What Is Laravel Boost? 2026 Guide to Install, Features and IDEs

Laravel Boost is the Laravel team's free, open-source toolkit that helps AI coding agents write better Laravel code.

It installs as a Composer development dependency and gives agents like Claude Code, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot three things:

• An MCP server that can inspect your app's database schema, logs, and errors.

• Version-aware guidelines and skills for Laravel and its ecosystem packages.

• A documentation API with more than 17,000 pieces of searchable Laravel knowledge.

If you've used a general AI coding assistant on a Laravel project, you probably know the problem. The model writes confident PHP that ignores Laravel conventions, invents Eloquent methods, or generates a controller for a framework version you stopped using two releases ago.

Laravel Boost exists to address exactly that problem.

This 2026 guide explains what Laravel Boost is, what's new in recent releases, how to install it, which editors it supports, how to use it with Cursor, Claude Code, and StackMivo, and how Boost differs from an AI app builder.

Key Takeaways

• Laravel Boost is free and MIT-licensed. You only pay for the AI agent or model you already use.

• The latest version is Boost 2.10.3, released October 7, 2026. It requires PHP 8.2+ and Laravel 11, 12, or 13.

• Project rules are a major 2026 addition. Your team's conventions can be saved in .ai/rules, recorded by your agent, and shared through Git.

• Installation takes two commands: composer require laravel/boost --dev and php artisan boost:install.

• Boost makes your coding agent smarter; StackMivo builds the app. You can generate a project with StackMivo and then use Boost in your editor for ongoing changes.

The developers in this article's examples are illustrative composites based on common Laravel scenarios.

What Is Laravel Boost?

Laravel Boost is an official package from the Laravel team that acts as a context layer between your AI coding agent and your Laravel application.

Instead of guessing how your project works, the agent can inspect your database schema, check application logs, and search documentation that matches your installed package versions.

Boost is released under the MIT license, so it's free to install and use. It doesn't replace your AI coding tool. It improves the tool you already use, whether that's Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or GitHub Copilot.

A general-purpose AI model knows Laravel broadly, but it doesn't automatically understand the details of your specific project. Boost helps close that gap.

One distinction matters: Laravel Boost is a developer productivity tool. It helps you write code faster while building or maintaining an application. Your end users never interact with it, and it doesn't generate a finished application on its own. Instead, it helps your coding agent produce more accurate code.

Laravel Boost in 2026: Latest Version and New Features

According to the Laravel Boost releases page, the current version is v2.10.3, released October 7, 2026.

Boost 2.x requires PHP 8.2 or higher and Laravel 11.45.3+, 12.41.1+, or 13. If you're still using Laravel 10, you'll need to upgrade the framework before installing the current version.

Here's what's new compared with earlier versions:

Project Rules: Teach the Agent Your Application

Guidelines and skills teach agents how to write Laravel code. Project rules teach them how to write code that follows your application's conventions.

For example, you can tell your agent, "Remember that all money values are stored as integer cents." Boost's record-rule tool saves that rule under .ai/rules and updates the index. Future sessions and teammates can then follow the same convention.

If you're working with an existing codebase, ask your agent to use the infer-conventions skill. It scans your controllers, models, validation, tests, and other code, then presents its findings with supporting evidence before saving anything.

Ana leads a three-person team maintaining a multi-tenant SaaS application. Previously, every new AI session forgot that controllers had to extend the team's tenant-scoped BaseController. After she ran infer-conventions and approved 11 rules, the agent stopped generating controllers that ignored the team's tenant-scoping pattern. Those rules also travelled with the repository, so every teammate could use them.

How Laravel Boost Works: MCP, Guidelines, and Skills

Boost combines three layers. Understanding them helps you see exactly what it can and can't do.

1. The Laravel Boost MCP Server

MCP, or Model Context Protocol, is an open standard that allows AI clients to use external tools in a structured way. Our guide to Laravel MCP explained covers the protocol in more detail.

According to the official Boost documentation, Boost's MCP server exposes tools such as:

• Application Info: Retrieves PHP and Laravel versions, database engine, ecosystem packages, and Eloquent models.

• Database Connections, Schema, and Query: Inspects tables and runs read-only queries.

