How to Install Laravel 13: Quick Guide with Composer and Herd (2026)

Short answer: to install Laravel 13 you need PHP 8.3 to 8.5 and Composer. Run composer create-project laravel/laravel my-project, then cd my-project and php artisan serve, and open http://localhost:8000. With Laravel Herd it’s laravel new my-project followed by herd open.

If you landed here looking for how to install Laravel, this guide is up to date for Laravel 13, the version released in March 2026. You’ll find two paths: the classic one with Composer (works on any operating system) and the faster one with Laravel Herd (ideal on Windows and macOS).

Prerequisites

Laravel 13 requires PHP 8.3 as the minimum version and supports up to PHP 8.5: both laravel/framework 13.x and the laravel/laravel skeleton declare php: ^8.3 on Packagist (checked on 25 October 2026). The official release notes list PHP 8.3 - 8.5 for Laravel 13 (released March 17, 2026; bug fixes until Q3 2027, security fixes until March 17, 2028; checked on November 13, 2026). PHP 8.6 is not in that range yet: it is not out, so keep new projects on 8.4 or 8.5 for now. The laravel/framework release on Packagist today is v13.42.0 (November 10, 2026), still php: ^8.3. For a new project in 2026 the recommendation is PHP 8.4 or 8.5.

• PHP 8.3 or higher (8.4 or 8.5 recommended)
• Composer 2.7+
• A database: MySQL 8, MariaDB 11, PostgreSQL 16, or SQLite (enough to get started)
• Node.js 22 LTS if you plan to compile assets with Vite

To verify your versions:

php -v
composer --version

Option A: Install with Composer

This is the universal approach and the one the official documentation recommends.

1. Install Composer

If you don’t have it yet, download it from getcomposer.org. On Windows the installer detects your PHP automatically; on macOS/Linux the official script is all you need.

2. Create a new project

composer create-project laravel/laravel my-project

Replace my-project with whatever name you prefer. Composer will download the Laravel 13 skeleton and all its dependencies.

3. Enter the project and start the server

cd my-project
php artisan serve

Visit http://localhost:8000 and you’ll see the Laravel welcome page.

Option B: Install with Laravel Herd

Laravel Herd is the fastest way to get a PHP environment up and running in 2026: it ships PHP, Nginx, Node, and a built-in Laravel installer, all in a single desktop app.

1. Download and install Herd (free for Windows and macOS).
2. Open Herd and confirm it recognizes PHP 8.4.
3. In your terminal:

laravel new my-project
cd my-project
herd open

Herd opens http://my-project.test directly — no need to run artisan serve.

Useful commands after installing

# Run database migrations
php artisan migrate

# Create the environment file and app key (if needed)
cp .env.example .env
php artisan key:generate

# Start Vite for asset compilation
npm install
npm run dev

Next step

With Laravel 13 installed you can jump straight into building your first REST API. I recommend continuing with How to Build a REST API with Laravel to understand the flow of routes, controllers, and API Resources, or check out How to Build an AI Agent with Laravel and MCP if you want to take advantage of the new Laravel AI SDK included in this version.

Any errors during installation? Drop them in the comments and we’ll sort it out.

Frequently asked questions

Which PHP version does Laravel 13 need?

PHP 8.3 as a minimum, and it supports up to PHP 8.5. It does not require PHP 8.4: laravel/framework 13.x and the laravel/laravel skeleton both declare php ^8.3. For a new project, PHP 8.4 or 8.5 is the recommendation.

What is the command to install Laravel 13?

composer create-project laravel/laravel my-project, then cd my-project and php artisan serve to see it at http://localhost:8000. If you use the Laravel installer, which ships with Laravel Herd, the command is laravel new my-project.

Do I need Node.js to install Laravel 13?

Not to install or run it. Node.js is only needed to compile front-end assets with Vite (npm install and npm run dev).