Top PHP Frameworks

PHP is one of the most widely used frameworks on the web, powering tech giants such as the guardian, BBC, Ikea, and more. A PHP framework allows the developer to develop a web application. These frameworks help in saving time, stopping rewriting the repeated code & provides rapid application development by providing structure.

It might be difficult and time-consuming to develop a PHP script from scratch because you may need to repeat the same function several times. Through the use of libraries of pre-written code and other components, the PHP framework offers tools to streamline the web building process. Your specific demands will be considered as you read this post to help you choose the finest PHP framework for web development.

Popular PHP Frameworks

Using PHP framework offers various benefits, and once you get used to them, you probably won’t get back to the time when you’re not using them. So, let’s look at them. 

Laravel 

Taylor Otwell created the open-source Laravel framework for building web applications. Because it manages complex web applications more safely and swiftly than other frameworks, Laravel is well-liked. Complex operations like session, authentication, routing, caching, and more are possible with Laravel. The main goal of Laravel is to simplify development for developers without compromising the functionality of apps. It offers strong tools that are essential for large and complex applications. The expression migration system offers the tools that assist in constructing any application we are assigned. You may hire a Laravel developer to develop an app with seamless integration unit testing support.

Specifications:

Initial Release: June 2011

Latest Version: 9.2.1 released on 27 April 2022

Technical Prerequisites:

• PHP >= 7.2.5 (or use Laravel Homestead)
• Database support MySQL 5.6+, PostgreSQL 9.4+, SQLite 3.8.8+, SQL Server 2017+.
• Composer installed

Benefits Of Using Laravel

• Employs the MVC architecture
• The creation of scalable applications
• Components recycled
• Facilitates autonomous testing
• Use its ORM called Eloquent and Template Engine named Blade.

CodeIgniter

CodeIgniter is a lot quicker application development framework compared to other frameworks because of its minimal footprint. On 28 February 2006, Ellis Lab made it available. It reduces the amount of code needed to complete a job and offers simple fixes for challenging coding issues. On the MVC framework, CodeIgniter does not entirely depend. It’s a venerable framework that performs well and quickly. Due to the abundance of libraries, the user-friendly interface, and the logical structure used to access them, projects may be developed considerably more quickly than from scratch. Installing it is simple, and user setup is not necessary.

Specifications:

Initial Release: 28 February 2006

Latest Version: 4.1.9 released on 2022-02-26

Technical Prerequisites:

• PHP >= 7.2.5 
• PHP Extensions 
• Database support for MySQL (5.1+) via the MySQLi driver
• PostgreSQL 
• SQLite3 
• MSSQL version 2005 and above only

Benefits Of Using Codeigniter

• Open source and lightweight framework
• Faster while doing database procedures
• Well-documented and simple to setup
• Built-in security tools
• Offers exceptional performance

CakePHP

Making aesthetically pleasing, feature-rich websites is something CakePHP can help you with. As a result of its CRUD (create, read, update, and delete) structure, CakePHP is also one of the easiest frameworks to learn. Since CakePHP initially hit the market in the early 2000s, performance has been enhanced, and many new features have been introduced. One of the largest groups of helpful components is available in CakePHP’s huge library. This is a good choice if you need to include hard-to-find features.

Specifications:

Initial Release: April 2005

Latest Version: 4.3 released on 2022-05-13

Technical Prerequisites:

• PHP >= 7.4 
• PHP Extensions 
• Database support for MySQL (5.6 or higher)
• Oracle Database (With Plugin use)
• MariaDB (5.6 or higher)
• PostgreSQL (9.4 or higher)
• Microsoft SQL Server (2012 or higher)
• SQLite 3

Benefits Of Using Cakephp

• Follows ORM techquines 
• Supports plugin
• Allows Code reusability
• It offers Easy debugging and testing
• Provides Built-in security features 

Symfony

Fabian Potencier released Symfony on 22 October 2005, making it another well-known framework. The MIT license governs its release. Building websites and online applications consist of a collection of PHP components. When choosing a framework for creating large-scale corporate projects, Symfony is the ideal option.

SensioLabs is a supporter of Symfony. For programmers who build fully functional web applications, this framework is intended. Components from Symfony are used by several open source projects, including phpBB, composer, and Drupal. Together with a separate library, Symfony connects with the PHP Unit. The Symfony framework is adaptable and capable of managing corporate applications with a massive number of connections. Micro-sites may be created with it.

Specifications:

Initial Release: 22 October 2005

Latest Version: 6.2 released on 2022-05-13

Technical Prerequisites: 

• PHP >= 7.1.3
• PHP Extensions 
• Writable directories

Benefits Of Using Symfony

• Flexible & Robust framework 
• Open-Source
• Comparatively less security 
• Easy Maintenance 
• Supports code reusability
• Well Documented 

Also, Check – How to Protect Your Wifi Network in 2022

Lumen

The author of Laravel created and continues to support Lumen, a PHP micro-framework. If you’ve used Laravel before, you’ll feel right at home with this because it’s so similar. Slim is perfect for modern applications since it is both lightweight and effective. It may be used to develop APIs that enable single-page apps, microservices, and other back-end services where high speed and low latency are crucial.

Specifications:

Initial Release: Lumen 5.0

Latest Version: 9.0.0

Technical Prerequisites: 

• PHP >= 8.0
• OpenSSL PHP Extension
• PDO PHP Extension
• Mbstring PHP Extension

Benefits Of Using Lumen 

• Easy to learn with Laravel experience 
• Lightweight 
• Requires minimum configuration
• When it grows too complex requires Laravel features

Zend 

An open-source web application framework called Zend was created on 3 March 2006 and is currently referred to as the Laminas Project. It is a group of more than 60 packages that can be downloaded from Github and installed using composer. Purely object-oriented and built using the MVC design pattern, Zend is a web application framework. Zend was created using an agile development technique, which aids in providing an excellent solution to the corporate customer. 

Partners of Zend include ISM, Google, Microsoft, and Adobe. The Zend Framework version 2 has a ton of features, including a drag and drop editor with support for front-end technologies (HTML, JavaScript, and CSS), a tool for cryptography writing, a tool for PHP unit testing, a tool for quick online debugging, and a wizard for connecting databases.

Specifications:

Initial Release: 3 March 2006

Latest Version: 3

Technical Prerequisites:

• PHP >= 5.6 (Zend) or >=7.3 (Laminas)
• Composer installed
• Database support for MariaDB, MySQL, Oracle, IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and Informix Dynamic Server.

Benefits Of Using Zend Framework 

• Highly Customized framework.
• Enhanced Performance
• Robust community
• Full Documentation 
• Easy Testing
• Supports Multiple Database

Wrapping Up!

PHP frameworks are intended to make development easier and need less effort to produce fantastic applications. Every framework offers a unique set of features, extensive community support, and a variety of documentation. You may hire dedicated developers to use the functionality offered by these frameworks. As a result, the project’s needs and prerequisites will determine which framework is ideal. Therefore, knowing what you need before choosing a framework is crucial.

Author Bio

Ronak Patel is the CEO and Founder of Aglowid IT Solutions, an ever-emerging Top Web and Mobile Development company with a motto of turning clients into successful businesses. He believes that the Client’s success is the company’s success and so he always makes sure that Aglowid helps their client’s business to reach its true potential with the help of his best team with the standard development process he set up for the company.