Top 10 PHP Frameworks in 2023 (2023)

The dynamism of PHP has certainly created a niche for it among languages ​​in the programming world. The ability to createcross-platform applicationsandcompatibilitywith almost all modern servers, it surpasses hisOpen Source, which makes it all the more desirable.

PHP scripts can be easily inserted into HTML files, allowing developers to turn static website code into dynamic front-end applications.

PHP is undoubtedly one of the best programming languages ​​today.FacebookandWikipediastill use PHP for their backend data storage. And nowadays many PHP frameworks are emerging. So one thing is for sure. PHP is here to stay! Well, our task now would be to find the best frameworks to start with this amazing scripting language.

It can be intimidating to decide on a PHP framework when you are just starting out. That's why we created this article to help you make a more informed choice.

Table of contents

• What is a framework?
• Why PHP Framework?
• Top 10 PHP Frameworks Currently

1. Symphony
2. Laravel
3. CodeIgniter
4. round 2
5. Slim
6. Falcon
7. leaves
8. CakePHP
9. PHPixie
10. FuelPHP

What is a framework?

A framework is a set of libraries, tools, and conventions that provide a structure for creating and organizing code. It was designed to support software application development and provides a common set of interfaces, classes, and functions that can be used to create software applications.

Often based on a specific programming language, it provides a set of guidelines and best practices for writing code.

Using a framework can save developers time and effort when building software applications by allowing them to reuse code and take advantage of the tools and conventions provided by the framework.

Why PHP Framework?

Comprised entirely of two simple, moving parts - the scripting language and the interpreter - PHP is intuitively designed to make coding as easy as possible for developers. "PHP is used by 79% of all websites whose server-side programming language we know," reports W3Techs.

Benefits of using a framework

1. Spend less time- When you develop an application, countless lines of code go into building it. These are not easy tasks, they are only uploaded after several checks and verifications. But if you later create a new application with a similar interface, you would have to rewrite the entire code stack. As daunting as it sounds, it's pretty much impossible. This is where frameworks prove to be an absolute blessing. No need forreinvent the wheelAny time you built your last application using a PHP framework, you can simply reuse your old code stack.
2. Libraries to the Rescue- As I mentioned above, you can reuse your existing codes in your new application. Libraries are grouped bundles that store some commonly used code, and every time you work in a framework, you don't even have to look elsewhere for that code. The frameworks have built-in libraries that store some common code snippets for repetitive functions in the applications.
3. Form validation and CRUD resources-CRUDrefers to creating, reading, updating and deleting. It provides a natural workflow for the developers. You'll automatically take on the next task after you finish the initial coding. These functions are extremely useful when dealing with large amounts of data.
4. MVC-Architektur- Allow Model, View and Controller componentsparallel development. Multiple developers can work on the same application at the same time. If someone works on the form validation model, someone else can work on the UI model and so on.
5. Facilitates collaboration- Creating a great application cannot be done by a single developer, it takes dedicated effort and time from many experienced developers to create a good application. PHP makes collaboration easier. It works one to one. You can immediately pick up where you left off, even if other developers are working on your project, there are absolutely no discrepancies or miscodings.
6. Improved security- Frameworks are grouped solutions and therefore offer relatively better security measures than individual developers. From data sanitization to vulnerability protection, a framework takes care of all these aspects with finesse.
7. Follow best coding practices- Using a framework guarantees that you follow a standard coding method. Because it's designed with the essential elements to building a website in mind, developers don't go astray when it comes to coding. The framework provides an order and you work to stick to it.

your_project/├─ assets/├─ bin/│ └─ console├─ config/│ ├─ packages/│ └─ services.yaml├─ migrations/├─ public/│ ├─ build/│ └─ index.php├─ src/│ ├─ Kernel.php│ ├─ Command/│ ├─ Controller/│ ├─ DataFixtures/│ ├─ Entity/│ ├─ EventSubscriber/│ ├─ Form/│ ├─ Repository/│ ├─ Security/│ │ branch/├─ templates/├─ tests/├─ translations/├─ var/│ ├─ cache/│ └─ log/└─ provider/

Top 10 PHP Frameworks Currently

Now let's discuss the most popular frameworks for both experienced PHP developers and beginners:

1. Symfony

Symphonyis an open-source PHP web application framework used to build web applications, APIs, and microservices. It was released in 2005 and is still one of the developers' favourites. It is the only framework that fully follows PHP's legacy. It's a set of libraries, tools, and conventions for organizing and building PHP code, and is built on top of a set of reusable PHP components.

