Laravel Pagination: paginate(), simplePaginate(), and cursorPaginate()

When building modern Laravel applications, dealing with large sets of data is common — whether you’re showing product listings, blog posts, user records, or order histories. Laravel makes it easy to split data into pages using pagination. Laravel offers three powerful pagination methods: paginate() simplePaginate() cursorPaginate() While they seem similar, each has its own use […]

When building modern Laravel applications, dealing with large sets of data is common — whether you're showing product listings, blog posts, user records, or order histories. Laravel makes it easy to split data into pages using pagination.

Laravel offers three powerful pagination methods:

• paginate()
• simplePaginate()
• cursorPaginate()

While they seem similar, each has its own use case, performance advantage, and impact on UX. Let’s break it down.

🔢 1. paginate()

✅ What it does:

• Retrieves data with count of total records.
• Shows page numbers and full pagination info.
• Performs an additional SQL query to get COUNT(*).

🧠 Use Case:

You want a traditional page-based navigation system, like:

• Admin panel showing users: "Page 1 of 50"
• Blog with numbered pagination

🧪 Example:

$users = User::paginate(15);

🔍 Output:

• Current page
• Total items
• Last page
• Next/previous page URLs

{{ $users->links() }}

📉 Downside:

• Can be performance-heavy on large datasets because of the extra COUNT query.

⚡ 2. simplePaginate()

✅ What it does:

• Retrieves data like paginate(), but doesn’t count total records.
• Only shows "Next" and "Previous" buttons.

🧠 Use Case:

When you don’t need total pages or count, but want simple navigation:

• Infinite scrolls
• Mobile-friendly pagers
• Lightweight UIs

🧪 Example:

$posts = Post::simplePaginate(10);

🔍 Output:

• No total page info
• Faster than paginate() due to no COUNT query

{{ $posts->links() }}

🚀 3. cursorPaginate()

✅ What it does:

• Uses a cursor-based approach instead of offset.
• More efficient for large data or real-time loading.
• Avoids skipping or duplication in frequently changing datasets.

🧠 Use Case:

Best for:

• Chat systems or live feeds
• Large product lists
• APIs or infinite loaders
• Data that changes quickly (less chance of missing/duplicate records)

🧪 Example:

$products = Product::orderBy('id')->cursorPaginate(20);

🔍 Output:

• No total pages or total records
• Uses nextCursor() for pagination
• Very fast for large datasets

{{ $products->links() }}

⚖️ Comparison Table

🧑‍💼 Real-World Example: E-commerce Admin Panel

Imagine you're building a product management dashboard for a large store.

• The admin wants to see all products with total counts and page numbers → Use paginate().
• On the customer-facing product listing, where you only need to show a list without caring about total records → Use simplePaginate().
• On a mobile app or infinite scroll page, where thousands of products are loaded efficiently → Use cursorPaginate().

🧠 Final Thoughts

Choosing the right pagination method can greatly impact:

• Performance
• User experience
• API response times

➡ Use paginate() when you need full pagination info.
➡ Use simplePaginate() for lightweight, fast pages without needing the total.
➡ Use cursorPaginate() for speed and accuracy on massive or frequently-updated datasets.

🔗 Bonus Tips:

• All pagination methods can be customized using:

->withQueryString()
->appends(['search' => 'shoes'])

📌 Conclusion

Laravel gives you the flexibility to handle any pagination scenario — from traditional web pages to real-time APIs. Use the method that best suits your use case and watch your app's performance and user satisfaction soar 🚀.