Which PHP Framework is Better? CakePHP vs Laravel vs CodeIgniter

What is the need for PHP frameworks?

PHP or Hypertext Preprocessor is the most famous server-side scripting language. One more reason to love this language is the availability of various PHP frameworks to ease the web development process.

It is also one of the most favored languages by software developers for web development.

The pre-developed tools and libraries in these frameworks cover up most of the groundwork for developing a web application.

This saves up a lot of time and effort from the developers.

Read on to know the Advantages of PHP web services for building a business website

There are over 20 PHP frameworks in the industry right now. And it becomes extremely difficult to choose one for your web development project.

But don’t worry, we’ve assessed each one of them and boiled the list down to the three most recommended PHP frameworks – CakePHP, Laravel, and CodeIgniter.

Let’s look at these three most prominent PHP frameworks along with their pros and cons:

1. What is CakePHP?

CakePHP is an open-source PHP framework which was first released in 2004. It is one of the oldest and most popular frameworks.

The CakePHP framework is based on the MVC approach. In MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture, each component is built to handle a specific development task.

Despite being one of the oldest, CakePHP framework is still very relevant due to its continuous evolution.

It is easy to install and simple to use. The libraries in this framework are extensive and consist of various useful components.

 

Advantages of CakePHP:

  • The advanced modularity of CakePHP enables you to create more standalone libraries.
  • Thanks to its features like SQL injection prevention, cross-site request forgery, and scripting protection, CakePHP offers top-notch security.
  • The vast set of components in CakePHP helps provides broad functionality.
  • The conventions in this framework help you fasten the web app development process.
  • Developers only require a web server and a copy of the framework to get going with CakePHP framework.

Disadvantages of CakePHP:

  • The documentation is less comprehensive and requires more time compared to other frameworks.

2. What is Laravel?

Laravel is the most popular and used PHP framework. It was initially released in 2011.

The most notable feature of Laravel framework is its elegant syntax. This elusive framework offers powerful tools to develop robust web applications.

Access to readymade functions such as user authentication, session management, routing, and caching, makes the developer’s job way easier while working with PHP Laravel.

Advantages of Laravel:

  • The effective syntax of Laravel is not only easy to use but it is also pleasurable to work with.
  • The in-built functions of this framework takes out the redundancy in the code.
  • Easy third-party integration with platforms like AWS (Amazon Web Services) lets you extend functionalities.
  • Laravel supports ORM (object-relational mapping) to streamline the integration with databases.
  • The highly-active community of this framework helps you out in resolving every issue related to Laravel web development.

Disadvantages of Laravel:

  • Compared to other PHP frameworks, Laravel supports limited databases such as MySQL, Microsoft Bi, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB.

3. What is CodeIgniter?

CodeIgniter is the simplest and smallest PHP framework. It was initially released in 2006.

CodeIgniter framework is primarily known for its small footprint which is only 2 MB including the documentation.

This framework also has the MVC architecture support. Despite being a lighter framework, CodeIgniter is one of the best PHP frameworks in developing dynamic PHP websites. 

Advantages of CodeIgniter:

  • With CodeIgniter, developers can build highly scalable websites with small footprint.
  • This framework is extremely easy to learn because of its simplicity and detailed documentation.
  • Due to its small footprint, CodeIgniter is faster compared to other frameworks.
  • As it is based on MVC architecture, PHP CodeIgniter boasts state-of-the-art error handling potential.

Disadvantages of CodeIgniter:

  • Due to its irregular releases, CodeIgniter is not reliable when it comes to security. 

In Conclusion:

Using PHP frameworks is inevitable, if you want to make the most out of the PHP web development.

However, which framework to choose entirely depends on your business needs.

If you’re confused on how to go about selecting a PHP framework, worry not, we’re here to help. 

At Mindpool Technologies, we are powered with a team of top-notch technology professionals.

Our team works tirelessly to deliver an end-to-end solution. To make the best out of PHP we integrate it with the supremely supportive technologies and help you gain nothing short of perfection.

We have successfully achieved a reputation of a leading PHP web development services provider company in India and globally.