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NativePHP Mobile Development is Now Free: Build Native iOS and Android Apps with Laravel

NativePHP has made a groundbreaking announcement that will transform mobile development for PHP and Laravel developers: starting with version 3, the entire core framework for building native mobile apps is now completely free and open source under the MIT license.

No More Licensing Fees

The NativePHP team has eliminated all licensing barriers, making it possible for developers to build and ship native iOS and Android applications using Laravel without paying a cent. This isn't a limited trial or freemium tier—the core framework and essential plugins provide everything needed to create production-ready mobile apps at zero cost.

What's New in NativePHP v3

Plugin-Based Architecture

Version 3 introduces a revolutionary modular plugin system that replaces the previous monolithic architecture. Each plugin is a standalone Composer package containing Swift and Kotlin code, permission manifests, and native dependencies. Developers can install only the plugins they need using composer require, keeping apps slim and efficient.

Free and Open Source Plugins

NativePHP has released several essential plugins under the MIT license, including:

Camera
Clipboard
Database
File System
HTTP Client
Media Picker
Native UI Components
Network Status
Notifications
Storage
WebView

Premium Plugins Available

Some advanced functionality has moved to one-time payment premium plugins:

Biometrics
Geolocation
Push Notifications (Firebase)
Scanner
Secure Storage

Each premium plugin requires a single-seat license with a one-time payment and can be used on unlimited projects forever.

Jump: Revolutionary Device Testing

NativePHP introduces Jump, a free companion app for Android and iOS that eliminates the need for complex build processes during development. Developers can test their apps on real devices without compiling anything or enabling developer mode.

Simply run php artisan native:jump, scan the QR code with the Jump app, and the Laravel application loads directly on the device connected to the local development server. Jump includes all first-party NativePHP plugins, even premium ones, allowing developers to test full functionality for free.

Plugin Marketplace Launching

The new Plugin Marketplace brings all NativePHP plugins together in one location. In the coming weeks, NativePHP will open the marketplace to third-party developers, who will be able to sell their custom plugins and generate revenue. This creates opportunities for developers to build and monetize camera filters, payment gateways, social login packages, and other functionality.

Why the Move to Free?

The NativePHP team explained that making the framework free aligns with their mission to make native development accessible to more developers. License sales from earlier versions allowed them to bootstrap the project and invest in sustainable revenue streams like Bifrost (their build service) and premium plugins.

By open-sourcing the core framework, NativePHP hopes to increase adoption and encourage community contributions through pull requests. The team noted they're ahead of their original timeline for open-sourcing Mobile thanks to faster-than-expected growth.

Getting Started Today

Developers can start building with NativePHP for Mobile v3 immediately by installing Jump on their phone and running these commands:

laravel new my-mobile-app
cd my-mobile-app
composer require nativephp/mobile
php artisan native:jump

Upgrade Path for Existing Users

Current NativePHP users can upgrade to v3 by removing the old NativePHP repository from composer.json, uninstalling the previous version with composer remove nativephp/mobile, and reinstalling from Packagist with composer require nativephp/mobile. Apps shouldn't require code changes except for registering the new plugins using php artisan native:plugin:register vendor/plugin.

Existing license holders can cancel their subscriptions without penalty, though NativePHP is developing a subscription tier for the Plugin Marketplace that will offer gifted premium plugins, discounts, team support, and premium support.

Free Laracasts Course Available

To support developers getting started, NativePHP partnered with Laracasts to release a free video course covering the basics of building with NativePHP for Mobile and Desktop.

This move positions NativePHP as a compelling alternative for PHP developers who want to build native mobile apps without learning entirely new ecosystems like React Native or Flutter. With the core framework now free and a growing plugin ecosystem, Laravel developers can leverage their existing skills to create native iOS and Android applications.