It takes a lot of time and effort to build an app or a website from the ground up. Many times, you’ll have to recreate functions that have been done hundreds of times before, which is about as efficient as reinventing the wheel. Software frameworks can help you avoid this difficulty by laying a basis on which you can build.
We’ll introduce you to eight of the best PHP frameworks in this article to help you select the ideal one for your development task. We’ll go over the advantages and disadvantages of each framework, as well as its technical specs. Let’s get started!
Web Development Frameworks: 8 of the Best PHP Frameworks
If you’ve ever worked with frameworks before, you’ll know that each one is different. With that in mind, we’ll do everything we can to offer you all of the information you’ll need to choose the finest PHP framework for your needs. You can try out whichever of these solutions piques your attention because they’re all free and open source.
The finest PHP frameworks are listed below in order of popularity, technical requirements, and ability to speed up development:
- Laravel
Laravel is a PHP framework. When it comes to PHP frameworks, one of the most common names that come up is Laravel. This framework is noted for its elegant syntax, which is easy to learn and fun to use. You can get started on your projects quickly with Lavarel. You’ll also be able to avoid a lot of the preliminary work because you’ll have access to user authentication, session management, and caching. Overall, Laravel has all of the features you’ll need to create a modern PHP application, which is rather impressive.
Laravel also works well with third-party frameworks and platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), allowing you to create extremely scalable apps. You may queue long-running processes to execute asynchronously in the background, which helps to boost speed even further.
Characteristics:
- Use a framework that takes pride in its clean syntax.
- Using add-ons, you can extend Laravel’s basic capabilities.
- Routing, user management, caching, and many more tasks can be handled with built-in methods.
- Laravel may be integrated with third-party frameworks and platforms like AWS.
- To boost performance, run processes asynchronously in the background.
- Finally, Laravel has a large and active community, so getting help or tutorials is never a problem. Laravel is an even better choice if this is your first time using a framework.
- CodeIgniter
Codelgniter is a programming language that is used to create code. Model View Controller (MVC) architecture is used by CodeIgniter, a PHP framework. To put it another way, CodeIgniter employs distinct components to accomplish different development activities. Developers enjoy this strategy because it allows them to create highly scalable web apps with a lower footprint.
If you’re new to PHP frameworks, CodeIgniter is a great place to start because it’s really simple to understand and use. Furthermore, the platform has good documentation, so you should have no trouble learning the basics. CodeIgniter also has good performance, thus it’s ideal for creating lightweight applications that can run on low-powered servers.
Characteristics:
Use a lightweight framework that prioritizes performance.
- Due to the framework’s simplicity and comprehensive documentation, you can get started quickly.
- Using the framework’s MVC-based architecture, you can build scalable apps.
- There are numerous advantages to using CodeIgniter. However, we are hesitant to label it the best PHP framework because it has some drawbacks. For example, because its releases are sporadic, it may not be the best choice for applications that require high-level security.
- Symfony
Symfony is a type of music composed by Symfony. Symfony would be right up there with CodeIgniter and Laravel in terms of popularity if there was a competition for the best PHP framework. It’s easy to see why once you start digging into the structure.
Symfony is a highly versatile framework that comes with a catchy name.It includes a bundle and component system that allows you to pick and choose the PHP functions you need or use the entire framework. The framework also contains built-in testing functionality to ensure that your apps execute smoothly. However, we’ve found that Symfony-based applications aren’t always the most performant. Furthermore, the framework has an unusually steep learning curve when compared to the other alternatives we’ve seen thus far.
Characteristics:
- Make use of a framework that allows you to configure individual components.
- Make use of the framework’s built-in testing capabilities.
- Use the platform’s great documentation to learn how to use it.
- If modularity is important to you, Symfony is a good choice. Instead of using a comprehensive library, you may just use the components you need, making this the finest PHP framework if you only need a little help.
- Project Laminas
Laminas Projects, formerly Zend, is commonly referred to as a “glue” framework, which refers to its component-based architecture. Laminas Projects is an MVC-based object-oriented framework that lets you load particular libraries for the components you need.
