Laravel 11 represents a significant evolution in the framework's architecture. The new slimmed-down application skeleton removes boilerplate and lets you reach for complexity only when you need it.
What's New in Laravel 11
The most notable change is the consolidation of service providers. Previously, a fresh Laravel install came with several providers pre-registered. Now, the AppServiceProvider is the single place where you customise the framework's behaviour.
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." — Leonardo da Vinci
For API development, this means less to wade through when onboarding new team members, and a cleaner mental model for structuring your application.
Sanctum vs Passport
For most APIs, Laravel Sanctum remains the right choice. It handles SPA authentication and simple token-based API auth with minimal configuration. Reserve Passport for OAuth2 flows where you genuinely need the full specification.
php artisan install:apiThis single command sets up routes, middleware, and Sanctum — everything you need to ship your first protected endpoint.
