Commencing a business has nowadays become a sure-short norm to succeed, all thanks to the ever-changing technology. Creating a robust online presence is what every individual is going gaga over. Also, one has to rise above the ongoing competitiveness and hidden pressure.
Not to mention with the severe evolution of web technologies, all the modern business requirements can be addressed in a single go! One of the most prominent web development technologies that I have been intrigued to research about is PHP but there are also so many PHP Alternatives that you can use for web development projects. After all, not every technology has managed to face death and have been reborn from the ashes like a phoenix. The following post focuses on What are PHP frameworks, and why they should be your go-to option when it comes to a web development project. Also, here I would like to shed some light on choosing the right PHP framework for your project. You see, making any random choices can make a lot to lose!
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Make way for PHP!
According to sources, more than 80% of websites are developed using PHP. I am pretty sure you must have heard of some weird terms such as CodeIgniter, CakePHP, Laravel, and Zend. Well, these are some of the best PHP frameworks to take into account. Since their inception, these PHP frameworks have somehow managed to maintain their position as the best PHP frameworks to take into account.
Now, what is a PHP framework? As the name suggests, it is a platform mainly used to develop amazing-looking PHP applications. Coping with today’s fast paced times is definitely not easy and of course, one cannot code from scratch each and every time, it’s a total waste of time and energy. So in that case, these amazing kinds of frameworks can surely assist. Now why consider using a PHP framework and not any other in the first place? I won’t give you one or two but three reasons for using the PHP framework instead of any other.
- Quick development – As mentioned earlier, coping up in today’s ever-changing and fast pacing world can be extremely difficult. And if you choose PHP frameworks, you longer have to worry about your project being delayed because this one comprises some of the best built-in tools and libraries that enable development procedure to complete within the predetermined time and money. For instance, if you use CakePHP then you can expect any kind of skeleton code for your app development project.
- Security – Another crucial reason for considering PHP instead of any other framework is high-end security. Cybersecurity breaches are pretty common these days and of course, they keep on happening every now and then, so one must take relevant preventive measures, or else you might have a lot to lose. Cross-site scripting, SQL injection attacks, and cross-site request forgery are some of the common yet crucial problems faced by website owners these days. There is no point in creating web applications that are vulnerable and prone to security issues. Fortunately, PHP frameworks enable developers irrespective of their years of experience in writing highly secured code. As a result, you can seamlessly get rid of different exploitations made by the bad guys.
- Active Community – Do you think developing a website is a one-time job? Of course, not! It’s an ongoing process even if you create a website, you must take relevant measures to maintain it for the long run! Now PHP comprises a large community of active users that are not just veterans but have the knack for dealing with any and every situation or problem or issue. In case, if the developer gets stuck in between, there is always a possibility of seeking relevant help from the veterans from the large community.
Now moving on, it’s time to get acquainted with some of the best PHP frameworks available across the globe. I am sure by knowing them inside out, you will be able to make a better decision.
Top PHP Frameworks to Take into Account in 2023
Fortunately, you will come across a wide range of options when it comes to PHP development frameworks. Further below I have listed some of the best open-source, robust and highly scalable PHP frameworks that can assist well in developing any kind of application for your business. And of course, at a much faster pace!
#1 Laravel
My first pick for the best PHP framework will be Laravel. Since its inception in 2011, Laravel seems to have gained immense popularity and appreciation and this is not it, there is a lot more for Laravel to make it to the best PHP development framework list. Featuring expressive, elegant syntax, Laravel also comprises dependency injection, an expressive database abstraction layer, queues and scheduled jobs, unit and integration testing, and a lot more! So what exactly makes Laravel a cut above?
- Large and active community – Yes, Laravel comprises a very large and active community of developers who are not just skilled as well as well-experienced with the framework and above all, highly responsive. So even if your developer gets stuck somewhere, he can get the answers from the huge Laravel community. In fact, it may quite interest you to know that now 1,14,640 live websites are developed using Laravel. No wonder, this one is the most popular tech stack.
