How to Build an App Like Byju’s — A Full-Stack Developer’s Guide

When I first set out to build an App Like Byju’s learning platform from scratch, my goal was simple: replicate the best parts of Byju’s user experience while tailoring it for founders and agencies who wanted their own white-label, scalable solution.

Byju’s has changed the way people think about online education — combining interactive video lessons, adaptive learning paths, and gamified progress tracking. In today’s market, where edtech is one of the fastest-growing sectors globally, having a custom-built learning app can help startups carve out a niche, scale fast, and own their user base.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how I approached building a Byju’s clone, from tech stack decisions to deployment — covering both JavaScript (Node.js + React) and PHP (Laravel/CodeIgniter) development paths.

Tech Stack – Choosing the Right Foundation

When I started architecting the Byju’s clone, the first big decision was the tech stack. Since we wanted to offer flexibility for both JavaScript-first teams and PHP-focused agencies, I designed the app in a way that it could be developed end-to-end in Node.js + React or Laravel/CodeIgniter + Blade. This dual-stack approach ensures that founders aren’t locked into one ecosystem and can choose based on their in-house skills, hiring preferences, or scalability requirements.

JavaScript Stack (Node.js + React) – Perfect for teams who want a unified language across frontend and backend. With Node.js on the backend, you get non-blocking, event-driven architecture that scales well for real-time interactions like live quizzes or instant score updates. React on the frontend gives you component-based UI, virtual DOM performance, and easy integration with mobile frameworks like React Native for a consistent multi-platform experience. The backend uses Express.js for API routing, JWT for authentication, and Sequelize or Prisma for ORM to keep database interactions clean.

PHP Stack (Laravel or CodeIgniter) – PHP is still a dominant choice for many agencies and small-to-mid-size edtech startups because of its rapid development capabilities and extensive hosting options. Laravel gives you a modern MVC structure, Eloquent ORM, and built-in features like queues, broadcasting, and Blade templating. CodeIgniter is more lightweight and is ideal if you want something fast to deploy with less server overhead. In PHP, authentication can leverage Laravel Passport or Sanctum, while database interactions are straightforward and well-documented.

Why Two Stacks? The truth is, there’s no single “best” stack. If your team is comfortable with JavaScript and wants high-speed iteration plus future-proofing for mobile, go Node + React. If your team prefers PHP, needs quick deployment, or works with low-cost hosting environments, Laravel or CI will serve you well. For my build, I prototyped both — Node.js handled high concurrency well for live class streaming, while Laravel proved faster to roll out a robust admin panel.

Read More : Byjus App Features Every EdTech Needs

Database Design – Structuring for Flexibility and Scale

One of the most critical aspects of building a Byju’s clone is the database design. The app isn’t just storing user credentials and course lists — it’s managing video content, interactive quizzes, adaptive learning paths, payments, and analytics. I designed the database so it could easily adapt to future modules without painful migrations, and so it could work seamlessly whether you’re using JavaScript (Node.js) with PostgreSQL/MySQL or PHP (Laravel/CodeIgniter) with MySQL.
Core Tables – At the heart of the schema are users, courses, lessons, quizzes, payments, and progress_tracking. For example, the users table holds standard auth fields plus role-based permissions for students, teachers, and admins. The courses table contains metadata like title, category, difficulty level, and pricing. The lessons table links directly to courses and stores media file references. Quizzes are mapped to lessons or modules, and progress_tracking keeps a record of user-specific learning milestones.
Example Schema (simplified):

users: id | name | email | password_hash | role | created_at | updated_at  
courses: id | title | category | difficulty | price | created_at | updated_at  
lessons: id | course_id | title | video_url | description | created_at | updated_at  
quizzes: id | lesson_id | question | options (JSON) | correct_answer | created_at | updated_at  
progress_tracking: id | user_id | course_id | lesson_id | progress_percent | last_accessed  
payments: id | user_id | amount | currency | status | transaction_id | created_at

Node.js Implementation – In the JS stack, I used Sequelize ORM to define models and relationships. The advantage here is schema migrations can be version-controlled and easily rolled back. The JSON data type is especially handy for quiz options or adaptive learning rules, letting us store variable structures without schema changes.
PHP Implementation – In Laravel, Eloquent ORM handles relationships elegantly. Migrations make it straightforward to evolve the database schema, and Laravel’s casting feature makes working with JSON fields smooth. In CodeIgniter, migrations are more manual but lightweight, which is useful for smaller teams.
Scalability Considerations – I designed with indexing in mind, especially on course_id, lesson_id, and user_id for fast joins. For large-scale deployments, I recommend separating analytics into a separate database or using a data warehouse to avoid slowing down transactional queries. Storing media in cloud storage like AWS S3 or DigitalOcean Spaces with signed URLs keeps the DB lean and fast.

