Introduced two decades ago in 1994, PHP is a general-purpose scripting language highly preferred in web development projects. Statista lists PHP in 8th position among the most used programming languages by developers across the globe.

You may find it surprising, but the scripting language was used for creating Facebook, Wikipedia, Tumblr, and many more. PHP powers a whopping 78.9% of all digital websites having a server-side programming language as per Web Development Stats. 

So, are you thinking of using PHP to power your digital project? You have landed on the right page! Here you can explore the following:

  • Top benefits of using PHP.
  • What is a PHP framework?
  • How to choose the best PHP framework?
  • Top 7 PHP frameworks to go for in 2021.

Without wasting time, let’s look at why PHP is a preferred choice for web development projects.

Top reasons/benefits of using PHP to power your web development project 

Open-Source: It simply means you need not spend a penny to use the scripting language itself. Massive savings owing to the open-source nature of PHP.

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Scalable: PHP is scalable and thus is suitable for both small-scale, mid-scale, and large-scale enterprises. Compatibility with tons of frameworks only enhances the scalability of the language. So, growing your website with a growing client base is never an issue with PHP development services India on your side.

Cross-platform compatibility: Reach a larger target audience as PHP is compatible with Linux, macOS, Unix, and Windows.

Shorter lines of code: PHP is renowned for working with shorter lines of code, saving time and hard work for the developer’s team. 

Mature Community Support: Worldwide, 26.2% of developers accept using PHP as a programming language. Hiring PHP developers in India also reduces web development costs by nearly 30%.

Significantly High-Speed: Unlike its immediate competitors, PHP owns its memory space, facilitating quicker code execution and a speedy digital platform.

Cloud Compatibility: PHP web apps are compatible with Cloud services, and the technology can get used with zero hindrance to enhance the accessibility and scalability of the web development project.

Suitable to both relational and non-relational DBMS: PHP is compatible with a range of database solutions irrespective of whether you want to go with a relational model like MySQL or a non-relational model like MongoDB.  

Optimum Level of Security: While security issues have always been a concern with PHP, the truth is PHP is as secure as any other programming language. Enhancing the level of security depends actively upon following standard coding practices. 

For example, being a trusted PHP development company in India, we follow strict adherence to secure coding practices resolving XSS, CSRF, SQLi, etc., from the project.

Having covered the top benefits of using PHP, let’s look at the definition of a framework & guiding factors for choosing the best PHP framework.

What is a PHP framework?

A PHP framework is a platform for developers’ teams to create web projects without writing mundane, repetitive codes. It comprises multiple pre-packaged functions & classes that facilitate rapid development of the PHP project in no time.

PHP frameworks eliminate the need for writing code from scratch and promote good coding practices & developing secured web apps for the business enterprise. The demand for advanced PHP frameworks is increasing and can be analyzed by looking at the infographic below: Listing the worldwide popularity of the PHP scripting language.

Source: Statista

Essential  things to consider for choosing the best PHP framework

  • Clear your Goals & Objectives: You need to gain the exact vision of the features you want to integrate into the project. The chosen framework largely depends upon the project size and parts.

For example, an eCommerce website requires plentiful extensions, while a texting platform needs high connectivity.

  • Find out framework compatibility with the project features: Determine whether the chosen framework facilitates the development of the desired components or it would require tons of third-party integration.
  • Scalability of the framework: Framework plays a pivotal role in providing you with a scalable solution. Investigate whether the framework allows integration and disintegration of multiple modules.
  • User-friendly aspect of the framework: Well, this one largely depends upon the experience of the developers’ team. We at PixelCrayons, offer PHP programmers India with an average of 5 years of experience facilitating the ideal framework for the web project.

Here are the top 7 PHP frameworks to go for in 2021

 

  • Laravel

 

Released in June 2011, Laravel holds a stunning 25.85% market share of the PHP framework. The open-source framework reduces the web development cost significantly and facilitates a high level of customization of the website. There are tons of reasons that make Laravel an indispensable PHP framework. Let’s have a quick look at them.

 Pros of using Laravel as a PHP framework:

  • Availability of lightweight templates along with dynamic content seeding facilitates creating stunning layouts for the project.
  • Laravel supports customer-centric customization of the web app. 
  • Multiple views of the web app can be created using the MVC architecture of Laravel. MVC structure also supports rapid & parallel development of the project.
  • Creating roles and permissions for different users is feasible with Laravel.
  • SEO-centric URLs get supported on Laravel.
  • Artisan Console is also available in Laravel. It acts as a command-line interface generating and structuring commands for the developer’s team.
  • Tons of security-based features are available with Laravel, including encryption, authentication, email verification, etc. 
  • Hashed passwords protect the users from credential-based data theft.
  • Developing a multilingual web app is feasible with Laravel.
  • Since its introduction, the framework has received more than 13 updates, which ensures users receive the latest and exciting features regularly.
  • Laravel libraries also offer the programmer’s team to integrate password resetting options to the users.

