I confess I’ve been following NativePHP for Mobile since it was announced. The idea of being able to make native mobile applications with Laravel and only PHP seemed - and seems - a very good thing.
But there was a problem: the price. When I just wanted to try it, experiment, play a bit… the license cost held me back. I couldn’t justify the expense just to “curiously explore.”
Well, they just announced that NativePHP for Mobile v3 is completely free. Open Source, MIT license, free forever.
The Announcement: NativePHP Air Is Free
They just released version 3 of NativePHP for Mobile, and the change is substantial:
- ✅ Free core framework - Open Source with MIT license
- ✅ Not a trial - No time limitations
- ✅ Not freemium - No tiers with cut features
- ✅ Everything you need to compile and ship a native mobile app
The Best: The Plugin System
With v3, almost all native functionality has moved from the monolithic core to a modular plugin system.
This is great because:
- You only install what you need
- Your app stays light and efficient
- You avoid App Store review problems from unused functionality
- You can extend functionality by creating your own plugins
Free Plugins Included
The most popular plugins are completely free and Open Source (MIT):
- Browser 🌐
- Camera 📷
- Device 📱
- Dialog 💬
- File 📁
- Microphone 🎤
- Network 🌐
- Share 🔗
- System ⚙️
Jump: Instant Testing on Real Devices
What I like most is Jump, an app you install on your mobile (Android and iOS) that lets you test your NativePHP app on a real device without compiling anything.
The flow is ridiculously simple:
# In your Laravel project
php artisan native:jump
# Scan the QR code with the Jump app on your mobile
# And your Laravel app loads directly on your device!
Why This Is So Cool
- No compilation needed - Forget Xcode, Android Studio, emulators…
- No Mac needed for iOS - You can develop from Linux
- Real-time changes - Modify code and see it on your mobile almost instantly
- Free - Jump is completely free
My Personal Experience: The Price Barrier
I have to be honest: the price was the barrier.
I wanted to try NativePHP for a long time. The idea of:
- Writing my backend in Laravel (which I already know)
- Reusing PHP code
- Not having to learn Swift or Kotlin (or at least not much)
- Making truly native apps (not hybrid wrappers)
…seemed incredibly attractive.
But every time I thought about it, these things went through my head:
- “Is it worth paying X amount just to try?”
- “Will I really use it in production?”
- “Is it better than hybrid alternatives?”
And I always ended up thinking: “I’ll leave it for when I have a real project” (which never came).
Well, now that it’s free, all that excuse disappears.
What This Means for Us PHP Developers
For Laravel Devs: It’s a Huge Opportunity
- You already know PHP
- You already know Laravel
- You can reuse backend skills
- You only need to learn some mobile concepts
For the PHP Ecosystem:
- More apps = more demand for PHP devs
- Mobile is no longer just Swift/Kotlin
- PHP becomes more versatile and valuable
Conclusion
I’m really happy that I can finally try NativePHP without economic barriers. The price was the only obstacle, and now it’s disappeared.
Yes, I still have to learn how it works. Yes, I’ll have to invest time. But the economic risk has been eliminated.
And since I have Android and Apple developer accounts, I have freedom to:
- Distribute apps to my devices
- Test without limits
- Publish when I have something ready
So yes, let’s try it! 🚀
With the price barrier eliminated, now is the perfect moment to experiment with NativePHP and discover what kind of mobile applications can be built when we combine Laravel’s power with the simplicity of developing native apps without leaving the PHP environment.
Note: This article reflects my personal opinion based on my experience as a PHP/Laravel developer who always wanted to try mobile but missed out due to licensing issues.
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