Read More : Udemy vs Byju’s: Best EdTech Business Model for Startups 

Key Modules & Features – Building the Core Functionality of App Like Byju’s

When building a Byju’s clone, I focused on replicating the essential modules that make the platform engaging, easy to navigate, and effective for both students and admins. Whether you go with the JavaScript or PHP stack, these modules form the backbone of your app.

1. Course & Lesson Management – This is the heart of the app. In the Node.js stack, I built a RESTful API with Express to handle CRUD operations for courses and lessons, while React consumed these endpoints to display content dynamically. In Laravel, I leveraged resource controllers to manage course creation, updates, and deletions from the admin panel. Courses are categorized and tagged for easy discovery, with lessons containing embedded videos, notes, and quizzes.

2. Search & Filtering – Byju’s shines with its ability to help students find relevant lessons fast. In the JS stack, I implemented Elasticsearch for full-text search and faceted filtering, which allowed fast and relevant results even with large datasets. In PHP, Laravel Scout with a driver like MeiliSearch offered similar capabilities, integrated directly with Eloquent models. Filters included category, difficulty level, price (if applicable), and language.

3. Booking & Live Class Scheduling – For live tutoring or webinar-style sessions, I integrated a booking system. In Node.js, I used Socket.io for real-time communication and Google Calendar API integration for scheduling. In PHP, Laravel’s task scheduling combined with Zoom API integration allowed booking confirmations and reminders to be automated. Students can book slots, join virtual classrooms, and get notified about upcoming sessions.

4. Gamified Progress Tracking – Students stay motivated when they can see their growth. Both stacks used a progress_tracking table, updated after each lesson or quiz completion. In React, I displayed progress bars and badges; in Blade templates, I rendered visual charts using Chart.js. Adaptive learning rules adjusted lesson recommendations based on these metrics.

5. Admin Panel – The admin dashboard lets managers upload new courses, track student activity, and manage payments. In Node.js, I used React Admin for a fast, API-driven backend UI. In Laravel, Nova or Voyager provided a powerful admin experience out of the box. Role-based permissions ensured that teachers and admins had different levels of access.

6. Payment Integration – For monetized courses, I integrated Stripe and Razorpay in both stacks. In Node.js, I handled payments with the official SDKs and webhooks to confirm transactions. In Laravel, Cashier made payment handling smooth. All transactions linked to the payments table for reporting and refunds if necessary.

7. Notifications – I built email and push notification systems to keep students engaged. In Node.js, I used Nodemailer for email and Firebase Cloud Messaging for push. In Laravel, I leveraged the built-in notification system with multiple channels. Notifications triggered for new course releases, upcoming classes, or quiz results.

Data Handling – APIs, Manual Entry & Hybrid Content Strategy

When you’re building a Byju’s clone, you need a robust data handling strategy because educational content can come from multiple sources — pre-recorded videos, live class schedules, third-party APIs, or manual admin uploads. In my full-stack build, I designed it so the system could handle both API-driven content ingestion and manual entry without compromising performance or flexibility.

Third-Party API Integration – While Byju’s itself mostly uses its own proprietary content, many edtech startups want to pull in resources from external APIs — think public course libraries, interactive quiz APIs, or even video hosting platforms. In the Node.js stack, I built middleware to consume APIs, normalize their response, and store them in the database with timestamps. This meant that if an API went down, the cached version was still served. In Laravel, I created dedicated Artisan commands to periodically fetch and update content from external APIs, storing the results locally for offline resilience. Both stacks used cron jobs (or Laravel Scheduler) to refresh data at set intervals.

