Top 15 Best PHP Frameworks for Web Development in 2024
The blog post provides an overview of the top 15 PHP frameworks for web development in 2024, highlighting their key features, advantages, and suitability for various development needs. It also highlights the importance of weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each framework to make a better decision.
PHP is one of the most popular and used scripting/markup languages in the market. It is open-source and can be embedded into HTML. In an age where web design and development are becoming complex, PHP is the best choice for both beginners and experienced developers. PHP frameworks provide a structured approach with prebuilt templates and other components that allow you to significantly reduce the development time.
Its open-source nature makes it an affordable choice for skilled web developers like Webomindaps and also its inbuilt features and useful functionalities can help you save money from purchasing any premium accounts. These frameworks are known for their maintainability and scalability which allows brands to handle excessive traffic. In this blog let us look at the top 15 best PHP frameworks for web development in 2024.
Top 15 PHP Development Frameworks
1. Laravel
Laravel is the top choice for many web developers as it has a powerful object-relational mapping system. This allows developers to interact with databases using PHP syntax improving readability and flexibility of the code.
Development with ORM
Efficient Templating Engine
Streamlined tasks with command-line
Enhanced HTTP Request Handling
URL Structure with Routing
Built-in authentication
Database Version control and migrations
2. Symfony
Symphony is a top PHP framework for web development, developed by Sensiolabs, and is known for its scalability and reliability. This framework advanced framework and a user-friendly interface to simplify tasks such as form creation, routing authentication, etc.
Component-based architecture to facilitate modular development
Efficient Templating Engine
Command-line functionalities for streamlined development tasks
Powerful HTTP foundations with HTTP kernel and HTTP Foundation
Offers strong authentication and other security features
Test-driven development support for testing various methodologies
3. CodeIgniter
CodeIgniter is one of the oldest PHP frameworks and helps developers build effective web applications quickly. This framework is known for its speed and comes with no bloatware which makes it one of the flexible frameworks.
Very lightweight and straightforward PHP framework
The name Yii is derived from the Chinese language which means simple and evolutionary. The framework itself is very lightweight and powerful and has built-in security features such as bycrypt password hashing. This also supports third-party codes and 4 different types of caching.
Very powerful PHP framework
Excellent caching support to improve application speed
Powerful security features such as input validation and authentication
In-built code generation tools for faster development speeds
Active community support
5. Phalcon
Phalcon framework is known for its advanced development features such as asset management, caching, and universal autoloader. It is written in C and Zephir and quickly executes web components with its low-level architecture.
Exceptional performance advantage because it's written in C and C++
Low resource and overhead consumption
Powerful ORM abilities
Easy to use and well-documented framework
Offers flexibility to scale applications
6. CakePHP
Cake PHP is known for its extensive community and built-in ORM. this is the best PHP framework for beginners and also reduces the development page. This also comes with in-built security features encryption, password hashing, and CSRF protection.
Allows development with code generation features
Built-in ORM for database relations
Strong convention over configuration approach
Flexible and modular architecture
Incredible community support and extensive documentation
7. Laminas
Laminas formerly known as the Zend framework, follows the framework interop group which allows the transportation of code across various other frameworks seamlessly. The extensive component library allows the developers to optimize performance and reduce overhead.
Highly customizable and extensible framework
Component-based architecture for flexibility
Rich security features and input validation
Excellent integration with third-party libraries and frameworks
Extensive documentation and strong community support
8. FuelPHP
Fuel PHP is known for its support for MVC and HMVC. Offers unique and feature-rich security features such as URL filtering and output encoding.
HMVC architecture for scalable applications
Powerful ORM for database interactions
Improved security features including input validation and encryption
Built-in template engine for easy UI development
Active community support and regular updates
9. PHPixie
PHPixie offers powerful full-stack development for building optimized web applications. Similar to FuelPHP this follows the Hierarchical Model-View-Controller (HMVC) pattern. Its user-friendly interface and regular updates make this a preferable choice to many developers.
Lightweight and fast framework
Secured with built-in protection against common vulnerabilities
Powerful ORM with support for relations and queries
Flexible routing and URL handling
Easy to integrate with third-party components
10. Fat-Free Framework
Fat-Free Framework is a micro-framework that is specifically designed to offer a balance between powerful features and ease of use. The size of the codebase is around 65kb but it still offers all the necessary functionalities at a much faster pace.
Minimalistic and lightweight framework
High performance and low overhead
Versatile routing system for URL handling
Flexible and easy to extend with plugins and modules
Active community and good documentation
11. Horde
Horde is used to develop custom web applications for businesses. This provides functionality from the web-based email.
Modular architecture for building complex applications
Extensive components for various functionalities
Flexible and customizable
Strong focus on security and performance
Active community and continuous development
12. Li3
This is the first framework to be built from the ground up for PHP 5.3+. The main advantage of this framework is it bridges the gap between the relational and non-relational databases using a single unified API.
Modern framework with support for the latest PHP versions
Flexible routing system for defining URL structure
Powerful ORM with support for complex data relationships
Easy to extend and integrate with third-party libraries
Active development and good community support
13. Prado
This is a component-based framework that is designed to run Prado-based web applications. This framework offers continuous updates and security features making it the preferred choice among beginner developers.
Component-based architecture for modular development
An extensive set of pre-built components for quick application development
Strong support for AJAX and client-side scripting
Built-in authentication and access control features
Active community and documentation
14. Drupal
Drupal is another PHP framework that is known for its support for multi-column layout, ease of use, and clean and simplified code. This framework uses HTML 5 structural markup and also includes CSS reset and other utility classes.
In-built powerful content management features
Extensive module ecosystem for extending functionality
Flexible and customizable architecture
Strong security features and regular updates
Active community and support from the Drupal Association
15. Pop PHP Framework
This is an object-oriented and open-source framework, that mainly focuses on providing lightweight tools to help developers in reducing development time and effort.
Lightweight and fast framework
Simple and intuitive syntax for rapid development
Flexible architecture for building scalable applications
Strong support for HTTP request handling and routing
Active community and good documentation
Conclusion
All in all, there are various frameworks for website development in the market. It is recommended to understand the frameworks and their advantages over the others, this will allow you to choose the best PHP frameworks for web development that best fits your needs. Each framework has its advantages and disadvantages make sure you balance these two out and choose the best framework for your business.
Now that you have a basic understanding of the top 15 frameworks, you can make a choice. Laravel, CodeIgniter, and CakePHP are known for their powerful and feature-rich add-ons. If you want a powerful website that can handle a lot of requests consider these. But if you are looking for something more balanced try FuelPHP and PHPixie, these are reliable substitutes.
