’s particularly strong in rapid application development and developer-friendly features.

Wrapping Up

The best Laravel version depends on your project’s specific needs, but generally:
For new projects: Use the latest stable version for the most up-to-date features and security updates.
For long-term projects: Consider using the latest LTS (Long Term Support) version for extended support and stability.Open your terminal or command prompt. Once again, if your web application is hosted on a server, you must log in via SSH.Laravel is primarily a backend framework, but it offers tools for frontend development as well:
Backend: Laravel is a PHP framework for server-side logic, database interactions, and API development.
Frontend support:
Blade templating engine for server-side rendering
Laravel Mix for asset compilation
Inertia.js integration for building single-page apps
Vue.js and React support out-of-the-box
While Laravel excels in backend development, it provides seamless integration with various front-end technologies, making it a versatile choice for full-stack development.Understanding which version of Laravel you’re using is crucial for several reasons:

1. Quickly deploy Laravel applications with just a few clicks.
2. Automatically configure your server for optimal Laravel performance.
3. Manage multiple Laravel versions across different projects.
4. Automate Laravel updates and maintenance tasks.
5. Monitor your Laravel applications’ health and performance.
6. Implement robust security measures to protect your Laravel sites.

"require": {
    "laravel/framework": "^8.0"
}

Actually, Laravel is still relevant. It’s actively maintained and regularly updated, and follows a consistent release schedule:
Major versions are released annually.
Frequent minor releases and patches throughout the year.
The framework evolves with modern PHP practices and web development trends.

Ready to Simplify Your Laravel Management?

Suggested read: Setting Up Local WordPress Dev in Minutes Using Laravel Valet 

FAQs on Laravel

Which Laravel version is best?

grep laravel/framework composer.json

As we’ve explored throughout this guide, Laravel is a powerful and versatile framework that offers numerous methods to check and manage its version. While Laravel provides excellent tools for development, managing Laravel applications in production environments can sometimes be challenging.

Is Laravel frontend or backend?

Using RunCloud, you can focus more on developing your Laravel applications and less on server management and deployment intricacies.

Which framework is better than Laravel?

With RunCloud, you can:

How do I install a new version of Laravel?

Open your preferred terminal or command prompt application. If your application is hosted on a server, you must connect to it via SSH.

What is Laravel’s latest version?

This comprehensive guide will walk you through various methods to check your Laravel version using the command line interface (CLI). We’ll cover several applicable techniques across different operating systems and environments to ensure you can access this vital information regardless of your development setup.

Do I need to install PHP before Laravel?

Use the cd command to navigate to your Laravel project’s root directory.