# Leaf

PHP framework for web applications and APIs that starts with routing and grows through installable modules.


Source: https://findsoftware.frbit.cloud/leaf/
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Updated: 2026-10-25
Listed since: 2026-10-18

## Record

### Links

- home: https://leafphp.dev
- repository: https://github.com/leafsphp/leaf
- docs: https://leafphp.dev/docs/
- plugins: https://leafphp.dev/docs/modules
- x: https://x.com/leafphp
- discord: https://discord.gg/Pkrm9NJPE3
- forum: https://github.com/leafsphp/leaf/discussions

### Identity

- status: active
- maintainer: Michael Darko
- maintainerType: community
- parent: unknown
- firstRelease: 2019
- hqCountry: unknown

### Kind

- category: framework
- hosting: php
- language: php
- runtime: php
- runtimeMin: php 8.2
- basedOn: unknown

### Content

- contentStore: database
- databases: mysql, postgres, sqlite, mariadb, sqlserver
- adminUi: no
- headlessApi: unknown
- templating: blade, bareui, inertia-react, inertia-vue, inertia-svelte
- i18n: Leaf Lingo module, translations from YAML files

### Rendering and deploy

- runsAs: per-request
- renderingModes: server
- installMethod: leaf CLI (leaf create), composer require leafs/leaf

### License

- licenseModel: open-source
- license: MIT

### Releases

- currentMajor: 5
- latestReleaseDate: 2026-10-16

### Adoption

- githubStargazers: 1324
- packagistDownloads: 53753
- npmWeeklyDownloads: not applicable
- contributors: 15
- pluginCount: 25
- packagistMonthlyDownloads: 2122
- ecosystemsMonthlyDownloads: unknown
- httpArchiveSites: unknown
- wordpressActiveInstalls: unknown
- dependentRepos: 38
- dependentPackages: 8

### Sources

- name: https://leafphp.dev/ (read 2026-10-18)
- urls: https://github.com/leafsphp/leaf (read 2026-10-18)
- urls: https://packagist.org/packages/leafs/leaf (read 2026-10-18)
- urls: https://leafphp.dev/ (read 2026-10-18)
- firstRelease: https://packagist.org/packages/leafs/leaf (read 2026-10-18)
- maintainer: https://leafphp.dev/ (read 2026-10-20)
- maintainerType: https://leafphp.dev/ (read 2026-10-18)
- category: https://leafphp.dev/ (read 2026-10-18)
- language: https://github.com/leafsphp/leaf (read 2026-10-18)
- runtime: https://leafphp.dev/docs/ (read 2026-10-18)
- runtimeMin: https://repo.packagist.org/p2/leafs/leaf.json (read 2026-10-18)
- runtimeMin: https://leafphp.dev/docs/ (read 2026-10-18)
- databases: https://leafphp.dev/docs/database/ (read 2026-10-18)
- databases: https://leafphp.dev/ (read 2026-10-18)
- contentStore: https://leafphp.dev/docs/database/ (read 2026-10-18)
- adminUi: https://leafphp.dev/docs/mvc/scaffolds (read 2026-10-18)
- templating: https://leafphp.dev/docs/ (read 2026-10-18)
- i18n: https://leafphp.dev/docs/utils/lingo (read 2026-10-18)
- renderingModes: https://leafphp.dev/learn/deployment/ (read 2026-10-18)
- installMethod: https://leafphp.dev/docs/cli/ (read 2026-10-18)
- license: https://github.com/leafsphp/leaf (read 2026-10-18)
- licenseModel: https://github.com/leafsphp/leaf (read 2026-10-18)
- currentMajor: https://github.com/leafsphp/leaf/releases/latest (read 2026-10-18)
- latestReleaseDate: https://github.com/leafsphp/leaf/releases/latest (read 2026-10-18)
- githubStargazers: https://github.com/leafsphp/leaf (read 2026-10-18)
- contributors: https://github.com/leafsphp/leaf/graphs/contributors (read 2026-10-18)
- packagistDownloads: https://packagist.org/packages/leafs/leaf (read 2026-10-18)
- urls: https://leafphp.dev/ (read 2026-10-18)
- pluginCount: https://leafphp.dev/ (read 2026-10-18)
- runsAs: https://leafphp.dev/ (read 2026-10-19)
- dependentRepos: https://packages.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/registries/packagist.org/packages/leafs%2Fleaf (read 2026-10-25)
- dependentPackages: https://packages.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/registries/packagist.org/packages/leafs%2Fleaf (read 2026-10-25)
- packagistMonthlyDownloads: https://packagist.org/packages/leafs/leaf/stats.json (read 2026-10-25)

## Notes

Leaf is a PHP framework for web applications and APIs. It starts with routing and adds features through installable modules, which the module directory lists. The Leaf CLI creates new projects from a set of starters. The project credits one creator, Michael Darko, and is funded through Open Collective, with no company named.

## Worth knowing

The web server needs a URL rewrite to index.php, and queues need a worker running under a process manager. No official Docker image is published; the Leaf CLI generates a Dockerfile for a new project.

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Data licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Attributes are recorded, never scored; absent means unknown.
Credit, in full: FindSoftware, CC BY 4.0