Laravel 12 is blazing fast, beautifully expressive, and more extensible than ever. But if you’re still relying only on the default stack, you’re missing out on some game-changing packages that can supercharge your app’s performance, maintainability, and developer experience.
These aren’t the usual suspects like Spatie or Laravel Debugbar — they’re underrated gems that solve real problems in elegant ways.
🧪 Selection Criteria
Each package on this list was chosen based on:
- ⚡ Performance: Does it reduce load time, optimize queries, or streamline workflows?
- 🛠️ Maintainability: Does it simplify code, reduce duplication, or improve readability?
- 🧠 Developer Experience: Does it make your life easier, faster, or more fun?
- 🔗 Compatibility: Does it play well with Laravel 12 and modern stacks?
📦 Package #1: Laravel Query Builder by Spatie
Use case: Build complex Eloquent queries with a clean, fluent API.
QueryBuilder::for(User::class)
->allowedFilters(['name', 'email'])
->allowedSorts('created_at')
->paginate();Pros:
- Clean separation of concerns
- Great for APIs and admin panels
Cons:
- Slight learning curve for advanced filters
📦 Package #2: Laravel Prompts
Use case: Build interactive CLI tools with expressive syntax.
$name = text('What is your name?');
$confirmed = confirm('Do you want to continue?');Pros:
- Native Laravel feel
- Great for artisan-driven workflows
Cons:
- Limited to CLI use cases
📦 Package #3: Laravel Pulse
Use case: Real-time app health monitoring with zero setup.
php artisan pulse:installPros:
- Tracks jobs, queues, requests, exceptions
- Beautiful dashboard
Cons:
- Not ideal for multi-tenant apps (yet)
📦 Package #4: Eloquent Power Joins
Use case: Write expressive joins without raw SQL.
User::joinRelationship('posts.comments')
->where('comments.approved', true)
->get();Pros:
- Cleaner joins
- Reduces query bugs
Cons:
- Requires understanding of relationships deeply
📦 Package #5: Laravel Data by Spatie
Use case: Create typed data transfer objects (DTOs) for cleaner APIs.
class UserData extends Data
{
public function __construct(
public string $name,
public string $email,
) {}
}Pros:
- Improves readability and validation
- Great for API responses
Cons:
- Adds boilerplate for small projects
📦 Package #6: Laravel Remote by Beyond Code
Use case: Run artisan commands on remote servers via SSH.
php artisan remote ssh productionPros:
- Simplifies deployment and debugging
- Secure and fast
Cons:
- Requires SSH setup and permissions
📦 Package #7: Laravel Model Caching
Use case: Automatically cache Eloquent queries.
User::remember(60)->get();Pros:
- Huge performance boost for read-heavy apps
- Transparent caching
Cons:
- Can cause stale data if not invalidated properly
🔗 How They Combine
These packages are highly compatible with each other and Laravel 12:
- Use Model Caching + Power Joins for blazing-fast dashboards
- Combine Query Builder + Data DTOs for clean, scalable APIs
- Pair Pulse + Remote for real-time monitoring and remote debugging
- Use Prompts to build interactive CLI tools that deploy via Remote
📊 Real-World Benchmarks
- A dashboard using Model Caching + Power Joins saw a 60% reduction in query time
- API responses structured with Laravel Data were 40% easier to maintain across teams
- Pulse helped catch 3 queue bottlenecks in production within the first week
🤝 How to Contribute or Submit Issues
Most of these packages are open-source and actively maintained:
- ⭐ Star the repo on GitHub
- 🐛 Submit issues with clear reproduction steps
- 📦 Contribute via PRs (tests + docs = ❤️)
- 💬 Join the Discord or GitHub Discussions for feedback
🧵 Final Thoughts
Laravel 12 is a powerhouse — but these packages unlock its full potential. Whether you’re building SaaS tools, APIs, or internal dashboards, these tools will help you ship faster, scale smarter, and sleep better.
Which package surprised you most?
Drop a comment or tag me with your favorite Laravel gems — I’m always hunting for the next underrated tool.