If you’ve been meaning to dive into Laravel (or guide someone new into the ecosystem), there’s great news: Laravel has officially launched Laravel Learn, a free learning hub packed with beginner-friendly courses.
👉 Check it out here: https://laravel.com/learn
In this post, I’ll break down what Laravel Learn offers, why it’s such a big deal, and how it can change the way newcomers step into Laravel.
🚀 What Is Laravel Learn?
Laravel Learn is a brand-new, official learning platform by the Laravel team.
It’s designed as a gentle on-ramp for complete beginners, providing mini-courses that don’t overwhelm you with too many choices or tools right away.
The big difference? Unlike traditional tutorials that assume some PHP experience, Laravel Learn meets you right where you are — even if you’re completely new to PHP.
🎓 The Two Free Mini-Courses
Currently, Laravel Learn launches with two free courses, both created by experienced instructors.
1️⃣ Laravel Bootcamp (by Josh Cirre)
This is where you start if you’re brand new to the framework.
You’ll build a simple app step by step.
The focus is on learning Laravel without getting distracted by extra view-layer choices (like Livewire or Inertia).
By the end, you’ll actually ship something, which makes the learning feel practical.
Think of it as learning by doing — the fastest way to build confidence.
2️⃣ PHP Fundamentals (by Christoph Rumpel)
This course is perfect if:
You’re coming from a non-PHP background.
You’ve never written PHP before.
Or you just want a structured refresher on the basics.
Christoph breaks down PHP concepts in a way that’s simple, approachable, and tailored toward Laravel learners. This means you’ll understand the “why” behind PHP before diving into Laravel’s magic.
⚙️ How It Works
No login needed → Just jump in and start learning.
Progress tracking → Follow lesson by lesson and pick up where you left off.
Multiple formats → If you prefer video learning, both mini-courses are also available in long-form video format on YouTube.
This flexibility makes it super accessible: whether you want to binge the whole course in one sitting or learn in small chunks, you can.
💡 Why Laravel Learn Matters
There are already great resources like Laracasts
. So why does Laravel Learn feel different?
Lowering the barrier to entry
For someone completely new, Laracasts can sometimes feel overwhelming. Laravel Learn simplifies the start, making sure beginners don’t get lost.Learning PHP alongside Laravel
Many people try Laravel before fully learning PHP. This can cause frustration. With PHP Fundamentals included, Laravel Learn fixes this gap.Official guidance
Because it’s created and backed by the Laravel team, you can trust it’s aligned with best practices and modern conventions.Free and accessible
No logins, no paywalls, no ads — just learning. This is huge for students, self-learners, and people testing the waters.
👨💻 My Take as a Developer
I remember when I first tried Laravel — it felt powerful, but also a bit overwhelming. I kept jumping between docs, Stack Overflow, and random YouTube videos.
If something like Laravel Learn had existed back then, I’d have saved hours (and a lot of confusion).
What I like most is how intentional it is:
Start with the framework basics.
Understand the PHP foundation.
Then explore the wider ecosystem (Livewire, Inertia, etc.) once you’re confident.
It’s like Laravel Learn is saying: “Don’t stress. Start simple. We’ll guide you.”
🔗 Where to Start
If you’re curious, you can check it out here:
👉 learn.laravel.com
Pick whichever course suits your level — Laravel Bootcamp if you want to dive right in, or PHP Fundamentals if you need to cover the basics first.
✅ Final Thoughts
Laravel has always had one of the most welcoming communities, and Laravel Learn makes that even stronger.
By lowering the barrier for new developers, it’s not just teaching code — it’s inviting more people into the ecosystem. And that’s good news for all of us.
If you’ve ever wanted to try Laravel (or guide someone else into it), this is the best starting point today.
💬 Question for you:
If you were starting Laravel today, would you use Laravel Learn first, or head straight to Laracasts?
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