What Are The Top 10 Popular PHP Frameworks 2020?

PHP is used by almost 83% of websites across the world and is thus one of the widely used languages for web design and development throughout the world. Rasmond Lerdoff did not develop it as a programming language. It originated simply to manage his personal website. But later the official version was released in 1997 after many months of beta tests and improvement work. PHP was earlier abbreviated as Personal Home Page but it is better known as Hypertext Preprocessor now.

The latest version PHP 7 was aimed to optimize PHP performance by refactoring the Zend Engine and make use of more compact data structures with improved cache locality while retaining near-complete language compatibility. A framework is used for its faster development, easier maintainability, fewer issues, and better security reasons.

Why use a top PHP Frameworks?

There are some pretty reasons for using popular PHP frameworks:

• Organization of code and file is extremely easy
• Numerous libraries and tools are available that can help inform validation, database abstraction, input/output filtering, session, and cookie handling, and managing email, calendar, and pagination etc.
• Most of the popular frameworks follow MVC model architecture
• Frameworks help out with less code which ultimately speeds up development
• Frameworks come with various input and output filtering functions that add an additional security layer to protect the website against certain attacks.
• Frameworks suit well to teamwork
• With active community support, frameworks come with a solution for any query very quickly

See also: How Much Does It Cost to Hire A PHP Developer?

Line Up of Best PHP Frameworks in 2019-2020

1. Laravel PHP Framework

It continues to be the most favored and widely used PHP framework since 2015. Laravel simplifies the authorization logic and control access to resources. It supports object-oriented libraries that come along with many pre-installed features. Tools like Artisan are included and help perform tedious programming tasks that are otherwise manually performed by most of the programmers. It also has support for MVC architecture like Symphony that ensures clarity in logic and presentation.

Why use Laravel?

• Quick development for big projects: Laravel is the finest platform for big projects. According to a recent study, Laravel is the most popular PHP framework to create web applications.

• Open-source Framework: Laravel is an open-source PHP framework and is freely available to all. For building complex and large web applications, it is best suited.

• A template engine: You could build abstract layouts with dynamic content with the help of a template engine provided by the Laravel framework.

• MVC Architecture Support: Laravel follows model view controller architecture, in which controllers handle user requests and retrieve data, models interact with application database, views to render pages. Routes are also used to map URLs.

2. Symfony PHP Framework

Symfony is a PHP web app framework and a collection of reusable PHP components/libraries. Flexibility, reliability, ease of testing, long-term support, large community, elaborated documentation are some of the pluses that go in favor of Symphony as a programming framework.

Why use Symfony?

• It comes with numerous scalability options like ‘propel’ and ‘join.’

• If used wisely, Symfony is faster than many other PHP frameworks.

• It comes with unique HTTP and HTTP cache handling that enhances the performance of the app being developed.

• There are several advanced features like ESI for separating each part of your application for better performance.

3. Codeigniter Framework

It’s an open-source software rapid development web framework to create dynamic websites with PHP. MVC Architecture, no server requirements, easily extendable and understandable, package full of libraries, components, and tools, built-in libraries, comes without installation, built-in security tools, database abstraction, active community support, and extensive documentation and above everything, the ExpressionEngine allows re-using libraries and functions.

Why use Codeigniter?

• Framework with a small footprint
• Exceptional performance
• Simple solutions over complexity
• Strong Security
• Clear documentation
• Nearly zero configuration

4. CakePHP

It’s an open-source web framework. The best thing about CakePHP is its 100% backward compatibility that makes it instantly upgradable. Although it does not adapt to newer PHP habits it has shown some consistency in form of stable releases. Going with Fat Models, Skinny Controller and automatic routing approach imply most of the work is automated.

Why use CakePHP?

• Friendly License: CakePHP is licensed under MIT license, which makes it easy and quick to build commercial, business applications.

• Encourage Code Reusability: Different web projects can use the same code snippet. Developers can save time in writing repetitive code but fetch from different sources and integrate with the ongoing project. This results in quick building and development.

• No Configuration needed: No complicated XML or YAML files. You just need to set up your database and move ahead with your web app/ website development.

