Hypertext Preprocessor or PHP is an open-source and popular general scripting language that empowers developers to create dynamic and user-intuitive websites, web applications, tracking sessions, and more. It is a backend framework embedded with HTML, enabling developers to integrate server-side code with client-side content seamlessly.
Among the most trending and popular programming languages used for web development is PHP. According to recent statistics, PHP is powering about 75.5% of websites’ server-side frameworks due to its flexibility, ability to scale, and large developer community. Hence, businesses of all sizes and types are looking to hire a leading PHP web development company to manage complex projects efficiently and save valuable time and money.
Here, in this article, we have briefly overviewed the ten most popular PHP web development frameworks to cater to diverse project requirements and discussed why they are unique.
PHP Laravel
Ask any PHP developer; most of them will advocate and vote for the Laravel framework, which is powering around 1.5 million websites globally. It has an exceptionally long list of features, elegant syntax, and a really solid ecosystem. For example, the most common development tasks, such as routing, caching, and authentication, are already implemented as separate tools in the framework. For their part, the PHP web development company also uses the massive Eloquent library to make database management simpler and faster.
Apart from this, the Laravel command-line tool, Artisan, allows developers to automatize repetitive tasks, saving their time and reducing errors. Laravel Forge and Envoyer also make application deployment easy for developers. The community of Laravel is also lively so one always gets updates periodically to support the developer.
Symfony
Symphony is another distinguished PHP web development framework known for its better attributes and flexibility, ideal for building complex applications. The modular component system enables developers to use only such bits as they need, making Symfony highly customizable. The framework comes with the best-in-class components that support top CMS platforms like WordPress and Drupal.
One of Symfony's standout features is its compatibility with other platforms and frameworks, which makes it an ideal choice for enterprise-level applications. Symfony also provides excellent documentation and a supportive community, making it a reliable choice for long-term projects.
CodeIgniter
Indeed, it is a light and straightforward framework, which makes it ideal for the new beginner and a developer looking for a simple solution. CodeIgniter is ideal for creating fast, lightweight applications with small footprints and fewer configurations. Altogether, it enables the PHP web development company to choose its preferred coding style and libraries.
The framework makes MVC (Model-View-Controller) structured for good coding practices and performance. Moreover, helpful debugging tools are also involved in CodeIgniter which helps a coder identify and fix problems quickly when they arise.
Zend Framework
The Zend Framework, now called the Laminas Project has transformed its model to become an open-source initiative, and is suitable for enterprise application development. It offers a collection of professional packages of PHP so that it makes use of the object-oriented programming principles of PHP to make it the framework.
A high degree of security, with robust cryptographic tools, makes it suitable for banking and e-commerce applications. However, Zend is difficult to learn since it pushes high performance; experienced developers are attracted to working on major projects with great ease.
Yii
Yii is abbreviated to "Yes, It Is". It is an agile, high-extensibility PHP framework that provides a balanced combination of performance and feature richness. The ability to customize projects easily in the component-based architecture makes Yii beneficial. Besides that, it also supports a code generator called Gii, which will ease repetitive tasks of coding.
The twin aspects that provide strength to this framework include cross-site security and scripting and cross-site request forgery. Companies can easily create social networking sites, e-commerce platforms, or content management systems using Yii.
Phalcon
Another leading and extensively used PHP framework is Phalcon. It was written in C and distributed as a PHP extension; therefore it's known for its accelerated speed. PHP web development company requires low-level architecture with minimal usage of memory and fast execution to develop critical web apps. The most essential offerings of Phalcon include built-in tools: ORM (Object-Relational Mapping), caching, and template engines.
Though Phalcon is faster, developers need technical knowledge because Phalcon runs in a pretty different manner compared to other conventional PHP frameworks. But for projects where speed is critical, this framework is a good choice.
FuelPHP
FuelPHP is one of the complete frameworks based on PHP, with a focus on flexibility. Unlike most of the PHP frameworks which strictly adhere to the traditional MVC pattern, FuelPHP supports both HMVC-Hierarchical Model View Controller and allows modular code organization. Therefore, it is especially ideal for large applications requiring modular separation.
With built-in tools for caching, authentication, and data validation, FuelPHP saves time during the development process. Its features include input filtering and output encoding to ensure that applications maintain integrity in data.
CakePHP
One of the oldest PHP frameworks, CakePHP, is quite simple to use. Its approach of convention-over-configuration allows developers to easily get started with a minimal setup process giving it an edge. CakePHP comes with a wide range of built-in features such as form validation, authentication, and access to a database.
It has built-in CRUD scaffolding; that is, the "delete," "update," and "read" columns are automatically generated for developers to develop basic functionalities faster. This stable, mature framework is best for a project dealing with very tight deadlines.
Slim
Slim is a micro-framework for building small applications and APIs. It is not as feature-rich as full-stack frameworks, but its lightweight and smaller frame makes it ideal for creating quick APIs or a simple application.
Slim offers a simple routing, middleware, and request-handling framework providing the bare essentials without the overhead of a full-stack framework. Developers normally use Slim in concert with other libraries to build further upon its functionality allowing flexible project architectures.
Lumen
Lumen, built by the team at Laravel, is a micro-framework dedicated to building lightning-fast APIs and microservices. It is founded on the same base as Laravel; thus upgrading a Lumen application to Laravel becomes seamless and quicker when you want to add new features.
It focuses mainly on speed and simplicity. It is considered ideal for developing high-performance APIs. In addition, it supports all those of Laravel in the Eloquent ORM and caching. Developers can create such efficient applications with minimal code.
Viable Tips to Select the Best PHP Web Development Framework
Each PHP framework has its pros and cons. Thus, selecting the best framework primarily depends on the specific project requirements. For instance, if developers are engaged in creating a complex web application, they can opt for Laravel and Symphony, whereas CodeIgniter and Slim are best suited for lightweight applications.
Similarly, if the PHP web development company prioritizes high-end web performance and robust security, it can choose Yii and Phalcon. These frameworks are also ideal for building API-centric applications.
The critical factors to consider for selecting the best PHP frameworks include scalability, flexibility, agility, learning curve, and support from the developer community. It is essential to understand the core capabilities and components of each framework and evaluate whether it aligns with the project goals before making a choice.
Conclusion
A PHP framework provides developers with the capability to work even more effectively, securely, and productively. These add-ons pave the way for the streamlining of application development alongside an improvement in an application's overall performance with its robust functioning, particularly for enterprise projects, such as Laravel, Symfony, or Zend small applications and APIs by using Slim or Lumen.
Thus, selecting the most appropriate PHP framework is critical according to the complexity of your project, specific performance needs, and scalability factors.
