Custom technology
Laravel specialist and development agency
We build everything on Laravel: from a website with its own management system to the business software a company runs on from order to invoice. One framework, one way of working, and source code that belongs to you.
Laravel is the most widely used PHP framework and the foundation of everything Darvis builds: websites, customer portals, integrations and complete business software. Unlike a package such as WordPress, the functionality does not come from third-party extensions: we write it ourselves, which means fewer vulnerabilities and less maintenance. The source code is your property and lives in a repository you have access to.
Why this framework
What it gives you in practice
A framework is a choice that stays with you for ten years. These are the four reasons we make this one.
No third-party plugins
With an off-the-shelf package, half of your functionality comes from strangers, and any one of those extensions can be abandoned or contain a security hole. We write the logic ourselves and only use packages maintained by the framework itself.
Security built into the foundation
Protection against SQL injection, cross-site scripting and request forgery is part of the framework, not an extension you first have to switch on. Passwords, sessions and permissions all follow one pattern.
Two years of fixes per version
Laravel follows a fixed release cycle with a year of bug fixes and two years of security updates for each version. So you know in advance when an upgrade is coming, instead of finding out when something goes wrong.
Growing instead of starting over
A second system alongside it, an integration on top or ten times as many users: that is extending, not starting again. The same codebase carries a brochure website and a complete order process.
The downside of an off-the-shelf package is described in more detail under why we do not use WordPress, and what this means for security is explained on the page about a secure website.
What we build with it
From brochure site to complete order process
The same foundation carries the simplest website and the heaviest system. That is precisely why we stick with it.
Websites and CMS
A custom website with a management system that only does what you need, instead of a dashboard full of buttons you never press.
Web applications and portals
Secure environments with permissions per user, where your customers or staff see their own data.
Business software
Complete systems that follow a process from start to finish, from order entry to invoicing.
Integrations and APIs
Connections with the software you already use, and APIs that let others connect to your data.
How we work
The technology underneath
For those who want to know: this is the stack, and this is how we keep it current.
Laravel and PHP
We work on current Laravel and PHP versions and keep existing projects on track with the release cycle. Outdated versions are the most common reason a site ends up insecure after all.
Livewire and Tailwind
Interactivity without a separate JavaScript layer that needs its own maintenance. That means less code, and one less set of dependencies that can go out of date.
Tested and deployed automatically
The projects we build have an automated test suite that runs on every change. A change that breaks something else does not get through.
Your own repository
The source code lives in a repository you have access to. Should you ever want to continue with another party, you can do so without anything having to be migrated.
To be honest
When custom development does not pay off
If you need a five-page website that does nothing else, custom development costs more than it is worth, and we will simply tell you so. The balance tips as soon as there is something behind the website: users who log in, data from another system, a process that has to stay correct, or a requirement that will change next year. From that point on, with a package you are constantly paying to bend it into shape.
What makes sense in your case, you will hear in the first conversation. What it costs is on the pricing page.
Where we are
Laravel developer in Den Helder
Darvis works from its own office in Den Helder, in the Kop van Noord-Holland. You talk to the developer who builds your system, at our office or on your premises. The building itself is not tied to a location, so companies outside the region work with us too.
Most of our Laravel work involves business software and integrations, such as custom software on top of MKG for Compri Aluminium. Mainly looking for a website? Then have a look at website development.
Frequently asked questions about Laravel
Why Laravel rather than WordPress?
WordPress is a package you bend to your will with extensions; Laravel is a framework you use to build what you need. For a simple brochure site a package may be enough, but as soon as there is a process behind it, custom development means less code, fewer vulnerabilities and less maintenance.
Can we continue with the code ourselves or with another party?
Yes. The source code is yours and lives in a repository you have access to. Laravel is the most widely used PHP framework, so there are plenty of developers who can work with it. We deliberately build according to the framework's conventions, so a successor does not first have to learn our own inventions.
How do you handle new Laravel versions?
Laravel releases a new major version every year, with a year of bug fixes and two years of security updates. Under a maintenance contract we include those upgrades, so a project does not quietly stay on a version that no longer receives updates.
Do you also work on an existing Laravel project?
Yes. We take over existing projects or help build on something that is already running. That starts with an inventory of the code, the versions and the test coverage, so you know what you have before anyone starts working on it.
Do you only work for companies in your own region?
No. Darvis works from its own office in Den Helder and we can meet there or at your premises, but the development work is not tied to a location. We build Laravel software for companies throughout Noord-Holland and beyond.
Is Laravel suitable for a large application?
Yes. We run complete business software on it, with background jobs, integrations and users who are in the system all day. Growing means adding components, not choosing a different foundation.
Want to know more about the systems we build on it? Read about custom business software, from order entry to invoicing.
Looking for a team that really knows Laravel?
A new project or an existing codebase that needs attention: tell us what you have and within 24 hours you will hear what we think of it.