To put it another way, Laminas Projects allows you to concentrate solely on the components and functions you require while ignoring everything else. It’s also simple to combine the platform with third-party libraries to expand its capabilities even further.
Characteristics:
- Use an MVC architecture and a PHP object-oriented framework.
- Because of the platform’s design, you can reuse your code.
- Laminas Projects can simply be integrated with external libraries.
- Ignore everything else and only use the components you desire.
- There are, however, a few drawbacks to using Laminas Projects.
For example, learning how to use the platform is quite difficult. Moving from a tool like Laravel to Laminas Projects, in our experience, maybe a difficult transition, and it might be frightening if it’s your first framework. Still, if you have programming experience and like object-oriented coding, Laminas Projects may be the finest PHP framework for you.
- Phalcon
When it comes to PHP frameworks, Phalcon is a bit of an outlier. Its source code is written in C, making it essentially a PHP extension written in C. This may sound strange, but it really results in one of the fastest frameworks we’ve ever used.
When it comes to performance, Phalcon lives up to its name, constantly delivering near-top-of-the-line outcomes. Phalcon is likewise resource-light and employs an MVC design. It’s also remarkable in that once installed, the framework has almost no files. Instead, you just add the modules and libraries you require as needed, resulting in a far less crowded development process.
Characteristics:
- Make use of a C-based PHP framework.
- Benefit from Phalcon’s excellent performance and little resource overhead.
- Only use the modules and libraries that you require.
Phalcon must be sounding quite amazing so far. We enjoy this framework a lot, however, it’s worth mentioning that because it’s a lesser-known framework, its documentation isn’t quite as good as Laravel’s. Bug assistance can often be difficult to come by. Phalcon, on the other hand, comes close to being the greatest PHP framework available, especially if efficiency is a priority.
- CakePHP
CakePHP is a PHP framework. It was the first PHP MVC framework to hit the market in the early 2000s. It was revolutionary at the time, and it remains one of the best PHP frameworks available today.
Over time, newer versions of CakePHP have improved performance and included a slew of new features. CakePHP, on the other hand, really shines when it comes to code conventions. This implies that once you’ve mastered CakePHP’s conventions, you’ll be able to focus on development and get more work done faster.
CakePHP also comes with a great set of libraries that include a lot of useful components (as every PHP framework should). During our testing, we discovered that CakePHP has one of the most comprehensive sets of components available, making it an excellent choice if you need to integrate difficult-to-find functionalities.
Characteristics:
- Make use of a diverse range of components.
- To code projects faster, use CakePHP’s conventions.
- CakePHP, on the other hand, might be constrained due to its fondness for conventions. CakePHP might not be the ideal solution for you if you like to code by the seat of your pants and be as creative as possible. Nonetheless, it’s a popular choice among developers.
- Yii,
Yii is a worthy competitor in our collection of the finest PHP frameworks, and it’s another great entry. We can tell you right away that Yii excels since it’s so simple to set up. Furthermore, the framework is on par with Phalcon in terms of performance, which is a major selling factor.
Yii, like the other PHP frameworks we’ve examined so far, comes with a powerful set of components for speeding up web application development. It distinguishes out, however, because of its extensive collection of security features, which may be used to develop extremely secure projects.
Characteristics:
- Excellent performance and speed
- Use the default settings or tweak them to fit your own requirements.
- Develop safe websites and applications
- When it comes to drawbacks, Yii can be difficult to learn if it’s your first framework. It’s a strong contender for the best PHP framework, although there are more beginner-friendly options available if you’re new to the language.
- FuelPHP is number eight on the list.
FuelPHP is a PHP framework that was initially released in 2014. The designers claim to have taken the best techniques from existing great frameworks and combined them to create something fresh and intriguing. The characteristics section describes some of the most unique aspects.
Characteristics:
- HMVC is fully supported.
- A security that is hardened right out of the box
- A command-line utility unlike any other.
PHP versions 5.4 and higher are supported by the framework. It also comes with extensive documentation to assist you to get started producing as soon as possible.
