The ideal Laravel version relies on the particular needs of your project as well as your preferences, thus there is no clear winner. However, as it will include the most recent features, enhancements, and bug fixes, it is generally advised to utilize the most recent stable version of Laravel.
Laravel 8.x is the most recent stable version as far as we are aware, and it includes a number of new features including enhanced route caching, auto namespace model recognition, route caching, route caching with closure-based routes, and many others.
It’s also crucial to keep in mind that earlier Laravel versions might not receive support or security patches, thus updating your application is necessary to keep it safe.
Before choosing a version of Laravel for your project, it is always preferable to discuss your options with the developer or development team and weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each version.