CakePHP to Laravel Migration Services
Still on CakePHP 2 or 3? I move Cake applications to Laravel and Vue one module at a time, with both running side by side, so your business keeps working the entire way through.
Your CakePHP app still works. That's what makes it risky.
CakePHP made it easy to bake a working application in a week, and many of those applications are still running the business a decade later. They work, so nobody wants to touch them, and every Cake major version since has been a rewrite-sized jump.
None of these are emergencies on their own. Together, they're a slow-moving one.
- Framework support. CakePHP 2 has been end of life for years, and Cake 3 is past its support window too. Security fixes stopped; the packages you depend on went stale with them.
- The upgrade path is a rewrite. Cake 2 to 4 or 5 changes the ORM, the request cycle, and the templates. If you have to rewrite anyway, the question becomes which framework you can hire for afterwards.
- PHP version lock. Cake 2 apps top out around PHP 7.x, which leaves you on runtimes that no longer receive security patches.
- Hiring. The US CakePHP developer pool is small and shrinking. When the one person who understands the codebase leaves, you're stuck.
- Fear of change. Baked code nobody has read since 2014, no tests, and a deploy process that lives in someone's head. Improvements stop happening.
A stack you can hire for, host anywhere, and build on for the next decade.
Hireable
Laravel is the most widely used PHP framework, with a large US hiring pool and an active package ecosystem.
Batteries included
First-class queues, scheduling, auth, billing (Cashier/Stripe), and testing out of the box, instead of the bolt-ons every CakePHP app grew on its own.
Modern interface, one codebase
Vue 3 with Inertia.js gives you a modern, fast interface without maintaining a separate API project, or a clean API + SPA if that's what you need.
Deploys you can trust
Deploys through Forge or your existing AWS setup with zero-downtime releases.
No big-bang rewrite. No cutover weekend.
The biggest risk in any migration is the rewrite that takes a year and launches all at once. I avoid that entirely using the strangler pattern:
- 01
Laravel goes in front
A new Laravel application is deployed alongside your CakePHP app, sharing the same database and domain.
- 02
Shared sessions and auth
Users log in once. Existing password hashes are preserved, so nobody is forced to reset their password.
- 03
Route by route
Requests for migrated sections go to Laravel. Everything else still goes to the CakePHP code, untouched.
- 04
Module by module
Each module (orders, users, reporting, admin) is rebuilt, tested against the original behavior, and switched over on its own.
- 05
The old app retires quietly
When the last route moves, the CakePHP code is removed. There's no launch day because the launch already happened in pieces.
You get working improvements in weeks, not a year from now, and you can pause or reprioritize at any point.
Everything, mapped to its Laravel equivalent.
| CakePHP | Laravel |
|---|---|
| Models / Tables and Entities | Eloquent models, relationships, casts |
| Associations (hasMany, belongsTo, HABTM) | Eloquent relationships |
| Behaviors (Timestamp, Tree, Containable) | Timestamps, traits, eager loading |
| $validate / validationDefault() | Form Requests |
| AuthComponent + Security | Laravel auth, Policies, legacy hash compatibility |
| Components | Middleware and service classes |
| Helpers and FormHelper | Vue 3 components or Blade components |
| Baked CRUD views | Vue/Inertia screens, rebuilt cleanly |
| routes.php | Laravel routes + redirects for old URL shapes |
| Shells / Commands | Artisan commands + scheduler + queues |
| cake schema / Migrations plugin | Laravel migrations (existing schema preserved) |
Data stays where it is. The schema is migrated in place and improved gradually, not dumped and reloaded.
From first call to retired CakePHP app.
-
01
Migration Fit Call
We talk through your app, your team, and your constraints. You leave with a realistic ballpark range and an honest read on whether migrating now makes sense.
-
02
Migration Assessment
I audit the codebase: framework and PHP versions, dependencies, custom modules, security exposure, and data model. You receive a module-by-module migration map, a phased roadmap, and a fixed-price quote. The full fee is credited toward the migration if you proceed within 60 days.
-
03
Phased Migration
Laravel is deployed alongside the existing app, then modules move over in priority order. You see progress in production every few weeks.
-
04
Support & Handoff
Documentation, tests, and a clean handoff to your team, or an ongoing support and hosting retainer if you would rather not manage it.
What does a CakePHP to Laravel migration cost?
It depends mainly on four things.
As a rough guide, the Fit Call gives you a ballpark range for your specific app. The assessment turns that range into a fixed quote.
- Size of the codebase Number of modules, controllers, and custom screens.
- How much structure exists Framework conventions make a codebase faster to map than hand-rolled pages.
- Integrations Payments, CRMs, ERPs, third-party APIs.
- Test coverage and documentation Less of both means more discovery.
Who you'll work with
I'm Kelly Brintle, a principal architect and full-stack developer based in Carolina Beach, North Carolina. I run CraftWeb as a senior, hands-on consultancy: when you hire me, I'm the one reading your code, designing the migration, and writing the Laravel.
I specialize in legacy PHP migrations and full platform rebuilds on Laravel, Vue, and AWS, including payments, CRM, and communications integrations with Stripe, HubSpot, and Twilio. The same approach works for Yii, CodeIgniter, CakePHP, and custom PHP.
CakePHP migration questions, answered
Can we migrate in phases instead of all at once?
Yes, and I recommend it. Laravel runs alongside CakePHP on the same database and domain and takes over one module at a time, so there is no single high-risk launch.
Will our users have to reset their passwords?
No. Cake 2's salted sha1 hashes and Cake 3+'s bcrypt hashes are both verified in Laravel and upgraded transparently the next time each user logs in.
Should we upgrade to CakePHP 5 instead?
If your app is on Cake 3 or 4 and close to current, upgrading in place can be the right call and I'll say so. From Cake 2 the jump is a rewrite either way, and Laravel gives you a much larger hiring pool at the end of it.
What happens to our data?
It stays in your existing database. Both applications read and write the same tables during the migration; renames wait until Cake is gone.
Our forms post data[Model][field]. Is that a problem?
No. During the migration each app handles its own forms. Migrated screens are rebuilt in Vue with Laravel validation; nothing has to be translated in flight.
Can our in-house developers work alongside you?
Yes. I set up the architecture and patterns, and your developers take on modules as they get comfortable with Laravel.
How long does a migration take?
It depends on scope. Small applications can move in a couple of months; larger platforms run longer. Work ships in phases, so you see results in production well before the end.
Do you work with companies outside North Carolina?
Yes. I work with clients across the US, remotely.
Find out what your migration would actually take.
A 30-minute call. You'll leave with a ballpark range, the main risks in your codebase, and a clear next step, whether or not we work together.