Orchid

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What Orchid is

Laravel Orchid is an open-source Laravel package for building administration panels and line-of-business applications with a code-driven approach. Developers use Screens to create interfaces, with Orchid saying modern apps can be built with 80% of the code in PHP. Its documented tools include a form builder, more than 40 field types, permissions management, menus, charts, and notifications; it also offers dialogs, data grids, visualizations, and modals that developers can extend or compose in code. Roles and permissions manage access and can work alongside Laravel Gates or Policies for finer control. Orchid’s attachment system associates files with application models and detects duplicates by hashing unless duplicates are allowed. It installs through Composer, can use Laravel Scout for full-text search with a configured driver, and can be integrated gradually into an existing Blade-based admin panel by connecting controllers. It is designed for self-hosted intranet applications such as dashboards and admin panels, not marketing sites. The package is free under the MIT License, which permits commercial use subject to including copyright and license notices. It is intended for people familiar with Laravel, not as a turnkey tool for people with little programming experience.

Who it suits

Orchid is suited to developers familiar with Laravel who are building self-hosted admin panels, dashboards, or other line-of-business applications. It can also suit teams looking to add administration features to an existing Blade-based panel without rewriting the whole application.

What it does well

Free and open source under the MIT License.
Includes a form builder and more than 40 field types.
Role and permission tools can work with Laravel Gates or Policies.
Can be integrated gradually with an existing Blade-based admin panel.
Attachment hashing detects duplicate files unless duplicates are allowed.

What to know first

Requires Laravel familiarity and programming experience.
Upload validation and access restrictions must be configured by developers.
Advanced authentication requires another approach or package.
Support, bug fixes, and security updates cover only the latest major release.

Limits

Uploads have no default restrictions on file extensions, MIME types, or sizes, so developers need to define validation and access rules. The built-in login has only email and password fields; advanced authentication such as password recovery or two-factor authentication requires another approach or package.

Getting started

Install the Laravel package through Composer.
Build interfaces with Screens and Orchid components.
Configure upload validation and access rules.
Configure a search driver if using Laravel Scout for full-text search.
Connect existing controllers to integrate Orchid into a Blade-based admin panel.

Verdict

Pick Orchid if you are comfortable with Laravel and need a code-driven package for self-hosted administration or line-of-business applications. Look elsewhere if you need a turnkey tool, marketing website builder, or advanced authentication out of the box.

Questions

Is Laravel Orchid free?

Yes. It is offered under the MIT License, which permits commercial use when copyright and license notices are included.

What is Orchid used for?

It is designed for intranet applications such as admin panels, dashboards, and line-of-business applications rather than websites or marketing landing pages.

How is Orchid installed?

It is a Laravel package installed through Composer.

Does Orchid include permissions?

Yes. It includes roles and permissions, which can work alongside Laravel Gates or Policies for finer access control.

Does Orchid enforce upload restrictions by default?

No. Developers are advised to define their own validation and access rules for uploads.

Who maintains Orchid support and updates?

Support, bug fixes, and security updates are provided only for the latest major release.

Facts from Orchid's own pages

Attachments: Files can be attached to application records through Orchid’s attachment system. · orchid.software, 9 Oct 2026
Audience: The documentation is intended for people familiar with Laravel and says Orchid is not a turnkey tool for people with little programming experience. · orchid.software, 9 Oct 2026
Authentication: Orchid’s built-in login page provides basic email and password fields; advanced features such as password recovery and two-factor authentication require another approach or package. · orchid.software, 8 Oct 2026
Authentication limit: The built-in login page provides only email and password fields; advanced authentication such as password recovery or two-factor authentication requires another approach or package. · orchid.software, 9 Oct 2026
Code-driven development: Orchid uses a code-driven approach and says applications can be built mostly in PHP. · orchid.software, 9 Oct 2026
Components: The documentation lists a form builder, Screens, more than 40 field types, permissions management, menus, charts, and notifications. · orchid.software, 8 Oct 2026
File attachments: Attachments can be associated with application models, and duplicate files are detected by hashing unless duplicates are explicitly allowed. · orchid.software, 8 Oct 2026
Form fields: The documentation lists a form builder and more than 40 field types. · orchid.software, 9 Oct 2026
Founded: 2016 · orchid.software, 28 Sept 2026
History: The maker says the first version originated in 2016 during development of a Laravel-based CMS for a travel portal. · orchid.software, 9 Oct 2026
Integrations: Orchid is a Laravel package and its documentation describes it as integrating with other Laravel components. · orchid.software, 9 Oct 2026
Intended applications: Orchid is designed for intranet applications such as admin panels, dashboards, and line-of-business applications. · orchid.software, 9 Oct 2026
Intended users: The documentation is aimed at people familiar with Laravel and says Orchid is not a turnkey solution for people with little or no programming experience. · orchid.software, 8 Oct 2026
License: The product is licensed under MIT, which permits commercial use, modification, and redistribution subject to preserving notices. · orchid.software, 9 Oct 2026
Maker: The license page names Alexandr Chernyaev in its copyright notice. · orchid.software, 8 Oct 2026
Migration: Teams can gradually integrate Orchid into an existing Blade-based admin panel by connecting existing controllers, without rewriting the whole application. · orchid.software, 8 Oct 2026
Permissions: Orchid includes roles and permissions for managing access, which work alongside Laravel Gates or Policies for fine-grained control. · orchid.software, 9 Oct 2026
Product: Laravel Orchid is an open-source package for building admin panels and line-of-business applications with a code-driven approach. · orchid.software, 8 Oct 2026
Purpose: Laravel Orchid is an open-source package for building administration panels and line-of-business applications. · orchid.software, 9 Oct 2026
Security configuration: Attachment uploads have no default restrictions on file extensions, MIME types, or sizes, so the documentation advises developers to define their own validation and access rules. · orchid.software, 8 Oct 2026
Support: Support, bug fixes, and security updates are provided only for the latest major release. · orchid.software, 9 Oct 2026
UI components: It offers form inputs, dialogs, data grids, visualizations, charts, and modals that can be extended or composed in code. · orchid.software, 9 Oct 2026
UI development: Orchid uses Screens to build interfaces and says modern apps can be built with 80% of the code in PHP. · orchid.software, 8 Oct 2026
Upload security: File upload validation is not enforced by default, so developers are advised to define their own upload rules and access restrictions. · orchid.software, 9 Oct 2026

Where Orchid stands on Freedom251

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