• High-level Security: It comes with various security and protection features like input validation, SQL injection prevention, XSS prevention, Form tampering protection, CSRF protection, keeping the application safe and secure.

• An array of built-in features: Database access, translations, validation, caching are the features already available in the MVC framework.

5. Zend Framework

It’s an object-oriented, open-source web framework implemented in PHP 7.  Re-usability of code is the biggest advantage of Zend framework. Imbibing all the goodness of object-oriented approach, making use of just what you need and removing other things, a package full of tools, components, and libraries, liberty to choose own model, a large community with elaborated documentation acts as an addendum to its richness and usability.

Why use Zend Framework?

• Performance
• Extensible
• Secure
• Enterprise Ready

6. Yii PHP Framework

Yii is an object-oriented, open-source, component-based MVC web application framework. Easy to Install, Modern Technologies, Highly Extensible, Provision for Testing, Simple to implement Security, Short Development Time, Better Performance, Swift Error Handling, Logging and making use of the theme

Why use Yii?

• Highly Extensible
• Rapid Development
• Easy to Install
• Easy Data Migration
• Utilize Modern Technologies
• Simplifies Security
• Shorten Development Time

7. Fatfree PHP Framework

It’s a powerful PHP framework, which is known for its high speed, high modularity, clean and comprehensive documentation, comes without coding or directory structure, multiple view engines, easy to learn, implement and for creating robust web applications.

Why use Fatfree?

• Create Powerful Apps
• Write Less Code
• Blazing Fast Kickstart
• Rocket Science Included

8. Phalcon PHP Framework

Phalcon is a high performance, full-stack PHP web framework based on the model–view–controller pattern. Easy to install, usage of modern technologies, highly extensible, integration of Codeception encourages testing the code for the application, simplified security, short development time, and better performance makes it a framework to create modern web applications that also perform well.

9. Aura Framework

Aura is an open-source, UI framework used to build PHP applications that are dynamic and flexible, scalable and extensible. Tag-based layout & component definition, a strongly-typed event model with Encapsulated UI development, extends, implements, abstract – Object-oriented programming behavior, controllers, models, CSS, markup and static resources, comes with integrated support for functional and performance testing, and responsive (mobile-ready).

10. Slim Framework

It’s a micro framework, a core set of tools that yields quick development, is easy to learn, lightweight, secure, has HTTP methods, can be used to develop both small and large websites and an elaborated documentation

The Forthcoming Best PHP Alternatives

Off and on programmers pick new skills and languages to stay relevant with changing technologies and the way IT and related industries function. Many such high level, object-oriented, server-side scripting languages, that are comparable to PHP are (in no particular order):

• Javascript

• Python

• Java

• Go

• Ruby

• C#

• Elixir

• Erlang

• C++

• Rust

Without skipping, Node.js for sure makes a mark in this illustrative list, as it has learnt from the mistakes of other languages that include .NET, PHP and Java, and has little legacy crud, to become one of the best alternatives to PHP programming language.

The Closing Section

It can get really difficult to select the right PHP development framework to create web applications of choice. We at Konstant have been making use of various PHP development frameworks to build PHP applications on a regular basis. We have tried and tested various PHP frameworks from time to time where Laravel development tops our list.  On one hand, it propels you to create secure and testable web applications, as the features can be used in the same manner as are provided, some others can also be customized to suit to the needs of the application. We really encourage you to check out some frameworks for your next web project. Hire PHP developers from our team of experts to incite your next web project. Would you like a free instant quote? We’re here for you!

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Which is the Best Framework for PHP?

Laravel is the best framework for PHP.

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Most Popular PHP Frameworks 2019

• Laravel
• Symfony
• Codelgniter
• CakePHP
• Yii

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Most Popular PHP Frameworks 2018

• Laravel
• Phalcon
• Symfony
• Codelgniter
• CakePHP

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Best PHP Frameworks 2017

• Laravel
• Nette
• Yii 2
• Cake PHP
• Symfony3

Top PHP Frameworks 2016

• Phalcon
• Laravel
• Symfony
• Yii
• CakePHP