2018 Best PHP Frameworks for Web Developers

Before discussing PHP frameworks that you should be using in 2018, let’s know something about PHP.

About PHP

Hypertext preprocessor abbreviated as PHP is a powerful, general-purpose server-side scripting language used in the development of websites and web applications. It is an extremely simple programming language and if you are a novice, you can learn PHP in a very less time.

Shifting our focus to PHP frameworks, they provide basic structure in the development of web applications and that promotes rapid application development. Actually, you will find more reasons for taking up a PHP framework and it is listed below.

• Code reusability is supported- You can reduce a substantial amount of time and effort.
• Pre-built modules make the tedious coding task less stressful.
• It’s easier to establish a secure connection between the database and the application to be developed.
• You will find support for databases, communities, documentation, but not all PHP frameworks provide that, so you have to pick the right one.

Eventually, we can say, by utilizing a PHP framework, developers will have access to extensible architecture and they can easily address performance issues in less time.

There are a lot of PHP frameworks available, each comes with different advantages. It can be a bit confusing choosing from such a variety of options. To reduce your confusion I have explained some of the best PHP frameworks that you should be using as a modern web developer, so go through the list that is given below.

Best PHP Frameworks for 2018 Explained   

1. Laravel
   • A free, open-source PHP framework, Laravel supports rapid application development using the extensible MVC architecture. It is one of the most popular PHP frameworks and was developed as an alternative to Code Igniter as the latter did not provide certain features like built-in support for user authentication and authorization.
   • Built-in support is necessary as developers are able to avoid unauthorized users from accessing the resources.
   • A web application is useful to business only if it’s good in terms of performance. By integrating with caching backend, I mean to say; the framework supports cache backends like Redis out-of-box and Memcached, and makes sure that web applications are performing faster. Along with performance, security is another important factor to define the success of a web application. Since Laravel is already secured, your web application will be protected from Cross-site request forgery, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting.
   • Configuration error, exception handling, as Laravel is integrated with Monolog logging library, these actions are comprehensively supported.
   • You will find a lot more other features that account for the popularity of Laravel. Once you learn about them, you will truly account for whatever has been explained.

2. Code Igniter
   • Another dynamic PHP framework, Code Igniter will make an ideal choice for developing dynamic web applications. Developers who are out to build advanced applications will be provided with a toolkit that includes libraries, plug-ins, modules, and other required resources.
   • Coming to other framework features, you will find a lot of built-in libraries for everything – email sessions, form validation, unit testing, and much more. Programmers can develop websites and web applications in a secure manner, as the framework offers you simple interface to detect and handle the errors. Also, the XSS security feature prevents malicious JavaScript code from hijacking the website cookies and other malicious activities.

3. Symfony
   • After Laravel and Code Igniter, Symfony is recognized as the third most popular PHP framework.
   • This framework is built on top of Symfony components that are decoupled and reusable in nature. As a developer you will enjoy two solid benefits using this feature-rich PHP framework and they are bundles and components.
   • You can compare the bundle with a plugin, it is decoupled in nature and you can easily reconfigure and reuse it with as many applications as you wish to and reduce the overall development cost.
   • The components are collective features that facilitate the faster development process. Developers can use these components within the Sympony framework or use them in other frameworks or in plain PHP solutions. Overall, the developers will have the privilege to develop full-fledged applications without any complications.

4. Zend
   • If you are to build a high-performance enterprise-level application, Zend PHP framework is your choice.
   • Every component of this PHP framework is completely object-oriented PHP 5 and E_STRICT complaint that means you can write bug-free code for your application and make sure it’s crash proof. Since the framework is completely object-oriented, developers can easily improve product efficiency without increasing the development cost.
   • Another attractive reason to use the Zend framework, it is pretty much decoupled that means you will take advantage of only the required individual libraries and not the complete framework.

5. Yii 2
   • Acronym for ‘Yes It Is’, pronounced as ‘Yee’ or [ji:], the Yii framework is free, open-source, object-oriented, and component-based MVC PHP web application framework.
   • Rich with features, Yii has component-based architecture and good caching support allowing developers to easily create large-scale applications (CMS, forums, portals, etc). Hence, this PHP framework is the ideal for developing for Web 2.0 applications.
   • Yii is easy to install and is considered highly flexible by developers as each and every component of the framework is virtually extensible. Any warnings or notifications, the Yii2 framework handles pretty well by using PHP5 exception mechanism. So in any case, if developers encounter specified error/exceptional condition arises, it’s easier to address them.
   • Now currently, we have two major versions of Yii, version 1.1 and 2.0 version 1.1, where version 2.0 is a complete rewrite of Yii on top of PHP 5.4.0.
   • Note: Yii 2.0 is not compatible with 1.1

6. CakePHP
   • Formed around on the concept of Ruby on Rails, CakePHP is another free, open-source, rapid development PHP framework used in the development of web applications.
   • This framework is compatible with PHP4 and PHP5 giving developer’s better flexibility developing applications. The code generation and scaffolding features make it easier to rapidly build the prototypes. Also, while creating websites or applications it is doable to develop codes that are reusable.
   • Since this PHP framework is licensed under MIT, it can be without any apprehension used in commercial applications. The built-in security and authorization feature allows developers to protect the resource from unauthorized access. Other features include clean MVC conventions and the built-in tools for input validation.