Manual Content Entry via Admin Panel – Founders and content managers often need to upload new lessons, videos, or quizzes directly. In React (Node.js stack), I built a rich text editor and file uploader integrated with AWS S3 for media storage. These uploads automatically created lesson entries in the database. In Laravel, I implemented Blade form components with drag-and-drop media uploads and WYSIWYG editors (like Trix or CKEditor). File uploads triggered Laravel Jobs to process and store files in cloud storage, linking them to the correct lesson or course.

Hybrid Approach – The real magic happens when you combine API and manual content strategies. For example, you might auto-import quiz questions from an API but allow teachers to edit or supplement them in the admin panel. In Node.js, I set up an endpoint that first checks local database entries before calling external APIs. In PHP, I implemented a repository pattern to decide whether to fetch from local DB, cache, or API based on availability and freshness.

Caching for Performance – To keep the app snappy, I cached frequently accessed course data in Redis. In the Node.js stack, I wrapped Redis calls in a service layer, ensuring I could easily invalidate caches when content was updated. In Laravel, I used the built-in Cache facade with Redis as the driver, tagging caches by course or category so they could be selectively flushed. This approach was critical when handling large-scale traffic spikes during exam season or live event launches.

Real-World Consideration – A mistake I’ve seen founders make is relying too heavily on live API calls. If the API provider changes their format or rate limits you, your platform suffers. That’s why in both stacks, I built a sync-then-serve model: pull data on a schedule, store locally, serve from the database, and update as needed. This gave me full control over content delivery while still benefiting from external data sources.

API Integration – Connecting the Brains of the System

A Byju’s-like platform lives and breathes APIs. They power everything from delivering course content to tracking progress, enabling payments, and connecting to third-party services. When I built the Byju’s clone, I knew that the API layer had to be fast, secure, and consistent across both JavaScript (Node.js) and PHP (Laravel/CodeIgniter) stacks so that the frontend — whether React, Blade, or mobile — could consume it seamlessly.
RESTful Architecture – I kept the API design RESTful in both stacks for predictability and ease of integration. Endpoints followed a clean pattern like /api/courses, /api/lessons, /api/quizzes, /api/users/:id/progress. This structure allowed both web and mobile clients to consume the same backend without special adjustments.
Example: Fetching Courses
Node.js (Express.js):

// GET /api/courses
router.get('/courses', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const courses = await Course.findAll({ include: ['lessons'] });
    res.json(courses);
  } catch (err) {
    res.status(500).json({ error: 'Failed to fetch courses' });
  }
});

Laravel (PHP):

// GET /api/courses
Route::get('/courses', function () {
    return App\Models\Course::with('lessons')->get();
});

Both examples show how the stack choice changes syntax but keeps logic simple: fetch data, include related entities, return JSON.
Authentication & Security – Every protected endpoint uses token-based authentication. In Node.js, I implemented JWT (JSON Web Tokens) with middleware that verifies tokens on each request. In Laravel, I used Sanctum for SPA and API token management. Role-based authorization ensured that only admins could access endpoints like POST /api/courses or DELETE /api/lessons/:id.
Third-Party API Connectors – For video conferencing, payments, or content imports, I created dedicated service layers. In Node.js, these were modular files under /services that wrapped API calls (e.g., Zoom API for live classes, Stripe API for payments). In Laravel, I used Service Providers and dependency injection to keep external API logic isolated from controllers. This made it easier to swap providers later if business needs changed.
Error Handling & Rate Limiting – In Node.js, I used a global error handler that caught all exceptions and formatted JSON error responses consistently. In Laravel, I relied on the Handler class for centralized error formatting. Both stacks included rate-limiting middleware (express-rate-limit in Node.js and Laravel’s built-in throttle middleware) to prevent abuse and keep APIs stable.
Real-Time API Events – Live classes, instant quiz feedback, and real-time notifications needed WebSocket support. In Node.js, I used Socket.io for bidirectional communication. In Laravel, Laravel Echo with Pusher or Socket.io handled this smoothly. This meant a student could submit a quiz answer and instantly see their score without refreshing.
Versioning for Stability – APIs evolve, so I implemented versioning like /api/v1/courses to avoid breaking existing clients when introducing changes. Both Node.js and Laravel support versioned routing easily, so future upgrades won’t disrupt active users.

