ORM vs. Raw Queries in Laravel

# ORM vs. Raw Queries in Laravel This article compares Laravel Eloquent and raw SQL approaches to help teams choose the right tool per use case. ## Eloquent Strengths Eloquent improves readability, maintainability, and developer velocity through expressive model relationships and built-in conventions. ## Raw Query Strengths Raw SQL offers full control and can outperform ORM for complex joins, database-specific optimizations, and heavy workloads. ## Trade-offs Eloquent can introduce abstraction overhead and N+1 pitfalls, while raw SQL can reduce portability and increase maintenance complexity. ## Recommendation Use Eloquent for day-to-day CRUD and raw SQL where query performance or advanced database behavior is critical.