PHP Frameworks: Best Framework Comparison List

Regardless of what you are building, be it a simple website or something much more complicated, you need to have the best tools in the business to get the job done. If your PHP framework was built properly and kept in good maintenance, it gives developers the tools they need to get the backend to work better, save time and use the same code for other purposes. With the help of frameworks, you will be able to get the job done.   

To help you choose the one that will best fit your needs, we’ve created a top PHP frameworks comparison list:   

Laravel

Laravel framework heads up our list of best PHP web frameworks because of its popularity, and ability to be used for web apps creation with the MVC pattern. All the releases are well documented which makes it relatively easy to learn and to build apps very quickly. It has a very effective templating engine that makes all kinds of tasks like authentication and caching.

Symfony

This framework is loved and chosen by many developers because it offers many reusable components and code. If you are designing a web app for big enterprises, Symfony is the right choice for such projects. It has a large community of developers who can provide technical assistance, but it also comes with extensive documentation as well. However, unlike Laravel, it takes quite some time to become acquainted with it, therefore be sure to give yourself some time if you have never used it before. Also, if your project will depend on modularity, Symfony would be the best choice.

Phalcon

At first glance, this framework might seem a bit strange since the source code is written in C.  This PHP framework performance and its top-notch speed makes developers prefer Phalcon to others widely used frameworks. It is not resourced heavy and there will only be a handful of files remaining after it is installed, thus allowing developers to add any components whenever they need. This really provides a smooth development process without any hidden pitfalls.

FuelPHP

When FuelPHP was released it was like a breath of fresh air because it was an amalgamation of the best things that PHP frameworks had to offer. It is fully supported by the MVC architecture as well as its better version HMVC. It is full stack and offers features such as modularity and extensibility.

Zend

Zend is good for massive projects. It was created with the agile methodology in mind and, thanks to its architecture, developers can focus on the components they deem necessary. In addition, it comes with debugging tools, drag and drop editor, cryptographic coding tools and many other features. Since it offers such a vast array of benefits it must be included in the top PHP frameworks list.

PHPixie

Not every PHP framework was designed to tackle complex problems. With PHPixie you can create read-only websites such as social networks and custom web apps. It uses the HMVC pattern just like FulePHP and uses independent components that can be used separately. They have all been thoroughly tested and will not need a lot of dependence.

CakePHP

The framework was released at the beginning of the century and is still being perfected by the community. It offers fast builds and proper class validation making it one of the best choices for customized website development. It is built on the CRUD framework which makes it easy to build great looking websites that are jam-packed with features. It also includes good security measures with cross-site encrypting protection, SQL injection prevention, and other security features. It also has a vast community of users that offers support portals and premium support.

Yii2

If you are wondering what Yii stands for, it is deciphered as “Yes, it is!” It is simple as its name might suggest but boasts a loading technique that is better than other frameworks. It is object-oriented and was designed in such a way that avoids using the same software pattern over and over again. One of its major benefits is the class code generator which facilitates object-oriented programming and fast prototyping.

Slim

This framework was inspired by Sinatra and is great for creating small web apps that do not require a full stack PHP framework. It has great things like URL routing, HTTP caching, and is very useful for creating REST APIs and applications. It is easy to use and can be picked up quickly by beginners thanks to its great documentation.

CodeIgniter

Trusted framework for creating scalable web apps. It is simple to use, built well and requires almost no user configuration. While CodeIgniter might be viewed as an MVC framework it is not completely based on this architecture: controllers are necessary while models and view classes are not. Having said this, the biggest benefits of this framework is its speed. It is the fastest out of all the frameworks with database tasks. Even with all this rich set of features, it is still easy to learn, which cannot be said about other frameworks that offer a similar set of features such as Zend.

Aura

If you are creating a very simple web app, this is the best one to choose. It has decoupled libraries which are self-contained. All of these libraries are kept up to date by the user community. It is best suited for simple apps and it has great features such as a configuration system, CLI dispatcher, logging instance and many other useful things.

Flight

This micro framework allows you to manage some routine tasks such as routing and class loading. Developers can set variables, handle views, add filters without having to name them first and many other features.

Medoo

This one is farther down on the list because it is an abstraction library designed to enhance the development process. Since it is very lightweight, you can learn it quickly and works well with some of the more popular frameworks Laravel and Yii. It does support simple and complex SQL queries, data mapping and does not allow SQL injections.

Pop PHP

A micro framework that has been thoroughly tested in order to create REST APIs and apps very quickly. It also goes by the name “Popcorn” and offers a very small number of web-based components, but developers can add them should the case may be. It was created to make sure that developers adhere to the routing rules depending on the request method.

Fat-free

Even though this is a micro framework, what sets this one apart from other microframeworks on this list is that it packs a lot of the useful feature that you can find in Laravel and CodeIgniter. It supports SQL and NoSQL databases and it is easy to create web apps with it. While it might seem that its rich set of features requires full stack development, it is still a great framework for PHP developers.  

The choice of framework will ultimately depend on your project, how much time you have to create it, the talent that you have available as well as your personal preferences. If you have a large project on your hands, then the best PHP frameworks for performance are Zend and Symfony. If you are tasked with creating jaw-dropping websites that have all the latest trends and features, then you should go with CakePHP. If you will be satisfied with a microframework, then try using Fat-free and then move on to some of the others on this list.