Frontend + UI Structure – Delivering a Smooth Learning Experience

The frontend of a Byju’s-like platform is where all the backend magic meets the user. This is where design, performance, and usability come together to keep students engaged and learning without friction. When I built the Byju’s clone, I focused on consistency, mobile-first responsiveness, and reusability so the same system could serve web users and integrate seamlessly with a mobile app later. I designed this for both JavaScript (React) and PHP (Blade in Laravel/CodeIgniter) stacks while keeping the core UI principles intact.

Core Layout Philosophy – I followed a modular, component-driven approach. Every major UI piece — course cards, lesson lists, quiz forms, progress bars — was its own self-contained component or partial view. This made the frontend easy to maintain, update, and scale. For example, updating the course card design in one place reflected across the entire app instantly.

React (Node.js Stack) – In the JavaScript build, I used React with React Router for navigation and Redux (or Zustand for lighter builds) for state management. The layout was broken into reusable components like <Header>, <Sidebar>, <CourseCard>, and <ProgressTracker>. Material UI and Tailwind CSS were my go-to styling systems for rapid prototyping and consistent design. React’s declarative nature made it perfect for dynamic, data-driven interfaces — for instance, updating the progress tracker live when a student completes a lesson without a full page reload.

Blade (Laravel/CodeIgniter Stack) – For the PHP build, I used Blade templates in Laravel and CodeIgniter’s view system for CI. Components were split into Blade partials like partials/header.blade.php and partials/course-card.blade.php. Bootstrap was my base for responsive layouts, and Alpine.js added light interactivity without a full SPA setup. Blade’s conditional rendering made it easy to show different layouts for guests, students, and admins without complex logic on the frontend.

Mobile Responsiveness – A huge chunk of Byju’s audience uses mobile devices, so I designed the UI mobile-first. This meant stacking layouts vertically, prioritizing tap-friendly UI elements, and optimizing media queries for different breakpoints. In React, I used Tailwind’s responsive utility classes; in Blade, Bootstrap’s grid and utility classes handled this elegantly. For image-heavy pages like course listings, I lazy-loaded thumbnails to reduce initial load time.
Performance Considerations – I kept load times under 3 seconds by minimizing render-blocking scripts, using code splitting in React, and caching static assets via a CDN. In Laravel, I precompiled Blade views, used Laravel Mix for asset bundling, and leveraged browser caching rules. On both stacks, I preloaded critical fonts and CSS to render above-the-fold content instantly.

Accessibility & UX Enhancements – I ensured the platform was accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This included semantic HTML, ARIA attributes for screen readers, and keyboard navigation. In both stacks, forms included inline validation messages to guide users without page reloads.

Authentication & Payments – Securing Access and Powering Monetization

In a Byju’s-like platform, authentication and payments are the twin pillars that protect your content and generate revenue. Without solid authentication, premium lessons could be accessed for free. Without smooth payment processing, potential revenue is lost. When I built the Byju’s clone, I treated these as mission-critical features, giving equal weight to security, user experience, and scalability across both JavaScript (Node.js) and PHP (Laravel/CodeIgniter) stacks.
Authentication Flow – I implemented role-based authentication to differentiate between students, teachers, and admins. In Node.js, I used JWT (JSON Web Tokens) with bcrypt for password hashing. The flow starts with /auth/register and /auth/login endpoints, generating a signed JWT for the client. Middleware checks this token on every protected route, ensuring only authorized roles can perform certain actions. In Laravel, I used Sanctum for SPA/API token management and Laravel Breeze for starter scaffolding. This gave me a simple yet secure login/logout system, with middleware handling role verification.
Password Security – Passwords are never stored in plain text. In Node.js, I hashed them with bcrypt and salted for extra security. In Laravel, I relied on the Hash facade which uses bcrypt under the hood. Additionally, I enforced strong password policies and implemented account lockout after multiple failed login attempts.
Social Login Integration – Many edtech users prefer quick onboarding. In Node.js, I integrated Google and Facebook OAuth via passport.js. In Laravel, Laravel Socialite made social logins effortless. This boosted signup rates significantly and reduced the friction of account creation.
Payments Integration – For monetizing courses, I integrated both Stripe and Razorpay to handle global and India-focused payments. In Node.js, I used Stripe’s Node SDK for card payments and Razorpay’s Node SDK for UPI and wallet options. Payment confirmation webhooks ensured that access to premium courses was granted instantly after successful payment. In Laravel, I used Cashier for Stripe and a dedicated Razorpay package for Indian payments, wiring both into the purchase flow.
Purchase Flow Example – When a student selects a paid course, the backend generates a payment intent/order. Once payment is confirmed via webhook, the backend updates the payments table and grants access in the user_courses pivot table. This works identically in both stacks — only the implementation syntax differs.
Refunds & Disputes – I also implemented a backend refund request system. In Node.js, I used the Stripe and Razorpay API methods to initiate refunds, updating the payment record status accordingly. In Laravel, I did the same but wrapped it in service classes for easier maintenance. This transparency built trust with users.
Security Enhancements – All payment pages are served over HTTPS. I added CSRF protection for Laravel forms and anti-CSRF tokens for Node.js API forms. Webhooks were validated with signature checks to ensure they came from trusted payment gateways.

