or a website from scratch involves a lot of work. In many cases, you will have to recreate functions that have already been done thousands of times, which is just as efficient as reinventing the wheel. The work environment can help you solve this problem by giving you a foundation to build on.
In this article, we are going to help you find the best PHP framework for your development work, by introducing you to eight of the best options. If you need information about WordPress frameworks, you can read
We will see the advantages and disadvantages of each framework, its technical specifications and more. Let’s see!
But first, if you are looking for the perfect hosting for your PHP applications, we have what you need!
Introduction to PHP frameworks (and why to use them)
In the world of software development, the term ‘frameworks’ refers to file libraries that include various basic functions. The goal of a framework is to give you a foundation that you can use to develop projects more efficiently. To do so, it will include many of the features you would need to program yourself if you wanted to start from scratch.
Imagine that you are trying to cook a new dish, for example. You would buy many ingredients that you would need to prepare in specific ways. However, you’ll also need access to some basics, like pots, pans, knives, and a cutting board. In this example, all of those kitchen essentials would be part of a basic framework. Without them, you would have to start from scratch every time.
Frameworks work the same way, saving you from having to constantly reinvent the wheel. If you want to develop a new PHP application, a good place to start is to look for a framework that includes all the functionality you’ll need. Fortunately, there are many options to choose from. Everyone is unique in how they approach development, and they all have their pros and cons.
During the rest of this article, we will help you choose the best PHP framework for your needs by presenting you with several of the best options. We’ll talk about the functionality each offers, their technical specifications, and more.
8 of the best PHP frameworks for web development
If you have used frameworks before, you will know that each tool is quite unique. With that in mind, we’ll do our best to provide you with all the information you’ll need to choose the best PHP framework for you. All these options are free and open source, so you can try the ones that interest you.
The best PHP frameworks below are ordered by popularity, technical specifications, and ability to increase development efficiency:
1.
When people talk about PHP frameworks, one of the names that comes up most frequently is Laravel. This particular framework is known for its elegant syntax that is easy to understand and a joy to work with.
With Lavarel, you can start working on your projects quickly. You’ll also be able to skip a lot of the basics, as you’ll have access to features like user authentication, session management, and caching. Overall, Laravel packs in all the functionality you’ll need to build a modern PHP application, which is saying a lot.
If you are interested in the technical reasons why it is a good idea to use Laravel, we can easily summarize them. First of all, the core of Laravel is solid from a performance point of view, and you can extend the framework using many extensions.
Laravel also integrates seamlessly with other third-party libraries and platforms, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), allowing you to build highly scalable applications. For long-running tasks, you can have them run asynchronously in the background, which helps improve performance even more.
Main features:
- It uses a framework that prides itself on its elegant syntax.
- Extend the core functionality of Laravel using extensions.
- Use the built-in features to handle routing, user management, caching, and more.
- Integrate Laravel with third-party libraries and platforms like AWS.
- Run tasks asynchronously in the background to improve performance.
Finally, Laravel has a very active community, which means you won’t have any trouble finding help or tutorials. If this is your first time using a framework, that makes Laravel a great choice.
two.
CodeIgniter is a PHP framework that uses an architecture of . In layman’s terms, that means that CodeIgniter uses different components to handle specific development tasks. This approach is very popular with developers because it allows you to build highly scalable web applications with a smaller footprint.
If you’re new to PHP frameworks, CodeIgniter can be a great option because it’s fairly easy to learn and easy to get started with. Also, the platform has excellent documentation, which means you shouldn’t have a hard time learning the basics. CodeIgniter also offers solid performance, which means it’s ideal for building lightweight applications that run well on modest servers.
Main features:
- It uses a lightweight framework, made with performance in mind.
- Get started quickly, thanks to the simplicity of the framework and the excellent documentation.
- Build scalable applications using MVC-based architecture.
CodeIgniter has many benefits. However, we did not dare to call it the best PHP framework, because it also has its drawbacks. For example, its releases are somewhat irregular, so it may not be the best choice for applications that require high-level security standards.
3.
If there was a competition for the best PHP framework, Symfony would be right up there with CodeIgniter and Laravel in terms of popularity. And when you start digging into this framework, it’s easy to see why.
As well as having a cool name, Symfony is pretty flexible. It has a package and component system that allows you to choose the PHP functions you need, or just use the entire framework.
To ensure your apps run correctly, the framework also includes built-in testing functionality. However, in our experience, applications built with Symfony often don’t have the best performance. Also, the framework has a very steep learning curve compared to the other options we’ve seen so far.
Main features:
- It uses a highly flexible framework that allows you to configure individual components.
- Take advantage of the testing functionality built into the framework.
- Learn how to use the platform through its excellent documentation.
Symfony can be a good option if modularity is important to you. You can use just the components you want instead of a whole library, which can make this the best PHP framework if you just need a little help.
Four.
Many people refer to it as a “glue” framework, which is a way of referring to its component-based nature. Zend is an MVC-based framework, which allows you to load only the components you want as individual libraries.
To put it another way, Zend allows you to focus only on the components and features you want, and ignore everything else. Thanks to this approach and the object-oriented nature of the framework, you should be able to reuse much of the code you write, which is always good news. Furthermore, it is quite easy to integrate the platform with external libraries to further extend its functionality.
Main features:
- It uses an object-oriented PHP framework with an MVC architecture.
- Reuse your code thanks to the design of the platform.
- Integrate Zend with external libraries easily.
- Use only the components you want and ignore everything else.
Nevertheless, there are some disadvantages with Zend. The platform is quite complex to understand, for example. In our experience, if you’re moving from a tool like Laravel to Zend, the jump can be quite challenging, and can be somewhat intimidating if it’s your first framework. Still, Zend may be the best PHP framework if you have development experience and are into object-oriented programming.
5.
Phalcon is a bit of an outsider in the world of PHP frameworks. Its source code is written in C, so it’s basically a C extension of PHP. This sounds weird, but in practice, it turns out to be one of the fastest frameworks we’ve had the pleasure of using.
Performance-wise, the Phalcon lives up to its name and delivers consistent results. Phalcon is also very light on resources, and uses an MVC architecture. Also, it is unique because the framework itself has almost no files once you install it. Instead, you only add the modules and libraries you need when you need them, making for a very uncluttered development process.
Main features:
- It uses a PHP framework based on C.
- Take advantage of Phalcon’s fantastic performance and reduce resource overhead.
- Use only the modules and libraries you need.
So far, Phalcon must be sounding pretty good to you. We’re big fans of this framework, but it’s worth noting that since we’re talking about a less popular tool, its documentation isn’t up to par with giants like Laravel. Finding help with errors can also take more work. However, Phalcon comes very close to being the best PHP framework you can use, especially if you want performance.
6.
In the early 2000s, it was the first PHP MVC framework to hit the market. It was a revelation back then, and it’s still one of the best PHP frameworks you can use (and one of the most popular).
New versions of CakePHP have improved its performance over time and have added many new components. Where CakePHP really shines though is in the way it approaches programming conventions. This means that with CakePHP, once you master your set of conventions, you can focus on development and get more work done faster.
Along with that, CakePHP offers a wonderful set of libraries that include a lot of useful components (as every PHP framework should). During our tests, we found that CakePHP offers one of the most comprehensive sets of components you can find, making it a great option if you need to implement hard-to-find features.
Main features:
- Take advantage of a wide set of components.
- Use CakePHP conventions to program projects faster.
Of course, CakePHP can be a bit restrictive due to his fascination with conventions. If you like to program on your own and be the most creative…
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