25 Best PHP Frameworks for Web Development in 2020

PHP as a server-side programming language has discerned remarkable growth in the last few years.

The major reason for the is application built using PHP frameworks is highly responsive and well-defined to fulfilling the distinct business requirements.

The W3Techs survey states that 82% of the majority web server uses PHP as their development tool.

It is obvious to ask why PHP is so popular. Here are some reasons:

It provides great HTML and database integration support.

Interactive features with other tools

It is a language that is easy to learn in a short period.

PHP help developers more than one way to promote the rapid application development, from the design structures, providing the building blocks of them.

Here are the best and top 25 PHP frameworks in the market which fluctuate with multiple and varied priorities in terms of performance and the list of built-in functions among other examples.

Go through this list to choose the framework that works best for you to get your website developed.

Reason to Choose PHP Framework

PHP provides huge benefits for both developers and business owners in terms of easy development, scalability, and security. Here are some more benefits of using PHP as a developing tool.

It is a well-designed PHP framework so, it helps you in implementing common problems.

Since it is an open-source community that provides you with an application architecture to guide your development.

As we mentioned above, they make you more secure for your application.

Each PHP solution that presents in modern PHP frameworks are continuously tested.

Additionally, they are peer-reviewed and validated by multiple developers using the framework.

Security issues and other problems that you might face in your established code get quickly noticed and fixed since it is an open-source framework.

You can develop codes that are loosely coupled. This leads to easy in reading, testing, maintaining, and developing further.

Ways to choose a PHP framework

There are many PHP frameworks are available, but you need to pick framework which suits on your application and business requirements.

Answer the below few questions to choose a PHP framework according to your needs:

• What are the features and functionality that you need in the framework?
• Which learning curve of the framework will help your application development more?
• How scalable is the framework for your application?
• Is the framework actively developed and maintained by the core team?
• Do you want the framework to provide long-term support?
• Does the framework have strong community support to help you with development?

Once you arrive answer for your above question analysis the different frameworks that are available in market to decide on which PHP framework to use for your project.

Here are the top 25 frameworks that are available in the market.

1. Laravel PHP Framework

It is developed in 2011 by Taylor Otwell which is a free open-source framework.

One the most popular PHP frameworks, Laravel is used in the development of web apps while following the model-view-controller (MVC) architectural pattern and based on Symphony.

You can learn it easily since every Laravel release is elaborate which makes much more easy to continuously updating their knowledge base.

It is mostly suitable for rapid application development. The framework has a well-built templating engine that enables a wide array of common tasks — like identification, caching, user management, and RESTful routing — easier for software developers.

Refined syntax, the ability to asynchronously run tasks in the background to improve performance. It is well-established integration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) add to the list of features that make Laravel one of the best PHP frameworks.

Laravel provides incredible features as well as extensive community support. If you want to develop an application on the Laravel PHP framework you can hire our Laravel developers who are expert in handling complex tasks easily and deliver you a unique web application.

Features

• Built-in Authorization & Authentication System for easy verification
• Integration with Cached Memory for better execution
• Effortless Exception & Configuration error handling
• Resolving attitude towards common Technical Vulnerabilities
• Segregation of business logic code from Presentation Logic
• Flawless Database Migration: Syncing the database between the development machines is a quite tedious yet important aspect for developers.

2. Symfony

The Symphony best PHP frameworks year after year, and there are many reasons for it.

It is developed in 2015 with in-built testing functionality and features of offering developers reusable components and code.

It is mostly used by large organizations and big enterprise software development efforts.

It also facilitates the developers to use several OF Symfony’s components — or all of them at once, depending on the project needs.

As Symphony’s vast ecosystem is continuously supported by a community of developers, the framework offers comprehensive technical documentation. The learning curve is rather steep, so those unfamiliar with the framework would need time and effort to grasp it. If your solutions will rely on modular, Symphony is the top option.

Features

• This is the best choice for businesses. It is fast and takes fewer system resources.
• is considered to simplify development tasks as it does not demand extensive code to write for creating web applications.
• It provides stable, faster and more flexible web application development.
• Symfony flexibility to create great applications with high-performance rate.
• The major advantage of this framework is that it consumes less memory than others.
• Developers are allowed to create web applications at a significant speed in this framework.
• It is fully adaptable to the unique requirements of developers as it is available with fully configurable and independent elements.

3.Codelgniter

CodeIgniter makes use of Model View Controller (MVC) architecture for development.

It is meant for using different components to handle specific development tasks. Due to this it gains developers strength.

It also enables you to build highly-scalable web applications with a smaller footprint.

If you are new to PHP frameworks, CodeIgniter can be an excellent choice, because it is rather easy to learn and get started with. Plus, the platform boasts excellent documentation, which means you should not have too much trouble learning the basics.

CodeIgniter is popular for creating lightweight applications that run well on modest servers which offers solid performance.

Features:

• It offers high-performance and uses a lightweight framework.
• Get started quickly, thanks to the framework’s simplicity and excellent documentation.
• Create scalable apps using the framework’s MVC-based architecture.