Cons of using Laravel as a framework:

  • The upgraded versions of Laravel suffer from a lack of a proper continuation approach.
  • At times the upgrade leads to issues in the developed web app.

Examples of Laravel Projects: Vogue Archive, Rocket Rubbers, Mack Hankins, Orchestra Platform, etc.

 

  • Yii Framework  

 

Released in 2006, Yii is a generic web programming framework suitable for developing large-scale modern web app projects. Like most other PHP frameworks, Yii also has a modern view controller architecture and facilitates code organization. 

Pros of using Yii as a PHP framework

  • It supports a high level of personalization with tons of layout and themes facilitating the unique and innovative design of the project.
  • The open-source framework reduces the web application development cost for both the investors and the concerned Yii Development Company. 
  • Highly suitable for developing large-scale web applications like eCommerce websites, healthcare-based web apps, management systems, etc.
  • The Model view controller architecture automatically leads to quicker development of the web app, as different programmers can work on the view and controller of the web app simultaneously.
  • Yii framework is a full-stack framework and comes with multiple outstanding features like query builders, an active record for relational and non-relational database models, multi-tier support for caching content, etc.
  • Yii is exceptional in the way that it offers an extreme level of customization of the web app. The hired team of developers can manipulate the core code of the framework to develop audience-centric features.
  • Yii is also compatible with third-party codes. The developers’ team can integrate Laravel code into Yii to develop a stunning web app that offers combined benefits of Laravel and Yii Framework.

Cons of using Yii Framework

  • The framework requires experienced and dedicated YII developers who follow a high code of standards in coding. Unfortunately, slight errors in coding get readily oversized in the Yii framework.
  • The Yii framework fails to provide AR queries. 

Examples of Yii Projects: Word Counter website, Islamqa website, Skillshare platform, etc.

 

  • CodeIgniter Framework

 

CodeIgniter was voted as the second most popular PHP framework after Laravel in 2017, and the framework enjoys a whopping 17.7k stars on the GitHub platform. The framework has been used in 1+ Million websites and web apps worldwide and gets extensively used in India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Japan, etc.

Pros of using CodeIgniter as a PHP framework

  • It facilitates creating high-performing web apps due to multiple inbuilt libraries, convenient modular programs, additional features, etc. 
  • Compatible with most of the web platforms and web servers used in digital developments. The framework offers uncompromised support in server migration which minimizes the occurrence of technical glitches.
  • CodeIgniter is a lightweight framework that leads to minimum impact on the performance of the web app.
  • The framework gets extensively used for developing both the front end and back end of the web app.
  • Writing single line code is possible with the form validation feature of the CodeIgniter framework.
  • CodeIgniter is a well-documented framework that facilitates the integration of new members on the developer’s team. 
  • The framework is highly suitable and extensively used in business enterprises-based web apps catering to management system profiles. It offers high-end security and also promotes creating security protocols over the programming project. 
  • Developing a responsive website with a high user interface is feasible with CodeIgniter.
  • Hiring dedicated CodeIgniter developers is feasible due to the framework’s large-scale application and the availability of a mature community of CodeIgniter developers. 
  • The CodeIgniter framework gets preferred in diverse industry verticals, including SaaS, OnDemand streaming platforms, e-learning web apps, stock trading management portal, etc.

Cons of using CodeIgniter Framework

  • CodeIgniter is not a preferred choice of programming projects which require frequent updates as the framework does not facilitate quick code modification.
  • The framework is not consistent with high-quality standards of coding.

Examples of CodeIgniter projects: Philippines Airline, Casio America, Creative Genius, etc.

 

  • CakePHP Framework

 

The CakePHP framework is renowned for creating reusable codes, and like others on the list, it is also an open-source framework. The framework gets highly preferred in projects with limited development time as it allows the developer’s team to create prototypes and reuse codes in multiple contexts. 

