Compare / Alternatives
Electrik vs Laravel Spark
A Laravel Spark alternative for Laravel SaaS teams that want package-first auth, teams, and Stripe.
Official Laravel billing UI and Cashier integration — sold per project, focused on subscriptions rather than a full SaaS kit.
The short version
Spark is the right buy when you already have an app shell and need a polished, first-party billing experience. Electrik is the better starting kit when you still need auth, teams, onboarding, and UI — with billing included in the base package under BSL instead of a separate per-project Spark invoice.
- Stack notes
- Spark Stripe / Paddle editions; Livewire or Inertia depending on generation.
- Pricing posture
- Commercial per-project license (historically hundreds of USD per project). Billing product, not a free grant lane.
Feature matrix
Spark productizes subscription management for Laravel: plans, invoices, payment methods, and Cashier wiring with an official UI. It assumes you bring (or already have) the rest of the SaaS: authentication patterns, team tenancy, roles, and product screens.
Comparisons are based on publicly documented product positioning and may lag vendor changes. Always verify on the competitor’s site and run both demos before you buy or commit.
| Feature | Electrik | Laravel Spark |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution model How code lands in your app and how you upgrade it. |
Yes composer require electrik/electrik |
Partial Composer package for billing UI |
| Authentication Login, register, password reset, verification, sessions. |
Yes 2FA, sessions, verification |
No Bring your own |
| Teams / workspaces Multi-user workspaces with invites and switching. |
Yes Teamwork fork + invites |
No Not a teams kit |
| Roles & permissions RBAC beyond a single owner/admin flag. |
Yes Spatie, team-scoped |
No Not included |
| Stripe / Cashier billing Subscriptions, invoices, payment methods. |
Yes Cashier + plan sync |
Yes Core product |
| Billing on the team Subscription owned by workspace, not only the user. |
Yes Cashier customer = Team |
Partial Configurable billable |
| Onboarding wizard Guided first-run flow after signup. |
Yes Configurable wizard |
No Not included |
| Product UI kit First-class Blade (or equivalent) design system for the app shell. |
Yes Electrik Slate (MIT) |
Partial Billing UI only |
| Primary stack Livewire, Inertia, Filament, or mix. |
Yes Livewire 4 |
Yes Livewire / Inertia editions |
| Admin / resource panel CRUD admin for operators (not end-user SaaS shell). |
No Product shell, not Filament admin |
No Billing, not admin CRUD |
| Vendor-owned upgrades Composer package you update vs scaffold dumped into App\. |
Yes Code stays under Electrik\ |
Yes Package-style billing |
| Free commercial lane Ship commercially without paying the kit vendor (grant or MIT). |
Partial Grant for indie/OSS; companies need commercial |
No Paid per project |
| Kit pricing posture What you typically pay the kit vendor (not your Stripe plans). |
Partial $0 grant or one-time commercial tiers |
No Commercial Spark license |
Deeper comparison
Billing product vs SaaS kit
Spark solves billing. Electrik solves the shell plus billing: auth, teams, Spatie permissions, onboarding, API tokens, and Slate UI, with Cashier on the team model. If your gap is only “Cashier UI and plan management,” Spark is narrowly better. If your gap is “ship a SaaS,” Electrik covers more surface area in one install.
Per-project cost
Spark’s commercial model is typically per project. Electrik commercial tiers (Solo/Studio) are one-time licenses for using the Electrik kit itself; the BSL grant covers many indie cases at $0. Neither license replaces your Stripe fees — both help you bill customers.
Team as customer
Electrik treats the team as the Cashier customer so workspace subscriptions match multi-tenant SaaS. Spark can be configured for various billable models; Electrik opinionates team billing so the rest of the kit (invites, roles, plan features) lines up.
UI and ownership
Spark ships its billing UI. Electrik billing screens use Slate. Spark stays the Laravel “official” billing brand; Electrik stays vendor-owned as a Composer package for the whole shell.
Choose Electrik if
- You need a full starter (auth/teams/UI) not only billing screens
- You want team-scoped subscriptions aligned with invites and roles
- You prefer one kit license / grant instead of Spark per project
- You are starting greenfield on Livewire + Blade
Choose Laravel Spark if
- You already have Jetstream/Breeze/custom auth and only need billing UI
- You want Laravel’s official Spark brand and support channel
- Your billable model is user-centric and Spark already fits
- You are mid-migration and Spark is already purchased for the project
Caveats
- Spark editions and pricing change — verify current Spark Stripe terms on spark.laravel.com.
- Electrik billing is Cashier-based and alpha; Spark is the more battle-tested billing UI.
- You can use Cashier without Spark; Electrik and Spark are alternative productizations.
Electrik vs Laravel Spark FAQ
Is Electrik a good Laravel Spark alternative?
Yes, when you want a Composer-package SaaS shell (auth, teams, Stripe on the team, Slate UI) instead of Laravel Spark’s model. Read the “Choose Electrik if / Choose Laravel Spark if” sections on this page — Laravel Spark is still the better pick for some teams.
Does Electrik replace Spark?
For greenfield SaaS kits, Electrik includes the billing layer Spark specializes in, plus the surrounding shell. If you only need Spark’s billing UI on an existing app, buy Spark.
Can I use Spark with Electrik?
Not as two overlapping billing UIs. Choose one subscription surface. Electrik is built around its own Cashier + team billing pages.
Why does pricing mention Spark?
Because Spark is the common Laravel reference for paid billing kits. Electrik’s pitch is Spark-class billing inside a broader package with a different license posture.
Try Electrik next
Composer install, or click the demo — then read pricing if you are past the grant.