PHP is an open-source server-side scripting language. It’s extremely popular; almost 80% of all websites are using PHP as of October 2019.
Although the language is considered to be quite stable and secure, it has seen a fair share of evolution since its release.
As time has passed, the complexity of websites has increased massively. Developers have to write hundreds and thousands of lines of code to create these websites, which is a tedious task and takes a lot of time. Moreover, developers have to start from scratch every time. This is where PHP frameworks come into the picture.
Why use a PHP framework?
A PHP framework provides a basic structure for streamlining the development of web apps. We use them because they speed up the development process.
Some of the reasons that make PHP frameworks so demanding and popular are speed, scalability, cross-platform, greater database diversity, etc. They reduce the development time by a large scale, makes websites more secure, and furthermore, numerous groups can work independently.
In this article, we have put together the PHP framework list of the most used and fastest ones.
Choosing a PHP Framework
To choose the best PHP MVC Framework for large scale applications, you must answer these questions first:
What functionalities and components do I want from the Framework?
Is the framework being regularly developed and updated?
Is there a large community around the particular framework?
What is the learning curve?
Popular PHP Frameworks
Introduced in 2011, Laravel has become the most popular free, open-source PHP framework in the world. Why? Because it can handle complex web applications securely, at a considerably faster pace than other frameworks. Laravel simplifies the development process by easing common tasks such as routing, sessions, caching, and authentication.
Features Available in Laravel
Laravel is best for complex and robust website application development as this particular framework is high quality and has clear documentation, with a large community and advanced security.
Due to its well-readable and well documentation, it helps to speed up our coding.
Moreover, Laravel consists of strong encryption packets along with huge libraries.
However, it is not good with shared hosting and also uses several queries in the database.
Laravel framework makes the implementation of authentication techniques became very simple because of Laravel.
Finally, Laravel boasts a highly-active community, which means finding help or tutorials is never a challenge. If this is your first time using a framework, that makes Laravel an even better option.
Symfony is an open-source PHP framework with MVC architecture. Since it is used to build high-performance complicated web applications, it is one of the most well-known application frameworks among the open-source developers’ community. It is very robust as well as a mighty PHP framework. Projects that are generated using this particular PHP Framework are immensely extensible because of its architecture that is modular-based.
Features Available in Symphony
Due to Symfony’s inbuilt features, it speeds up the application development.
As Symfony utilizes less memory, it permits developers to make robust and high-performance applications.
Since Symfony is approved with MVC parts, it permits the designer’s full control over the setup and other critical highlights of improvement.
The system code is clear and demonstrated in this manner decreasing the number of errors made.
Components in Symfony are supported with timely upgrades and enhancement of security.
However, while Laravel focuses more on simplicity and delivering value, even for developers who are not advanced, Symfony targets advanced developers and is a bit harder to start with. In addition, the Symfony security mechanism is a bit difficult to use. And, because it lets developers “do it all,” it can be slower than other frameworks.
CodeIgniter is one of the finest PHP frameworks used by developers. It is an open-source web improvement PHP structure that supports MVC design. The key undertaking of this specific structure is to show a basic, simple and effective approach to finish a web improvement venture, therefore, raising the web advancement task hell free and quicker.
Features Available in Codeigniter
Because of the accessibility of inbuilt security instruments in Codeigniter, it appoints an upgraded degree of security to the sites and applications.
We can make, erase, addition, and update any announcement without the contribution of crude SQL by utilizing the CodeIgniter PHP structure.
There is a primary folder while installing, that contains several application files along with other sub-folders containing config, model, controller, view, etc so while implementing any web development project, everything will be organized.
CodeIgniter contains a scope of highlights for unscrambling and encryption that permits the developer to send any information in a complete mystery establishment.
What makes Codeigniter an ideal choice for the top dedicated web developers is its maturity, as it is one of the oldest and most dedicated frameworks for PHP.
There are a lot of pros to using CodeIgniter. However, we’re wary about calling it the best PHP framework, because it also comes with some downsides. For example, its releases are somewhat irregular, so it may not be the top option for applications that require high-level security standards.
Cake PHP is an elite PHP framework used by developers. It is an open-source PHP framework for building web applications in a quicker manner, as it is very simple and requires less code. It is one of the most financially savvy and gainful structures for web engineers of the 21st century. It features Model, Controller, and View classes, along with some other additional classes as well as items that make the development process in MVC slightly faster and more efficient.
Features Available in Cakephp
No configuration is necessary for implementing Cake PHP as it doesn’t require complicated XML or YAML files.
Cake PHP consists of a friendly license and is perfect to use in commercial applications as it is licensed under MIT.
This particular framework is undoubtedly secure as it consists of built-in tools for input validation, CSRF protection, Form tampering defense, SQL injection hindrance, and XSS prevention.
On top of that, this framework’s codebase has been surveyed through the Mozilla secure open source.
Of course, CakePHP can be a bit restrictive due to its love of conventions. If you like to code by the seat of your pants and to be as creative as possible, CakePHP might not be the best option for you. Still, it’s a strong pick for many developers.
Yii is another strong entry in our roundup of the best PHP frameworks, and it’s a worthy competitor. Right away, we can tell you that Yii shines due to how easy it is to set up. Along with that, the framework is right up there with Phalcon when it comes to performance, which is a huge selling point.
Just like the other PHP frameworks we’ve seen so far, Yii offers a robust set of components you can use to speed up web application development. However, it stands out due to its robust set of security features, which you can use to create highly secure projects.
Key Features:
Excellent speed and performance
Use the default setup or customize it to meet your precise needs
Create secure websites and applications
As for its downsides, Yii can be a bit tough to pick up if it’s your first framework. It’s a top competitor for the title of best PHP framework, but if you’re new to the language, there are other more beginner-friendly options you can use.
The Zend framework is a complete object-oriented framework, and the fact that it uses features such as interfaces and inheritance makes it extendable. It was built on the agile methodology, which helps you to deliver high-quality applications to enterprise clients. Zend is highly customizable and abides by PHP best practices—an important point for developers who want to add project-specific functionalities.
Reasons to use Zend
Zend framework is an excellent fit for complex, enterprise-level projects. It’s the preferred framework for large IT departments and banks.
Some key features include MVC components, simple cloud API, data encryption, and session management.
It can integrate with external libraries, and you can use only the components you want. The Zend framework comes with extremely good documentation and has a large community base. However, if you’re a mobile app builder, get ready for a steep learning curve.
Which PHP framework is right for you?
Using PHP frameworks simplifies the development process, which helps to minimize workload. Each framework has its own strengths and weaknesses, and they all vary in terms of community, documentation, and the database they support.
As such, the decision on the best framework to use depends on various factors such as security, ease of use, scalability, documentation, and more. So, start by understanding the requirements of the project or application you want to develop. Then, choose the most suitable PHP framework from this list. You can’t go wrong.
Conclusion
There are a lot of programming languages you can use, but PHP is still the top option when it comes to server-side scripting. However, even if you’re a PHP pro, coding all the parts for each new project you embark on will take a lot of time. If you choose the best PHP framework for your needs, however, you can skip a lot of the groundwork and get straight to the fun part of developing a new project.
What do you think is the best PHP framework? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
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