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[Laravel](https://msaied.com/articles?category=laravel) 6. / 7. Laravel Herd 2: Coding Agents, Workspaces, and Cloud Deploys [Laravel](https://msaied.com/articles?category=laravel) [AI](https://msaied.com/articles?category=ai) Laravel Herd 2: Coding Agents, Workspaces, and Cloud Deploys ============================================================= Laravel Herd 2.0 ships Herd Studio for AI-assisted coding, isolated git-branch workspaces, automatic Vite dev-server management, and one-click deploys to Laravel Cloud — all while keeping the free tier free. ![](https://cdn.msaied.com/01M22N44A70A5MC2S599JP0MPH.webp) [Mohamed Said](https://msaied.com#person) Published 5 Nov 2026 · Updated 7 Nov 2026 · 4 min read ShareCopy linkCopied ![Laravel Herd 2: Coding Agents, Workspaces, and Cloud Deploys](https://cdn.msaied.com/818/b17de0c62dc689581d4135b9cb797240.png) On this page +1. [What Is Laravel Herd 2.0?](#what-is-laravel-herd-20) 2. [Herd Studio](#herd-studio) 3. [Workspaces](#workspaces) 4. [Automatic Dev Server](#automatic-dev-server) 5. [Applications Window and Laravel Cloud](#applications-window-and-laravel-cloud) 6. [AI Controls Coming in Herd 2.1](#ai-controls-coming-in-herd-21) 7. [Pricing](#pricing) 8. [Key Takeaways](#key-takeaways) What Is Laravel Herd 2.0? ------------------------- [Laravel Herd](https://herd.laravel.com) 2.0 is now available for macOS and Windows. The release builds on Herd's reputation as the fastest way to get PHP running locally and adds a full in-browser development environment called **Herd Studio**, isolated branch workspaces, automatic Vite dev-server management, and direct deploys to Laravel Cloud. If you only use Herd to serve PHP sites, nothing changes unless you opt in. Every AI feature can be disabled individually. --- Herd Studio ----------- Herd Studio is a browser panel that opens alongside your local `.test` sites. Enable it and every site Herd serves gets an **"Edit with Herd"** badge. Clicking it — or visiting `/herd-studio` on any site, or running `herd studio` in the project directory — opens the panel. The panel includes: - **Agent chat** — multiple conversations per site, plan approval, and image attachments - **Code** — file browser and editor with PHP autocompletion - **Changes** — diff view of agent edits - **Terminal**, **Logs** (via Laravel Pail), and **Queue** panels - **Site** settings — PHP version, HTTPS, isolation, and services - **Tinker** and **Insights** (Herd Pro) - **Share** via Expose and **Cloud** for deploying to Laravel Cloud Herd Studio does not bundle its own AI model. Agent chat runs on [opencode](https://opencode.ai), and you connect whichever AI provider you already use. Free models are available through opencode if you have no existing subscription. The Herd MCP server can also be exposed to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and other external agents. --- Workspaces ---------- A workspace is an isolated copy of a site on its own git branch and subdomain. For example, a workspace named `feature-auth` for `shop.test` is served at `feature-auth.shop.test`. ```bash cd ~/Herd/shop herd workspace feature-auth ``` Workspaces use copy-on-write clones, so they consume no extra disk space until files actually change. Herd also detects existing git worktrees and serves each one as a subdomain automatically. By default a workspace shares its parent's database. Two flags let you control this: - `--database=clone` — copies the existing data - `--database=empty` — starts fresh and runs migrations Isolated databases work with MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and SQLite. Herd copies `.env` and updates `APP_URL`, `SESSION_DOMAIN`, `SANCTUM_STATEFUL_DOMAINS`, and `DB_DATABASE` to match the workspace automatically. The CLI includes `herd workspaces`, `workspace:switch`, `workspace:open`, `workspace:merge`, and `workspace:delete`. --- Automatic Dev Server -------------------- With Herd Studio enabled, Herd starts the Vite dev server the moment you open a site in the browser: - **Laravel 13.25+** — runs `php artisan dev` - **Other apps with a Vite config** — runs the `dev` script from `package.json` using the project's package manager If no production build exists yet, Herd holds the first request for up to 15 seconds while Vite starts, preventing a missing-manifest error on the first page load. The server shuts down one minute after the last Herd Studio tab closes, provided the site has had no