Should you use DTOs in Laravel?

DTOs (Data Transfer Objects) aren't mentioned anywhere in the Laravel docs, but some devs use them heavily in their applications, whereas other devs never use them at all. In the latest episode of the No Compromises podcast, we weigh the pros and cons of DTOs in everyday Laravel apps, comparing them to form requests, PHPDoc-typed arrays, and service-layer boundaries, and share one area where DTOs truly shine. The takeaway: keep DTOs in the toolbox, but reach for them intentionally, not by habit. 00:00 Framing DTOs in a stricter PHP world 01:15 Our current practice: hybrids, few true DTOs 02:45 Form requests, `safe()`, and typed inputs 03:45 Reuse across API and form layers rarely aligns 04:30 Where DTOs shine: normalizing multiple APIs 05:45 Service boundaries: wrapping vendor objects (e.g., Stripe) 06:15 PHPDoc-typed arrays vs DTO overhead 06:45 Conventions, Larastan levels, and avoiding ceremony 07:45 Treat DTOs as a tool, not a rule 09:15 Silly bit Subscribe at https://show.nocompromises.io Sign up for our newsletter at https://masteringlaravel.io