title: Do I need the large Vendor directory when running a simple Laravel app?
body: <p>I'm new to Laravel. When I finally deploy my new web application to the host/live server, I realized that nearly 5,000 files were transferred to it. </p>
  
  <p>I don't transfer node_modules dependencies, so it's not those file. Because I use webpack (Laravel Mix), I don't need the node_modules dependencies on the server, and it works just fine.</p>
  
  <p>Here's the larger suspects. Do I need them on my host/live server at all? If so, why when the main part of my Laravel web application is just a few pages.</p>
  
  <pre><code>vendor/symfony = 1500 files
  vendor/laravel = 900 files
  vendor/mongodb = 500 files
  vendor/nikic (php-parser) = 500 files
  vendor/swiftmailer = 300 files
  vendor/psy = 250 files
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I realize I can call composer install once the application is deployed. But installing composer itself on a production server seems odd to me. In that case, I'd rather just transfer the files during deployment. </p>
  
  <p>Mostly, I wonder why I need these at all. Are they just the overhead that ALL Laravel web applications require?</p>