Some of the key features of Symfony are:

• Reusable libraries and easy integration
• A powerful routing system that allows developers to easily define routes and handle HTTP requests
• A Dependency injection container that helps developers to manage object dependencies in a flexible and decoupled way
• A template engine that makes it easy to create dynamic views
• A security system that provides tools to manage user authentication and authorization
• A form component that simplifies the creation and validation of HTML forms
• It has a higher learning curve compared to other frameworks but best in terms of performance.

Symfony is used to build a wide range of web applications. It is known for its robust features and heavy emphasis on performance and scalability. The Symfony community also maintains a large number of reusable PHP components that can be used to build web applications and other PHP-based projects.

Symfony is used by popular content management systemslike Drupal, OroCRM and PHP Bulletin Board (PHPBB).

2. Laravel

Laravelis an open-source PHP web application framework designed to make it easy to build modern, high-performance web applications. It builds on several Symfony components and provides a set of tools and conventions for organizing and building PHP code. Laravel aims to make it easier for developers to write clean, maintainable code by providing a set of best practices and an integrated testing framework.

Some of Laravel's key features are:

• A powerful routing system that allows developers to easily define routes and handle HTTP requests
• Laravel homesteadis an integrated development environment that supports hassle-free development
• On ORM (Object-Relational Mapper) that simplifies database interactions and supports multiple database systems
• blade, a lightweight template engine that makes it easy to create dynamic views
• Packalyst, a 15,000 strong Laravel package collection.
• Support for dependency injection, a technique for flexible and decoupled object dependency management
• A command line interface (CLI) that provides tools for managing and deploying Laravel applications

Laravel is commonly used to build web applications of all sizes, from small websites to large enterprise-level applications. It is known for its elegant syntax, robust features, and strong developer community.

3. CodeIgniter

CodeIgniteris an open source PHP web application framework used to build dynamic websites. It is lightweight and easy to use, with a small footprint and minimal installation requirements.

Some of CodeIgniter's key features are:

• A simple, intuitive interface that helps developers get started quickly
• A set of libraries and helper functions that simplify common web development tasks, e.g. B. Form validation and session management
• Multiple cachingenables faster deployment
• A lightweight, MVC-based architecture that separates the presentation layer from the business logic
• An integrated layer of security that helps protect against common web vulnerabilities such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection attacks

CodeIgniter is a popular choice for developers looking for a simple, easy-to-use framework for building dynamic websites. It is known for its small footprint, good performance and clear documentation.

4th round 2

This2 is an open source PHP web application framework used to build web applications, APIs and microservices, now updated as Yii 2. It is based on the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture pattern and is designed for speed, security and ease of use.

Some of the key features of Yii 2 are:

• Easily integrates with jQuery and AJAX.
• A powerful routing system that allows developers to easily define routes and handle HTTP requests
• An MVC (Model View Controller) architecture. which separates the presentation layer from the business logic
• An integrated ORM (Object-Relational Mapper) that simplifies database interactions and supports multiple database systems
• A lot of Tools and libraries for common web development tasks such as form validation and session management
• A security system that provides tools to manage user authentication and authorization

Yii 2 is a good choice for developers who need a fast, secure, and easy-to-use framework for building web applications. Known for its performance, security, and extensibility, it is widely used to build large enterprise-level applications.

5. Slim

Slimis alightweight PHP microframeworkfor building web applications and APIs. It is designed to be simple, fast and easy to use, with a small footprint and minimal installation requirements.

Some of Slim's key features are:

• A simple, intuitive interface that helps developers get started quickly
• A powerful routing system that allows developers to easily define routes and handle HTTP requests
• A dependency injection container that helps developers manage object dependencies in a flexible and decoupled way
• A set of middleware classes that can be used to modify HTTP requests and responses as they traverse the application

Slim is a good choice for developers who want a lightweight framework to build web applications and APIs, especially those who developRESTful-APIsand services. Known for its simplicity and ease of use, it is widely used for building small, focused applications.

6. Falcon

Falconis an open-source PHP web framework based on the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture pattern. It is implemented as a PHP extension written in the C programming language, making it faster and more efficient than many other PHP frameworks.