- Highly scalable – Another crucial reason to take Laravel into account is high scalability. On and all, PHP’s nature is scaling-friendly and Laravel offers built-in support for fast, distributed cache systems like Redis. So if you are looking for a PHP framework that’s highly scalable and flexible, then look no further than Laravel.
- Secure – As mentioned earlier, PHP frameworks turn out to be the best in regard to security and Laravel is no exception. All the websites built using Laravel turn out to be highly secure and safe in comparison to other web development competitors around.
#2 Symfony
The next intimidating PHP development framework that has to be taken into consideration is Symfony. Another renowned web development framework that is highly known for its scalability is Symfony. If you ask me to define Symfony then I must say it is one of the best open-source PHP web app frameworks that is highly influenced by Ruby on Rails, Django, and Spring. Moreover, if you don’t want to get into the pit of cumbersome coding, then Symfony is the best choice to take into account. Further below I would like to mention some of the popular reasons for choosing Symfony for your upcoming PHP development project.
- High-end flexibility – One of the core reasons for choosing Symfony is that it offers high-end flexibility in comparison to other available frameworks across the globe. You see, Symfony features bundles and components. Bundles are decoupled which means, PHP developers can use and reuse them any time they want and reduce the overall development cost in less time whereas components assist in reducing the extra effort while working on routine tasks.
- Seamless Customization – Another intimidating feature to take into consideration is profound and seamless customization. Symfony is power-packed with a wide range of features and functionalities that are quite beneficial for developers as well as business owners. You see, Symfony ensures that your web app turns out to be as user-oriented as you want it to be. If you want to develop complex functionalities or develop an app featuring specific features and functionalities.
- Active Community – Another crucial reason to consider is a large and active community. According to the PHP framework itself, it comprises 3000+ contributors and more than 600000 developers from more than 120 countries.
#3 CodeIgniter
The next popular PHP development framework is CodeIgniter. The development framework is highly suitable for creating dynamic developing websites and that too in a very short span of time. Codeigniter is open-source software that is not just known for developing dynamic websites but also ensures faster deployment but also comprises a rich set of libraries, logical structure and whatnot! Benefits of Codeigniter include:
- Less code to write – One of the obvious yet crucial benefits of using Codeigniter is that it is pretty easy to get acquainted with Codeigniter in comparison to other PHP development frameworks. Since everything is done in less amount of time, all the efforts can be well taken care of and that too quickly. When you use Codeigniter, you need to type very less and ensure fewer mistakes are made. The smaller code, the less space it takes and everything happens in a quick span of time.
- Security – Much like Laravel and Symfony, even Codeigniter is one such PHP development framework that ensures high-end security. Several threats such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting attacks, and remote code execution can be well-taken care of. Also, here you have scope for installing a wide range of plugins and third-party integrations.
However, there are several other PHP frameworks available such as CakePHP, Zend, Yii, Phalcon, FuelPHP, Slim, and PHPPixie, however, the aforementioned ones are the best and must be taken into consideration irrespective of your project requirements and industry vertical.
How to pick the right PHP framework for your project? Tips and Tricks to Consider for your upcoming web development project
- First and foremost, you must assess your needs and requirements in advance. For example, whether you want a mere blogging site or an eCommerce store, social media site, or any enterprise or business-based site.
- Another crucial tip to consider is, does the PHP development framework assists in streamlining the development procedure to a great extent or not. So yes, does it provide relevant documentation featuring all the dos and don’ts keeping the focus intact on the right approach to conduct development?
- The next tip is, does the framework offer high-end and active community support? You see, conducting a web development project is never easy and it never will be. So make sure to deal with the complexity of code, the chosen PHP framework features high community support.
- Data security is and will always be a critical part while developing web applications. Try to get rid of vulnerabilities as much as you can! Make sure you choose a PHP framework featuring modern-day security functions like SQL Injection etc.
- Look around for a reliable PHP development service provider. One of the best ways to conduct a development project is by choosing the right technology partner.
And we are done here! Good luck with your PHP development project.