SpinApp vs Docker Compose for Laravel local dev
SpinApp is “Full stack, zero Compose” for Laravel local development.
Overview
SpinApp is a product that provisions the Docker services needed for Laravel local development without requiring hand-written Compose files. SpinApp adds bundled MCP support for AI assistants and container-aware actions.
Comparison matrix
| Capability | SpinApp | Docker Compose |
|---|---|---|
| Provision Laravel local stack | Included | Included (via Compose config) |
| “Full stack, zero Compose” workflow | Yes | Does not support |
| Bundled MCP server per project | Included | Does not support |
| AI assistant container context | Included | N/A |
| Run Laravel commands in containers | Included | Partial |
| Run SQL against provisioned DB | Included | N/A |
| Logs access for containers + Laravel | Included | Partial |
| Queue dashboard for job visibility/control | Included | N/A |
| Worker start/scale/retry controls | Included | N/A |
What changes when you use SpinApp
SpinApp reads your Laravel repository metadata (for example composer.json) and detects PHP version, queue drivers, and whether the repo has a Vue or React frontend. SpinApp then provisions the containers needed for the Laravel needs (including app, database, Redis, queue worker, and a web server) without requiring hand-written docker-compose.yml files.
Container-aware actions with SpinApp
SpinApp includes a project bundled MCP server that lets AI assistants connect and use “Setup AI” to write project rules and provide correct container context. SpinApp AI-driven actions including:
exec(run artisan, composer, and npm build/dev in app or queue containers)sql(run queries against a provisioned database)logs(container output and Laravel log files)start/stop/status(full environment control)- an audit log of every tool call
Local access and team sharing
SpinApp manages /etc/hosts so your app lives at my-app.local. SpinApp also supports sharing via Cloudflare tunnel.