How to Use Docker for PHP/Laravel Development

Building and managing a PHP or Laravel development environment can often become challenging, especially when developers work on different operating systems or require specific PHP versions and extensions. Docker has emerged as a powerful solution for solving these issues by providing consistent, isolated and reproducible environments. When paired with Laravel, Docker enables developers to eliminate configuration problems, speed up onboarding and ensure that the application behaves the same in development, staging and production.

This guide explains how to use Docker effectively for PHP and Laravel development, the benefits of containerised workflows, approaches to setting up Laravel with Docker and best practices that help streamline development and deployment.

Why Developers Use Docker for PHP and Laravel Projects

Laravel projects rely on multiple services such as PHP, a web server, a database, caching systems, queue workers, search engines and sometimes mail testing tools. Setting all of these up manually on each developer’s machine can lead to version conflicts, unstable environments and wasted time.

Docker helps solve these problems for several reasons.

Consistent and Reproducible Environments

One of the most common problems development teams encounter is that software behaves differently on different developer machines. With Docker, each team member runs the exact same environment regardless of their operating system. This consistency ensures that issues related to local configuration dependencies become almost non-existent.

Fast Developer Onboarding

When using Docker, a new developer does not need to install PHP, Composer, MySQL, Redis or any other tools manually. They only need Docker installed. Once the project containers are started, the environment is ready. This cuts onboarding time from hours or days to just a few minutes.

Ability to Run Multiple PHP Projects and Versions

Without Docker, running multiple PHP applications with different PHP versions on the same machine can be complicated. Docker isolates each environment, allowing developers to work on multiple Laravel applications without conflicts in PHP versions, extensions or databases.

Matches Real Production Environments

Applications often behave differently in development and production when the environments are not aligned. With Docker, developers can replicate the production environment locally, reducing bugs caused by configuration differences. This is especially beneficial when moving to cloud-native deployment or container-based hosting.

Cleaner Local System

Docker prevents systems from being cluttered with global packages, different PHP installations or leftover services. Developers no longer need to install or manage databases or web servers on their machine.

Approaches to Using Docker for Laravel Development

When working with Laravel and Docker, developers can choose between two primary approaches. The choice depends on the complexity of the project, familiarity with Docker and the level of customization needed.

Using Laravel Sail

Laravel Sail is the official Docker-powered development environment for Laravel. It is built and maintained by the Laravel team and offers a simple command-line interface to manage the Docker setup. Sail is designed for developers who want an easy and ready-to-use containerized environment without needing deep Docker knowledge.

It includes commonly required services such as PHP, MySQL, Redis, a web server, Node.js and others. Sail is ideal for small to medium projects, beginners or teams that do not need complex Docker customization.

Using a Custom Docker Setup

Some teams require more control over their infrastructure, such as integrating additional services, custom networks, multiple containers, microservices or advanced optimisations. In these situations, teams often create a customized Docker configuration tailored specifically to the project. This approach provides flexibility and is preferred for enterprise teams, complex applications and DevOps-driven workflows.

What a Dockerized Laravel Development Environment Typically Includes

A full Docker-based Laravel environment usually consists of multiple containers, each responsible for a specific service. For example:

• A PHP container that runs the Laravel application

• A web server container such as Nginx or Apache

• A database container such as MySQL or PostgreSQL

• A caching or session storage container such as Redis

• A queue worker container for background task processing

• A mail testing container such as MailHog for local email testing

By running each part of the application in its own container, Docker follows the principle of “one service per container,” making the system modular, scalable and easier to manage.

Working with Docker Volumes for Laravel Development

A key feature of Docker for development is the use of volumes. Volumes allow developers to edit code on their machine while the application runs inside the container. This means changes made in the code editor instantly reflect inside the container without restarting it.

Volumes allow a smooth development experience by combining the benefits of containerization with the convenience of local editing.

Using Docker for Team Collaboration

Teams benefit from Docker because it standardises their development setup. Every team member runs the same containers, same PHP version, same database version and the same extensions. This is especially valuable for remote and distributed teams, where members may use macOS, Windows or Linux machines.

By sharing a single Docker configuration, when one team member solves a configuration issue, everyone benefits. Version control systems can store the Docker configuration, making environment changes trackable and reviewable, just like code.

Docker and Laravel in CI/CD Pipelines

Docker plays a major role in modern DevOps and automation workflows. When a Laravel application uses Docker, it is easier to integrate continuous integration and deployment pipelines, because the same container image can be reused for development, testing, staging and production.

Docker ensures that tests run in the same environment as production, which eliminates environment-specific failures. It also simplifies deployments to container-based platforms, Kubernetes clusters and cloud services.

Common Tools Used with Docker for Laravel

Several tools enhance the Docker and Laravel development experience:

• Tools for monitoring and managing containers

• Services that help manage environment variables securely

• Tools for running background jobs or testing email flows

• Automation tools for DevOps and CI/CD pipelines

These tools support a smooth and scalable development workflow, especially for complex or enterprise-level applications.

Best Practices for Using Docker in Laravel Development

When using Docker regularly, several best practices help improve performance, maintainability and efficiency:

• Separate development and production configurations

• Avoid storing sensitive credentials inside container images

• Enable caching in production containers for performance

• Use lightweight base images to reduce image size

• Keep environment configuration version-controlled

• Use container health checks to ensure services run properly

• Build images optimised for fast deployments

Following these practices ensures that the environment remains fast, scalable and secure.

Conclusion

Docker has transformed the way PHP and Laravel developers build and manage development environments. It eliminates setup inconsistencies, accelerates onboarding, supports multiple PHP versions and ensures development matches production more closely. For Laravel developers, Docker is no longer an optional skill but a necessary one for modern and efficient development.

Laravel Sail provides a simple and friendly starting point for containerized development, while custom Docker environments are ideal for teams requiring advanced control and scalability. Adopting Docker for Laravel not only simplifies the local development process but also strengthens DevOps workflows and production deployment pipelines.

Using Docker effectively enables development teams to work faster, deploy more reliably and maintain cleaner, more standardized environments — making it a powerful asset for modern PHP and Laravel development.