Testing & Deployment – Ensuring Stability Before Launch

Building a Byju’s-like platform isn’t just about coding features — it’s about making sure they work flawlessly in production. A broken payment gateway, a slow-loading course list, or a buggy quiz engine can kill user trust. That’s why I put testing and deployment pipelines at the heart of my Byju’s clone development, covering both JavaScript (Node.js) and PHP (Laravel/CodeIgniter) stacks from start to finish.
Testing Strategy – I followed a layered testing approach:

• Unit Tests – In Node.js, I used Jest and Supertest for API endpoint testing, mocking database calls where needed. In Laravel, I used PHPUnit with Laravel’s built-in testing helpers to test controllers, models, and routes. This ensured each function worked as expected in isolation.
• Integration Tests – These tested how components worked together. In Node.js, I tested API endpoints with the actual database (using a test DB) to verify course creation, authentication, and payment flows. In Laravel, I used DatabaseMigrations to reset the test database between runs, ensuring a clean slate for each test.
• End-to-End (E2E) Tests – For simulating real user actions, I used Cypress in both stacks. This let me automate signups, course purchases, quiz attempts, and progress tracking scenarios exactly as a student would experience them.
  Continuous Integration (CI) – I set up GitHub Actions to run tests automatically on every pull request. In the Node.js stack, CI ran linting with ESLint, tested APIs, and built the frontend. In Laravel, CI ran PHPStan for static analysis, PHPUnit tests, and compiled assets via Laravel Mix. This meant broken code never made it into production unnoticed.
  Deployment Pipeline –
• JavaScript Stack – For Node.js, I containerized the app with Docker, used PM2 for process management, and deployed on AWS EC2 or DigitalOcean Droplets. Static assets were served via NGINX as a reverse proxy to improve performance. Environment variables were managed with dotenv in development and AWS Secrets Manager in production.
• PHP Stack – For Laravel or CodeIgniter, I deployed on Apache or Nginx servers. I used Envoyer or GitHub Actions for zero-downtime deployments. Composer dependencies and database migrations were run automatically during deployment. Cache clearing (php artisan cache:clear) and configuration caching (php artisan config:cache) ensured optimal performance after each deploy.
  Database Migrations in Deployment – In both stacks, database migrations were a crucial step. In Node.js, I ran sequelize-cli db:migrate as part of the deployment pipeline. In Laravel, migrations ran via php artisan migrate --force in production. This ensured new features rolled out without manual DB changes.
  Monitoring & Logging – Post-deployment, I monitored performance and errors using PM2 logs and Winston logger in Node.js, and Laravel Telescope plus server logs in PHP. Application uptime was monitored with tools like UptimeRobot and Datadog.

