Get your Laravel app onto a supported version before PHP 8.2 runs out
I upgrade existing Laravel apps for a fixed price: one major version, or several in a row, up to Laravel 13 on PHP 8.4. The work happens on your staging copy and comes back as a pull request, with your test suite passing, smoke tests on the pages your business depends on, and notes your team can read.
Ask about a $490 Upgrade Audit See pricingFixed prices. I work on a copy or staging environment, never on your live system.
Where your Laravel version stands
Each Laravel release gets 18 months of bug fixes and two years of security fixes. Under it, each PHP version gets two years of bug fixes and two more of security fixes. An app is only as supported as the older of the two.
| Laravel | Runs on PHP | Bug fixes until | Security fixes until |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 and older | 8.2 or older | Ended | Ended |
| 10 | 8.1 to 8.3 | Ended Aug 6, 2024 | Ended Feb 4, 2025 |
| 11 | 8.2 to 8.4 | Ended Sep 3, 2025 | Ended Mar 12, 2026 |
| 12 | 8.2 to 8.5 | Ended Aug 13, 2026 | Feb 24, 2027 |
| 13 (my default) | 8.3 to 8.5 | Q3 2027 | Mar 17, 2028 |
| PHP | Security fixes until |
|---|---|
| 8.1 and older | Ended |
| 8.2 | Dec 31, 2026 |
| 8.3 | Dec 31, 2027 |
| 8.4 (my default) | Dec 31, 2028 |
| 8.5 | Dec 31, 2029 |
Sources: laravel.com release notes (support policy) and php.net Supported Versions page, checked November 2, 2026.
On Laravel 12 and PHP 8.2
You're hit twice in a few weeks: PHP 8.2 stops getting security fixes on December 31, 2026, and Laravel 12 itself on February 24, 2027. Moving to Laravel 13 on PHP 8.4 covers both until 2028.
On Laravel 11 or 10
Laravel no longer ships security fixes for your version. Getting to 13 means two or three major versions in a row, with your packages and PHP version moving along the way.
On Laravel 9 or older
Usually a longer catch-up, often with abandoned packages to replace. The Audit tells you how many steps it takes and what each one costs before anything is changed.
The upgrade guide is the easy part
Laravel's own guide estimates about 10 minutes to go from 12 to 13. For a fresh app, that's fair. In an app that's been in production for a few years, the time goes into everything around the framework:
Your packages
Every package in composer.json has to support the new version. Some need a major update with its own breaking changes, some are abandoned and need a replacement, and one stuck package can block the whole upgrade.
Your tests
Laravel 13 moves to PHPUnit 12 and Pest 4. Older test suites often need changes before they run at all, and an app with few tests needs a way to prove the upgrade didn't break anything.
Quiet behaviour changes
Some changes don't throw an error where you'd notice. In 13, for example, the default cache configuration no longer unserializes PHP objects unless their classes are listed, and the CSRF middleware has a new name that any custom exclusions must use.
Your PHP version
Laravel 13 needs PHP 8.3 or newer. Your own code, and the PHP extensions on your server, have to keep up, and PHP 8.4 adds its own deprecations.
How it works
- Upgrade Audit. You give me read access to the repository and, ideally, a staging copy. I check your Laravel, PHP and package versions, find what blocks the next version, run your test suite, and write up the upgrade path: how many steps, what changes in each, and a fixed price. If you order the upgrade within 30 days, the full Audit fee is credited toward it.
- Smoke tests first. Before I change anything, I write a small set of tests that load the pages and run the flows we agreed on, such as logging in, checking out or the admin screens. They pass on your current version, so they can prove the upgraded one still works.
- One version at a time. I move one major version per step, packages first, then your code, using Laravel's upgrade guide, Rector and hand-written fixes. On a multi-version upgrade, each step is its own commit range, so your team can review it in pieces.
- A pull request on your staging. You get a pull request with the test suite and smoke tests passing, and upgrade notes: what changed, what to watch for on deploy, and anything I couldn't test. You or your team deploy it. If you'd like me to help with go-live, that's quoted separately.
- 14 days of free fixes. If something in the tested flows breaks because of the upgrade within 14 days of delivery, I fix it at no charge.
Pricing
Upgrade Audit
- Laravel, PHP and package versions checked
- Packages that block the next version, and what replaces abandoned ones
- Your test suite run, results included
- Upgrade path with each step explained
- Fixed-price quote for the upgrade
- Full $490 credited if you order within 30 days
One-version upgrade
- One major version, such as 12 to 13
- A small or medium app; bigger ones get a quote after the Audit
- PHP moved to 8.4 if needed
- Packages updated, test suite passing
- Smoke tests on up to 10 key flows
- Pull request and upgrade notes
- 14 days of free fixes on tested flows
Multi-version catch-up
- Two or more major versions, such as 10 to 13
- Everything in the one-version upgrade
- One reviewable step per version
- Abandoned packages replaced, as listed in the Audit
- Upgrade notes for each step
- 14 days of free fixes on tested flows
Laravel care
- Monthly
composer auditand security check - Minor Laravel, package and PHP updates, tested and sent as a pull request
- A heads-up well before your next support date
- Up to 2 hours of small fixes (unused hours don't roll over)
Quoted separately
- Hands-on deployment and go-live support
- Moving to a different front-end stack, such as from jQuery to Livewire, or a new starter kit
- Paid package or license fees
- New features, redesigns and a full security audit
Delivery times count from the day I have access to your repository and a working copy. Prices are in US dollars. See the Terms of Service.
Questions
Do you need access to our live system?
No. I need read access to the repository and a staging copy, or the code plus a database export that runs. I deliver a pull request and you deploy it. If you'd like help with go-live, I'll quote it separately and only touch production with your written go-ahead and a fresh backup.
Should we go to Laravel 13 or stop at 12?
For almost every app, 13. Laravel 12 stops getting security fixes on February 24, 2027, so stopping there buys a few months. The Audit tells you if a package you depend on doesn't support 13 yet, and what the options are.
What if our app has few or no tests?
That's common, and it's why every upgrade starts with smoke tests on the flows we agree on in the Audit. They aren't a full test suite, but they show the pages and actions that matter still work after the upgrade, and they stay in your repository afterwards.
We already ran Laravel Shift. Can you finish the job?
Yes. Send me the pull request it opened, and I'll take it from there: the remaining manual steps, packages, tests and the smoke tests.
Do you use AI or automated tools?
Yes: Rector, static analysis, Laravel's upgrade guide and AI coding tools. Every change still goes through your test suite and the smoke tests, and I read every line of the pull request before you do.
Our database has customer data. How do you handle it?
Where possible, send a copy with personal data removed or replaced. Any copy I receive stays private and is deleted when the project ends. If your system holds health or payment card data, tell me before sending anything so we can agree on a safe approach.
We're an agency. Can you upgrade our clients' apps?
Yes. I can work under your name, in your repository and your conventions, with you as the client contact. Several apps at once get one Audit each and a combined quote.
Do you have a Laravel upgrade case study?
Not published yet. The practice upgrades on the home page show how I test an upgrade, and the two open-source Laravel 13 apps I built show the kind of code I write.
Who are you?
I'm Bo Zeng, a PHP developer with 18 years of experience. I run QiYuan Labs LLC, a US company registered in Wyoming, and work remotely. Email hello@qiyuanlabs.ai with any question.
Find out what your upgrade involves before the deadline does
Tell me your Laravel and PHP versions and what the app does. I'll reply with what the Audit would cover.
Email hello@qiyuanlabs.ai