• Last Error, Read Log Entries, and Browser Logs: Helps identify server-side and browser-side problems.

• Get Absolute URL: Generates valid URLs for your application.

• Search Docs: Searches Laravel's hosted documentation API.

• Record Rule: Saves a project rule for future sessions.

Earlier versions also exposed Artisan commands and route listings through MCP tools. Those tools were removed in 2026, so agents now run Artisan commands directly from the terminal. A Tinker tool is still available but disabled by default.

2. Version-Aware Guidelines

Guidelines are instruction files loaded at the start of a session. Boost provides guidelines for Laravel 10 through 13, although the current package itself requires Laravel 11 or newer.

It also supports packages such as Livewire, Inertia, Pest, Tailwind CSS, Pint, Pennant, and Wayfinder. Boost matches guidelines to the versions specified in your composer.json.

You can add your own guidelines in .ai/guidelines/ or override Boost's guidelines by using the matching file path.

3. On-Demand Skills and the Documentation API

Skills load when they're relevant to the task. If you're building a Livewire component, the livewire-development skill can activate. If you're writing tests, pest-testing can provide the relevant guidance.

This keeps the agent's context focused instead of loading every instruction at once.

The documentation API contains more than 17,000 pieces of Laravel-specific knowledge, searchable using semantic embeddings. It covers Laravel, Filament, Livewire, Inertia, Nova, Pest, Flux UI, and Tailwind CSS.

That helps the agent consult current documentation rather than relying entirely on potentially outdated training data.

How to Install Laravel Boost

Installation takes two commands. Run them from your Laravel project's root directory.

composer require laravel/boost --dev
php artisan boost:install

The installer asks which agents and features you want to configure. It then generates files such as:

• .mcp.json or your editor's MCP configuration.

• Guideline files such as AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, or .junie/.

• Skill folders for detected packages.

• A boost.json configuration file.

If a guideline file such as CLAUDE.md already exists, Boost replaces only the content inside its own <laravel-boost-guidelines> block, preserving your other notes.

Generated files can be added to .gitignore because they can be regenerated using boost:install and boost:update. The exception is .ai/rules, which should be committed to Git so the team can share the same project rules.

Keep Boost Updated

Run this command to refresh your guidelines and skills:

php artisan boost:update

By default, the command also offers guidelines for newly installed packages. That prompt is skipped when the command runs non-interactively, such as from a Composer script.

Use --no-discover to update only the guidelines and skills already published.

To automate updates, add "@php artisan boost:update --ansi" to your Composer post-update-cmd scripts.

Which IDEs and AI Agents Work With Laravel Boost?

Boost includes built-in support for:

• Claude Code and Codex

• Cursor

• GitHub Copilot in VS Code

• Junie in PhpStorm and other JetBrains IDEs

• Google Antigravity, Kiro, Zed, OpenCode, Amp, and more

If your preferred tool isn't listed, you can register the MCP server manually using the command php with the arguments artisan boost:mcp, or create a custom agent class and register it with Boost::registerAgent().

Using Laravel Boost With Cursor, Claude Code, and StackMivo

Laravel Boost With Cursor

1. Run php artisan boost:install and select Cursor.

2. Open the command palette using Cmd+Shift+P on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows.

3. Choose /open MCP Settings and enable the laravel-boost toggle.

Cursor's agent can then inspect your schema and logs while following Boost's guidelines automatically.

If you're comparing AI development tools, see our StackMivo vs. Cursor comparison.

Laravel Boost With Claude Code

Claude Code support is usually configured automatically during installation. If it isn't, run this command from your project directory:

claude mcp add -s local -t stdio laravel-boost php artisan boost:mcp

Boost also generates guidelines and skills for Claude Code during installation. That means a prompt such as "Add a soft-deletable Invoice model with a Pest test" can follow your installed framework and package versions.

For other options, see our roundup of Claude Code alternatives for Laravel developers.

Laravel Boost With StackMivo

StackMivo and Boost work at different stages of development, so they can complement each other.

1. Generate the app with StackMivo. Describe what you need, and StackMivo builds the Laravel codebase, including models, migrations, CRUD functionality, authentication, and APIs.