Pro Tips – Real-World Lessons for Speed, Scale & Engagement

After building a full-stack Byju’s clone, I learned that the difference between a functional app and a successful app often comes down to a few smart, real-world optimizations. These are the lessons that helped me create a platform that was not just production-ready, but battle-tested for scale — regardless of whether it was running on the JavaScript (Node.js) or PHP (Laravel/CodeIgniter) stack.
1. Cache Aggressively but Invalidate Smartly – Fetching course lists or quiz results directly from the database for every request is a recipe for slow load times at scale. In Node.js, I used Redis with a tagging strategy so I could invalidate caches for only the courses that changed. In Laravel, I leveraged Cache Tags with Redis as the driver, so updates to a single course wouldn’t require clearing all cached data. This cut API response times by up to 80%.
2. Optimize Media Delivery – Video and image-heavy platforms can become painfully slow if media delivery isn’t optimized. I stored all videos and large files in AWS S3 (or DigitalOcean Spaces) and served them via CloudFront CDN for global reach. In Node.js, signed URLs were generated server-side; in Laravel, I used Storage::temporaryUrl(). For images, I used responsive image sizes and lazy loading in React or Blade to keep initial page loads fast.
3. Prioritize Mobile Experience – Since most edtech users consume content on mobile, I tested every feature on both low-end and high-end devices. In React, I implemented mobile-first layouts with Tailwind CSS breakpoints. In Blade, I structured layouts using Bootstrap’s grid system to ensure touch-friendly buttons and collapsible navigation menus. I also optimized quiz UI for one-handed mobile use — a small but impactful change for engagement.
4. Keep APIs Lightweight – The temptation is to send all related data in a single API call, but that can bloat payloads. In Node.js, I implemented selective population in Sequelize queries so only the necessary fields were returned. In Laravel, I used Eloquent API Resources to control output shape. This made the frontend snappier and reduced bandwidth usage.
5. Prepare for Traffic Spikes – Exam seasons or live event launches can trigger huge traffic surges. In Node.js, I scaled horizontally using PM2 cluster mode and AWS load balancers. In Laravel, I used Horizon for queue management and Redis-backed session storage for faster authentication handling. Cloud auto-scaling policies ensured the app stayed responsive during sudden user spikes.
6. Implement Background Jobs for Heavy Tasks – Video processing, bulk course imports, or report generation shouldn’t block the main request cycle. In Node.js, I offloaded these to a Bull queue running in a separate worker process. In Laravel, I dispatched jobs to the queue with Redis as the backend, letting them run asynchronously. This kept the main app fast for users while still processing large tasks in the background.
7. Monitor User Engagement Metrics – The best way to improve retention is to track how users interact with the platform. In both stacks, I built analytics hooks that logged quiz completion rates, average video watch times, and drop-off points. These insights guided content improvements and personalized recommendations.
With these optimizations in place, the platform not only functioned well but thrived under real-world conditions.

Final Thoughts – Custom vs Ready-Made & Why I Recommend Miracuves

After building a Byju’s-like app from scratch in both JavaScript (Node.js + React) and PHP (Laravel/CodeIgniter) stacks, one thing became very clear: both approaches can deliver a world-class learning platform, but the right choice depends heavily on time, budget, and team expertise.
If you’re a founder with a strong in-house dev team and time to spare, going fully custom lets you fine-tune every aspect — from the database schema to the UI animations. The Node.js stack gives you a unified JavaScript environment that’s ideal for real-time features like live quizzes and adaptive learning dashboards. The Laravel/CodeIgniter stack offers rapid development speed, mature tools, and cost-effective hosting options, which can be a huge win for smaller teams or agencies.
But here’s the reality: building a full Byju’s clone from scratch is resource-heavy. You’ll need months of development, testing, and deployment work before you can launch. For many startups and agencies, the smarter move is to start with a ready-made, customizable clone that’s built with best practices baked in — and then tweak it to fit your brand and features.
That’s exactly where Miracuves comes in. We’ve already done the heavy lifting, building a Byju’s clone that supports both JavaScript and PHP backends, integrates with popular payment gateways, offers mobile-first responsive design, and comes with all the core modules: course management, live classes, quizzes, gamified progress tracking, and admin controls. You can launch quickly, start generating revenue, and then customize at your own pace.
When to Go Custom:

• You have unique features that aren’t possible with prebuilt solutions.
• You want absolute control over every layer of the stack.
• You have funding and a dedicated technical team for ongoing development.
  When to Go Ready-Made with Customization:
• You want to validate your idea in the market fast.
• You need to launch within weeks, not months.
• You want proven architecture with room to grow.
  If you’re serious about launching your own Byju’s-like platform without the headaches of starting from zero, I recommend checking out our solution here: Byju’s Clone.

FAQs – Founder-Focused Questions & Answers

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