Let's just focus on the backend part, because it's also no problem to have a laravel app with a react frontend.

The key difference for me is that Laravel brings a well-documented database access layer and orm, solid authentication and a lot of nice features (such as automated paging for rest apis), where Express focuses on solely handling endpoints for you (tell me if I'm wrong, my Express knowledge is some years old and I haven't done larger projects with it).

This means that Express is very small and you can do almost everything just the way you wish (including installing some form of auth + orm on top), but you won't get the headstart and security you would get from Laravel, which gives you a solid base to build upon.

Therefore, as others have said, Laravel seems to be a good fit for monolithic web-apps and Express for microservices. Keep in mind though, that microservices really pay off only in certain scenarios (very large apps and teams, need for independent scalability...) and are also easy to fuck up.

So: If you need authentification and db access, I'd say stick to Laravel, you'll be fine.

I've used them all commercially so I'm happy to give a bit of insight. First off, be aware that the first two are full on frameworks, while Node.js is still just a language (JavaScript).

There is no clear winner in terms of Node.js frameworks, however the one I'm using most at the moment is called Sails.js, which is very much along the same lines as Laravel/RoR in terms of MVC, ORM etc. But be aware that JavaScript is an asynchronous language which means the approach to coding with it will be a little different.

PHP is really easy to get up and running, and you can get dirt cheap hosting. Laravel is very much using PHP the right way, structured well, tested and it has great documentation. However, the Laravel wave is still very new, so there is a lot of movement in that area. Heaps of new packages turning up all the time, the PHP community is moving towards better testing practices and there is tonnes of support. If you know PHP, Laravel is a fantastic framework that will make you a much better coder.

Ruby and Rails are a little more difficult to get up and running, and the language is very different from what people are used to. However, Rails is a fantastic framework. For so long I stuck with Laravel waiting for it to catch up, but Rails really is a long way ahead - so many things are just so easy in Rails, even though they're already incredibly easy in Laravel. Much better support for testing, built-in generators and a beautiful, clean Ruby syntax.

Of course, it comes down to what language you know. If you know PHP, Laravel is amazing and is way ahead of any competition. If you know Ruby, Rails is the same. If you know JavaScript, well, I'd try and hang on till a good framework comes along (don't say Meteor).

If I had to pick between Laravel and Rails I couldn't make a choice on them alone. I love them both, and even though Rails is a bit more full featured I'd pick the right tool for the right job depending on it's requirements.

Edit: Apologies for the wall of text, I realise now after this word vomit that I might have misunderstood the question but hopefully it's of use to someone!