2. Work in your repository. StackMivo can connect to a private GitHub repository, allowing your code to live where your team already works.

3. Install Boost locally. Clone the project, run the two installation commands, and select your editor.

4. Continue developing with your agent. Use Cursor or Claude Code with Boost for day-to-day changes.

Marco, a freelancer in Milan, used this workflow for a client's booking platform. StackMivo generated the first working version. He then installed Boost, ran infer-conventions to capture the project's structure as reusable rules, and handled two months of change requests in Claude Code without the agent drifting away from the codebase's patterns.

Starting a new Laravel project? Generate it with StackMivo, then add Boost for ongoing development. You get a working foundation and a context-aware coding agent for the work that follows.

Laravel Boost vs. an AI App Builder: What's the Difference?

Boost and AI app builders are often mentioned together, but they solve different problems.

Laravel Boost adds context to your coding agent. You still work in your editor, give the agent prompts, and review changes file by file. Boost helps make those changes more accurate. It's especially useful when you're working inside an existing codebase.

An AI app builder works at a higher level. Instead of improving how an agent edits code, it generates a full Laravel application from a plain-English description.

That's the category StackMivo is built for. It can generate Eloquent models, migrations, controllers, complete CRUD functionality, authentication, REST and GraphQL endpoints, and admin panels. Front-end options include Blade, Livewire, Inertia with React, and Vue.

Neither tool needs to replace the other. Boost gives your coding agent deeper context about your project. StackMivo turns an idea into a working Laravel codebase that you own.

When to Use Laravel Boost and When to Choose StackMivo

Choose Laravel Boost when you already have a Laravel application, use an AI coding agent, and want to stop the AI from ignoring your project's conventions. It's a straightforward way to improve the quality of code generated in your editor.

Choose an AI app builder like StackMivo when the task isn't simply to edit a file but to build an application. Greenfield projects, client MVPs, internal tools, and CRUD-heavy business apps are good examples.

StackMivo targets Laravel 13 on PHP 8.3+ and generates code you can keep and customize.

A simple rule of thumb: if you're maintaining an existing application, use Boost to improve your coding agent. If you're starting a new application, use StackMivo to generate the foundation, then keep Boost in your editor for the work that follows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Laravel Boost Free?

Yes. Laravel Boost is open source under the MIT license, and the package costs nothing to install or use. You still pay for whichever AI agent or model you use with it, such as a Claude, Cursor, or GitHub Copilot subscription.

Laravel Boost vs. Copilot: Which Should You Use?

They're not competitors. GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant, while Laravel Boost is a context layer that helps assistants like Copilot write better Laravel code.

Boost officially supports GitHub Copilot in VS Code, so you can use both together.

If you mean StackMivo, that's an AI app builder that generates complete Laravel applications and can also complement Boost.

Does Laravel Boost Work With Laravel 10?

Not the current version. Boost 2.x requires PHP 8.2+ and Laravel 11.45.3 or newer, Laravel 12.41.1 or newer, or Laravel 13.

Does Laravel Boost Send My Code or Data Anywhere?

Boost's MCP server runs locally through php artisan boost:mcp. The Search Docs tool queries Laravel's hosted documentation API, while your AI agent sends prompts to its own provider as usual.

For sensitive projects, review the data-handling policies of the AI agent you use.

Should I Commit Boost Files to Git?

Commit .ai/rules and any custom guidelines or skills stored in .ai/. Generated files, such as .mcp.json, boost.json, and Boost's guideline files, can be ignored because Boost can regenerate them.

The Bottom Line

Laravel Boost is a useful addition to the Laravel ecosystem because it addresses one of the biggest weaknesses of AI coding agents: a lack of context about your application.

In 2026, it goes further with project rules that capture your team's conventions and a safer, read-only database query tool.

If you use an AI assistant to write Laravel code, install Boost, run infer-conventions to capture your project's patterns, and keep it updated with boost:update.

When your goal shifts from editing code to building an application, that's where an AI app builder comes in. Meet StackMivo, which turns a plain-English description into a Laravel application with models, migrations, CRUD functionality, authentication, and APIs.