In Laravel, there are two ways to define routes

Closure-based routes and Controller-based routes

Closure-based routes

A closure-based route is defined using a closure or anonymous function that handles the request and returns a response. Closure-based routes are useful for small or simple routes that don’t require middleware, complex logic, or dependency injection.

Here is an example of a closure-based route that returns a simple response:

Route::get('/welcome', function () {
    return view('Welcome to my website!');
});

Controller-based routes

A controller-based route is defined using a controller method that handles the request and returns a response. Controller-based routes are useful for larger or more complex routes that require middleware, dependency injection, or more advanced logic.
Here is an example of a controller-based route that uses a HomeController class:

Route::get('/home', [HomeController::class, 'index']);

In general, controller-based routes are preferred over closure-based routes for larger or more complex applications because they offer better code organization, maintainability, testability, and scalability. However, closure-based routes can still be useful for small or simple routes or for quick prototyping or testing purposes.

Closure-based routes and Controller-based routes pros and cons

Closure-based routes pros

Easier and quicker to set up, as you don’t need to create a separate controller class.
Useful for simple, one-off routes that don’t require complex logic.
Closure-based routes can help you keep your code organized by keeping small, simple routes in the routes file.

Closure-based routes cons

Harder to maintain and scale, as your application grows and you add more routes.
Not reusable, as each closure-based route must be defined separately.

Controller-based routes pros

Easier to maintain and scale, as you can group related routes together in a single controller class.
More reusable, as you can define multiple routes that use the same controller action.
Provides a clear separation of concerns between routing and application logic.

Controller-based routes cons

Require the creation of a separate controller class, which can be time-consuming to set up.
May be overkill for very simple routes that only require a few lines of code.