Pros of using the CakePHP framework for your project:

  • The framework is consistent with high-quality coding practices, which guarantees zero technical glitches on the website or web app. 
  • Code reusability decreases the overall project development time and cost. Moreover, the developer’s team need not start from scratch for the integration of new intuitive features.
  • Like others on the list, it is also open-source and has an MVC architecture.
  • The CakePHP framework gets widely praised for offering tons of security-centric tools for web development projects. The standard one includes CSRF protection, XSS prevention, SQL prevention, etc. 
  • The framework gets preferred in Fintech-based projects, management systems, etc.
  • The templates offered in the CakePHP framework are both fast and flexible and allows the designing team to create an intuitive UI for the target audience.
  • The framework is compatible with the latest PHP versions.
  • Finding bugs and errors in the developed website or web app is much easier with CakePHP as a chosen framework. It effectively reduces the testing time of the web app.

Cons of using CakePHP framework

  • CakePHP documentation part of the framework needs improvement.
  • The framework demands one-way routing, which is considered a setback to the programming project. 

Examples of CakePHP Projects: Good firms rating agency, Coconala website, Worldfilia advertising platform, etc.

 

  • Symfony Framework

 

Trusted by some of the worldwide renowned brands, including Spotify and Vogue, Symfony is a reliable framework for PHP development projects. The framework is highly preferred in eLearning, logistics, and healthcare-based projects. As per Builtwith Stats, Symfony powers more than 1,10,264 websites across the globe.

Pros of using Symfony as a PHP framework

  • Symfony promotes high productivity in the developer’s team with reduced lines of coding. 
  • The framework promotes writing clean and structured codes, which minimizes the chances of errors in coding.
  • Symfony gets timely updates, eliminating the risk of developing websites and web apps that get outdated with new technology. In other words, you can easily update the designed website with emerging technologies.
  • It comes with bundles that can get considered as a plugin. Decoupled features available in the bundles allow the coding team to reconfigure and reuse them in diverse ways.
  • Symfony can also get used with other popular frameworks like Laravel, Yii, etc., to enhance the functionalities of the web development project. 
  • The framework also offers automated functional testing which reduces the risk of developing incorrect codes.

Cons of using Symfony framework:

  • The web app sometimes suffers from performance issues when using Symfony. 
  • The designing stage of the web app consumes a significant amount of time. 

Examples of Symfony Framework: Pornhub website for surfing porn, Trivago hotel chain, Spotify music streaming platform, etc.

 

  • FuelPHP Framework

 

Released in 2014, the FuelPHP framework works like CodeIgniter. The framework offers a modular structure for web development projects which means the developers team quickly integrates features into the project. The noticeable part of the FuelPHP framework: it supports both MVC and HMVC architecture.

 Pros of using the FuelPHP framework:

  • It supports HMVC, which stands for Hierarchical Model View Architecture. HMVC effectively reduces the interdependency between different modules of the software.
  • Exceptional security-centric features like XSS filters, SQL injection prevention, CSRF preventions with tokens, etc., are available and can be customized with the FuelPHP framework. 
  • The availability of secured features makes it suitable for developing apps for banks, financial institutions, etc. 
  • The programmer’s team can easily integrate multiple modules into the app due to the framework’s well-documented features.
  • FuelPHP is a community-driven framework.So, getting aid from experienced developers is convenient with FuelPHP as your chosen framework.

 Cons of using FuelPHP framework:

  • The new version of the framework requires longer dedicated hours from the team.
  • The GitHub stars stand at only 281. 

Examples of FuelPHP Projects: Inventorybase, Spookies, etc.

  • Phalcon Framework

 

 

Developed by Andres Gutierrez, Phalcon is a web-based PHP framework with an MVC architecture. The framework is a trusted option for developing high-speed web apps as it can handle comparatively higher HTTPs requests per second. Ever since its introduction, Phalcon is preferred for developing apps with lower power consumption and high-speed performance.

Pros of using Phalcon as a PHP framework

  • The framework requires comparatively lesser code lines that trim the project’s development hours to a significant extent.
  • It is a suitable framework for high-load environments. 
  • Ready-to-use modules are available in the Phalcon framework.
  • Detailed documentation of the framework facilitates the joining of new coders in the team with ease and comfort.
  • Phalcon is widely regarded as the fastest performing framework in the PHP category as it has direct access to the PHP internal structures.

 Cons of using Phalcon PHP framework:

  • As the source code is written in C language, any errors in the coding require the programmer’s team to debug C.
  • Not a renowned option and suffers from a lack of experienced coders. 

Examples of Phalcon Projects: Urban Sports Club, Edureka, Rentger, etc. 

 Wrapping Up 

That was all about the top PHP frameworks to go for in 2021. Based on your project’s compatibility, you can go with any of them. Being a leading provider of PHP website development in India, we at PixelCrayons perform in-depth research & analysis of the target audience to offer the best framework for the project.