Some of the key features of Phalcon are:

• A fast, efficient architecture implemented as a PHP extension, making it one of the fastest PHP frameworks available
• A powerful routing system that allows developers to easily define routes and handle HTTP requests
• An integrated ORM (Object-Relational Mapper) that simplifies database interactions and supports multiple database systems
• A set of tools and libraries for common web development tasks like form validation and session management

Phalcon is a good choice for developers who need a fast, efficient framework for building web applications. Known for its performance and low overhead, it is commonly used forBuild high-traffic, resource-intensive applications.

7. Leaves

leavesis an open-source PHP web application framework used to build web applications, APIs, and microservices. Formerly known by the name,Zend-Framework. It was created with certain parameters in mind, such as speed, security, performance, and extensibility.

Some of the main characteristics of Laminas are:

• A powerful routing system that allows developers to easily define routes and handle HTTP requests
• A MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture that separates the presentation layer from the business logic
• An integrated ORM (Object-Relational Mapper) that simplifies database interactions and supports multiple database systems
• A lot of Tools and libraries for common web development tasks, such as form validation and session management, also integrate with third-party libraries
• Support for dependency injection, a technique for flexible and decoupled object dependency management

Laminas is a good choice for developers who need a comprehensive, full-featured framework for building web applications. It is known for its robust features and heavy emphasis on performance and scalability.Cisco WebExandBBCare known to have used Zend Framework for their website development.

8. CakePHP

CakePHPis an open source PHP web application framework used to build web applications. It's based on the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture pattern and follows a convention-over-configuration approach, which means it provides a set of conventions for organizing and building PHP code and requires less configuration than some others frameworks.

Some of CakePHP's key features are:

• A powerful routing system that allows developers to easily define routes and handle HTTP requests
• On MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture that separates the presentation layer from the business logic
• A Integrated ORM (Object-Relational Mapper) that simplifies database interactions and supports multiple database systems
• A set of tools and libraries for common web development tasks such as form validation and session management
• A command line interface (CLI) that provides tools for managing and deploying CakePHP applications

CakePHP is a good choice for developers looking for a simple, easy-to-use framework for building web applications. It is known for its convention-over-configuration approach and clear documentation.

9. PHPixie

PHPixieis an open-source PHP web application framework used to build web applications, APIs, and microservices. It is based on the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture pattern and is designed to be lightweight, fast, and easy to use.

Some of PHPixie's key features are:

• A powerful routing system that allows developers to easily define routes and handle HTTP requests
• A MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture that separates the presentation layer from the business logic
• An integrated ORM (Object-Relational Mapper) that simplifies database interactions and supports multiple database systems
• A set of tools and libraries for common web development tasks such as form validation and session management
• A command line interface (CLI) that provides tools for managing and deploying PHPixie applications

PHPixie is a good choice for developers looking for a lightweight, fast, and easy-to-use framework for building web applications. Known for its simplicity and power, it is widely used for building small, focused applications.

10. FuelPHP

FuelPHPis an open-source PHP web application framework used to build web applications, APIs, and microservices. It is based on the Hierarchical Model View Controller (HMVC) architecture pattern and is designed for flexibility, extensibility and security.

Some of the key features of FuelPHP are:

• Called a property management systemreception
• A powerful routing system that allows developers to easily define routes and handle HTTP requests
• OnHMVC(Hierarchical-Model-View-Controller) architecture that separates the presentation layer from the business logic
• An integrated ORM (Object-Relational Mapper) that simplifies database interactions and supports multiple database systems
• A set of tools and libraries for common web development tasks such as form validation and session management
• A security system that provides tools to manage user authentication and authorization

FuelPHP is a good choice for developers who need a flexible, extensible, and secure framework for building web applications. It is known for its robust features and heavy emphasis on performance and scalability.

Conclusion

The world is moving fast, tech developers are moving from C and SQL to Python and Java. Today we even have Swift and Kotlin. But if any of them were chosen for their operational backend coding capabilities, PHP would win the bet every day.

As for the choice of frameworks, you can look at the list I provided above. But personallyCodeIgniterandSlimare beginner-friendly frameworks with a very accessible, easier learning curve.

But on the other hand, if you are an experienced developer, you can very well go for itSymphony, because it has a higher learning curve but is best in terms of performance.

For everyone else in betweenLaravelis the best choice. With its own development environment, Laravel Homestead and Valet, supported on both Linux and Mac OS, Laravel has continued to climb the ladders for the most powerful PHP frameworks in 2022.

As I've always said, just because something is popular doesn't mean it's right for you. Look at each framework's specification, knock out things your application requires, and see if it meets your needs. It's the magical three-step routine that will get you the best bang for your buck.

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