Choose a target

PAM uses the same persistent PHP foundation across several application targets, but each target has a different maturity and deployment model.

You want to build	Start with	Current boundary
API or web service	pam init my-api --template api	Experimental Linux runtime
Laravel application	pam init my-app --template laravel	Laravel 12 and 13 executable matrix
Real-time server	Add --socket to API or Laravel	Native RFC 6455 transport
Native application, low-level UI	pam init my-app --template mobile	Android API 26–36 verified; iOS host/distribution incomplete
Android application, component library	pam init my-app --template mobile-ui	Component maturity varies
Desktop application	pam init my-app --template desktop	Linux experimental; macOS/Windows planned

Server runtime

Choose the server runtime when you need persistent HTTP, streaming, WebSockets, background I/O, or high-throughput APIs without leaving PHP and Composer.

Laravel

Choose Laravel when you want the Laravel application model and ecosystem. PAM boots the framework once, creates an isolated application sandbox for each request, and limits the host to one concurrent request per worker because Laravel and many packages keep mutable process-global state.

PAM Native

Choose PAM Native when you want real platform controls while keeping application state and composition in PHP. It is not a WebView and does not include React’s JavaScript runtime.

iOS is not a released target

A Swift/UIKit protocol peer and renderer exist in source. The complete app host, package installation flow, simulator/device matrix, accessibility pass, and measured parity are still incomplete. Do not begin an iOS product assuming released compatibility. See the iOS renderer and Contributing.

PAM Mobile UI

Choose Mobile UI when you want an accessible, themed component layer above PAM Native. Its catalog records maturity, implementation kind, examples, and verification gates for every component; “present in the API” does not automatically mean “production complete.”

PAM Desktop

Choose Desktop for controlled prototypes where PHP owns the application and Servo renders local HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The native bridge is capability-based and disabled by default. Linux packaging exists today; Windows, macOS, signing, and automatic updates remain roadmap work.