requests for five minutes. --- Applications Window and Laravel Cloud ------------------------------------- A new **Applications window** gives every app a dedicated home inside Herd. From there you can create an app from a prompt, monitor agent workspaces, and deploy. Connect a Laravel Cloud account and a **"Deploy to Laravel Cloud"** button appears for each app. --- AI Controls Coming in Herd 2.1 ------------------------------ Herd 2.1 adds granular toggles in the AI settings tab: - Herd Studio on/off (disables all subprocesses) - The "Edit with Herd" badge - The Herd MCP server - Runtime context (queries, logs, jobs, dumps, HTTP calls, PHP CLI) - Automatic dev server starts - Agent-finished notifications - Background updates for bundled coding tools --- Pricing ------- | Tier | Price | Highlights | |---|---|---| | Free | $0 | Herd Studio, PHP Profiler | | Herd Pro | $99/yr (then $79/yr) | MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, Mail, Insights, Tinker, runtime context | | Herd for Teams | $299/yr (then $240/yr) for 10 licenses | License portal, shared config, priority support | --- Key Takeaways ------------- - Herd Studio brings AI coding agents, a diff viewer, logs, and a terminal directly into your browser alongside local `.test` sites. - Workspaces create copy-on-write git-branch clones served on subdomains — no extra disk space until files change. - The automatic dev server eliminates Vite manifest errors on first load for Laravel 13.25+ apps. - One-click deploys to Laravel Cloud are now built into the Applications window. - Every AI feature is opt-in and can be disabled; existing Herd setups are unaffected. - The free tier now includes Herd Studio and the PHP Profiler. --- *Source: [Laravel Herd 2: Coding Agents, Workspaces, and Cloud Deploys — Laravel News](https://laravel-news.com/laravel-herd-2)* - [Laravel Herd](https://msaied.com/articles?search=Laravel%20Herd) - [Herd Studio](https://msaied.com/articles?search=Herd%20Studio) - [AI Coding Agents](https://msaied.com/articles?search=AI%20Coding%20Agents) - [Laravel Cloud](https://msaied.com/articles?search=Laravel%20Cloud) - [Local Development](https://msaied.com/articles?search=Local%20Development) - [Workspaces](https://msaied.com/articles?search=Workspaces) Frequently asked questions --------------------------- Does upgrading to Laravel Herd 2.0 break my existing local PHP setup?No. If Herd is already part of your workflow, nothing changes unless you choose to enable the new features. Every AI feature, including Herd Studio, can be turned off individually. Do Herd workspaces duplicate my entire database by default?No. By default a workspace shares its parent site's database. You can pass --database=clone to copy the data or --database=empty to start with a fresh database and run migrations. Isolated databases work with MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and SQLite. Does Herd Studio require a paid AI subscription?No. Herd Studio runs agent chat through opencode, and free models are available via opencode if you have no existing AI subscription. You can also connect any AI provider you already use. ![Mohamed Said](https://cdn.msaied.com/01M22N44A70A5MC2S599JP0MPH.webp)About the author ---------------- [Mohamed Said](https://msaied.com#person)Senior Backend Engineer specializing in Laravel, scalable SaaS platforms, APIs, and cloud infrastructure. I build secure, high-performance web applications that help businesses grow. [About](https://msaied.com#about) [GitHub ↗](https://github.com/EG-Mohamed) [LinkedIn ↗](https://www.linkedin.com/in/msaiedm/) [WhatsApp ↗](https://wa.me/201094619204) [Email Address ↗](mailto:hello@msaied.com) [My CV ↗](https://drive.google.com/file/u/0/d/1MF20IPRJyzfy32mhEutjL5EpSls0w2Q8/view) [Previous articlePost Mortem: How Laravel Patched PHP and Node.js Vulnerabilities Across Its Entire Fleet](https://msaied.com/articles/post-mortem-how-laravel-patched-php-and-nodejs-vulnerabilities-across-its-entire-fleet) On this page ------------- 1. [What Is Laravel Herd 2.0?](#what-is-laravel-herd-20) 2. [Herd Studio](#herd-studio) 3. [Workspaces](#workspaces) 4. [Automatic Dev Server](#automatic-dev-server) 5. [Applications Window and Laravel Cloud](#applications-window-and-laravel-cloud) 6. [AI Controls Coming in Herd 2.1](#ai-controls-coming-in-herd-21) 7. [Pricing](#pricing) 8. [Key Takeaways](#key-takeaways) ### Have a technical challenge? Tell me what you’re building. 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