sharp
Sharp is a Laravel package that provides a code-driven CMS framework for building admin dashboards and content management systems without writing frontend code. It handles CRUD operations, validation, filtering, and authorization through a clean PHP API.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | code16/sharp |
| Owner | code16 |
| Primary language | PHP |
| License | MIT — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 790 |
| Forks | 79 |
| Open issues | 16 |
| Latest release | v9.22.5 (2026-06-24) |
| Last updated | 2026-07-07 |
| Source | https://github.com/code16/sharp |
What sharp is
Sharp is a Laravel 11+ package built on PHP 8.3+ that delivers a headless CMS layer via a declarative PHP API. It abstracts persistence, supports custom commands, and generates a browser-based UI automatically without requiring frontend code.
Get the sharp source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/code16/sharp.gitcd sharp# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Requires Laravel 11+ and PHP 8.3+; verify production environment matches these constraints before adoption.
- Data layer is agnostic, so integration with Eloquent, custom repositories, or external APIs depends on your persistence design; unclear how complex relationships or legacy schemas are handled.
- Authorization rules are code-based; requires careful design to avoid privilege escalation or authorization bypass in multi-user systems.
- UI generation is automatic; plan for scenarios where UI defaults do not match UX expectations and assess feasibility of custom overrides.
- Learning curve includes Sharp's PHP API conventions; team must be comfortable with Laravel patterns and Sharp documentation.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Non-Laravel projects — Sharp is tightly coupled to Laravel and requires Laravel 11+ and PHP 8.3+. Projects using other frameworks or older PHP versions cannot use it.
- Highly custom or bespoke UI requirements — Sharp generates and controls the UI automatically. Projects needing custom UI workflows, advanced design control, or non-standard admin UX may find its conventions limiting.
- Multi-tenant SaaS with granular white-label demands — While Sharp supports authorization, deep white-label customization, theming, or per-tenant UI variants are not documented as core features. Requirements beyond standard branding may require fork or extension.
- Very low-code or headless-only requirement — Sharp is not a headless-only CMS. It generates an opinionated UI layer; if your requirement is a pure API backend with no admin UI, a leaner API framework may be more efficient.
License & commercial use
Sharp is licensed under the MIT License (OSI-approved, permissive). MIT permits commercial use, modification, and distribution with attribution and without warranty.
MIT License permits commercial use. However, no explicit commercial support, SLA, indemnification, or warranty is documented. Recommend reviewing support channels (Discord, GitHub) and assessing business risk tolerance before production deployment.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Adequate |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Moderate |
| DEV.co fit | Good |
| Assessment confidence | High |
Authorization and validation are code-driven, placing responsibility on developers to implement correctly. No security audit, vulnerability disclosure policy, or penetration test results documented. Recommend code review of authorization logic and standard Laravel security practices (CSRF tokens, input validation, SQL injection prevention via ORM). Admin panel exposure requires standard web security controls (HTTPS, rate limiting, strong authentication).
Alternatives to consider
Nova (Laravel Nova)
Laravel's official admin package; tighter framework integration and broader ecosystem, but proprietary license (commercial) and different architectural approach.
Filament
Popular Laravel admin panel builder; more modern, livewire-based, strong community. Offers both free and paid tiers; similar use cases but different UI paradigm.
Wagtail (Django) or Strapi (Node.js)
Language-agnostic CMS frameworks for non-Laravel projects. Broader ecosystem but require different tech stack.
Build on sharp with DEV.co software developers
Review Sharp's documentation, test the live demo, and assess alignment with your team's Laravel expertise and security requirements. Engage Devco for integration support and production deployment planning.
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sharp FAQ
Can I use Sharp with an existing Laravel project?
Do I need to write frontend code?
Is Sharp suitable for production?
What happens if I need a custom UI that Sharp does not support?
Work with a software development agency
DEV.co helps companies turn open-source tools like sharp into production software. Our software development services cover the full lifecycle — architecture, web development, integration, and maintenance — delivered by software developers and web developers who ship. Engage our software development agency to implement or customize it for your open-source cms stack.
Ready to evaluate Sharp for your Laravel project?
Review Sharp's documentation, test the live demo, and assess alignment with your team's Laravel expertise and security requirements. Engage Devco for integration support and production deployment planning.