
Debugbar
A developer toolbar for Laravel apps that shows queries, routes, views, logs and timing.fruitcake/laravel-debugbar
- Stars
- 19.3k
- Forks
- 1.6k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- PHP
- Last update
- 9 days ago
- Type
- Library
What it is
Debugbar is a Laravel package that adds a debug toolbar to your web pages while you develop. It wraps the PHP Debug Bar library and shows details about each request, such as database queries, loaded views, routes, events, logs and timing. It is meant for local development only, since it can leak information if exposed publicly.
- Inspect every SQL query on a page with its bindings and timing
- Check which Laravel route handled the current request
- Add custom debug messages and timers with the Debugbar facade or debug() helper
- Review previous requests through the built-in storage browser on localhost
Great for
- Laravel developers investigating slow pages or unexpected database queries
- Developers who want to see which views, routes or events a request used
- Teams debugging AJAX or Livewire requests in a local environment
- Developers using Twig through TwigBridge who want debug helpers
Not ideal for
- Production websites, because the README says it leaks information from stored requests by design
- Apps that are already slow, since it adds overhead to gather and render data
- Projects not built on Laravel, since it is a Laravel integration
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: PHP and Composer · A Laravel application
Require the package for development
composer require fruitcake/laravel-debugbar --devPublish the package config (optional)
php artisan vendor:publish --provider='Fruitcake\LaravelDebugbar\ServiceProvider' - 2
Run it
- Install the package with Composer using the --dev flag
- Make sure APP_DEBUG is true and the environment is not production or testing
- Load any page in your browser and look for the toolbar
- Adjust collectors or enabled state in config/debugbar.php if needed
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Disable slow collectors in config/debugbar.php when pages feel sluggish
- Use Debugbar::addMessage, startMeasure/stopMeasure and addThrowable to log custom data
- Use the debug() helper or collect()->debug() to dump values into the message collector
- Enable the optional LaravelCollector, ConfigCollector or CacheCollector if you need version, config or cache details
- Read the php-debugbar documentation linked in the README for rendering and more options
Downloads
Strengths
- Installs with Composer and is auto-discovered by Laravel, so little manual wiring is needed
- Many collectors can be turned on or off in the config to reduce overhead
- Works with Octane according to the README and supports AJAX and Livewire requests
Trade-offs
- The README warns it can slow the application down and it should not run on public sites
- Storage browsing is limited by default to localhost or private networks and must be secured if changed
- Some features depend on specific Laravel or TwigBridge versions, such as TwigBridge 0.6.x testing noted in the README
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| laravel-debugbar (this) | 19.3k | Library | beginner | 9 days ago | Laravel developers investigating slow pages or unexpected database queries |
| filament | 32.4k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | Laravel developers building internal admin panels |
| ui | 127k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers building React or Next.js interfaces who want full control over component code |
| laravel-ide-helper | 15k | Dev tool | beginner | 2 months ago | Laravel developers who use an IDE such as PhpStorm or VS Code and want better autocompletion |
| sage | 13.3k | Framework | intermediate | 29 days ago | Developers building custom WordPress themes |
| voyager | 11.8k | Library | intermediate | 1.7 years ago | Developers maintaining an existing Laravel 8+ app that already uses Voyager |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.