4. Cake PHP

CakePHP uses MVC and it is the first framework based on MVC to hit the market.

It is mostly popular for high performance and is used by many organizations. It improved a lot by adding new components and increasing performance.

Its a way of approaching convention in coding makes it more reliable for developers to choose it.

If you have master its set of conventions, you can focus on development and get more work done faster.

You can include a substantial amount of helpful components (as every PHP framework should) using a wonderful set of libraries offered by this framework.

During our tests, we found that CakePHP offers one of the most thorough sets of components you can find, so it’s a great option if you need to implement hard-to-find features.

Features:

• Take advantage of a broad set of components
• Use CakePHP’s conventions to code projects faster

5. Zend Framework (Laminas)

60+ packages for professional PHP development is collected under an Zend Framework. We can also state its collection of these packages.

During the development period, you to focus only on the components and functions you want, and ignore everything else in the Zend framework.

It also facilitates to reuse a substantial amount of the code you write with its object-oriented nature, which is always great news.

Zend Framework is now the Laminas Project.

Features:

• Zend enables us to use a PHP object-oriented framework with an MVC architecture.
• Re-use your code thanks to the platform’s design.
• Integrate Zend with external libraries easily.
• Use only the components you want, and ignore everything else.

6. Phalcon

Phalcon is a bit of irregularity when it comes to PHP frameworks. Its source code is written in C, so it is a C extension of PHP.

It may appear as odd in this digital environment.

But, guess it is the fastest framework we've had the satisfaction of using.

It is known for it consistently delivering results that are near the top of the pack at good content (current result).

It uses MVC architecture and also very light on resources.

Plus, it’s unique in that the framework itself has almost no files once you install it. Instead, you just add the modules and libraries you need when you need them, which makes for a very uncluttered php development process.

Features:

• Use a PHP framework that is based on C.
• Take advantage of Phalcon’s fantastic performance and low resource overhead.
• Use only the modules and libraries you need.

7. Slim

Have you heard about a micro framework, don't think it offers fewer features but lightweight framework.

It is one of the micro-framework that allows quickly creating easy and powerful web applications as well as APIs.

It has a reliable router, template depiction with bespoke views, HTTP caching, flash messages, protected cookies with AES-256 encryption, logging with custom log writers, error treatment and debugging and uncomplicated configuration.

Features

• It offers fast and powerful routing based on HTTP which useful for designing SEO-friendly URLs.
• It uses less cache since HTTP caching is used for website performance.
• Slim has a high concentration on the security of the application, so it uses Secured cookies for improving the security of the system.
• It uses Dependency injection for controlling external tools that are needed for application.

8. Yii Framework

Yii is another best PHP framework, and it’s a worthy competitor of other frameworks.

Yii popular due to how easy it is to set up. It gives high performance and right up there with Phalcon when it comes to the performance.

This makes it more economical to compare others.

Yii offers a robust set of components for developing the application.

It helps you can use to accelerate web application development.

However, it stands out due to its robust set of security features, which you can use to create highly secure projects.

Features:

• Excellent speed and performance.
• Use the default setup or customize it to meet your precise needs.
• Create secure websites and applications.

9. Fat-Free Framework

Fat-Free has been developed in 2009 by Bong Cosca.

It is a powerful and simple framework to use. As the name indicates it is a micro-framework with less memory intake.

It takes less than 50KB space file which makes it one of the lightweight structured PHP frameworks.

Out of the best PHP frameworks, this was created almost completely in PHP with features like URL router, support of the multi-lingual application and cache engine.

There are many plug-ins available for extensive database back-end operations such as MSSQL, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Sybase, MongoDB, DB2, CouchDB, and Flat File.

Features:

• One of the widely used frameworks as it is reputed for the impressive speed
• Highly modular framework
• Clean, comprehensive and detailed documentation
• There is no canned coding or a directory structure
• Comes with multiple view engines
• Can be used for creating robust web applications
• Easy to learn and implement

10. Kohana

It is known not to have dependencies on other libraries and extensions.

It is also a lightweight PHP framework.

Optimized solutions employed to make it non-depend on another library during development.

It also a Model View Controller(MVC) architectural pattern.

It is well driven and supported by the community.

Features

• Highly secure
• Extremely lightweight
• Short learning curve
• Uses the MVC pattern
• 100% UTF-8 compatible
• Loosely coupled architecture
• Extremely easy to extend

11. FuelPHP

It is developed in 2014 and a relatively new PHP framework.

It is a powerful framework and created something new and exciting

comparing another framework.

It has many unique aspects of features that are also described in other sections.

Features:

• Full support for HMVC
• Hardened security out of the box
• A unique command-line utility

12. Flight

The flight is a widespread micro structure meant for PHP developers and is known as a speedy, easy and flexible framework. The best part of Flight is that it allows developers to build heavy web applications promptly and easily. It requires PHP 5.3+.

Features

Uses static methods

Flight uses static methods, it does not require the application class to be instantiated.

Filters

A unique feature of Flight is something that the author calls filters. Filters are functions that can be executed before and after any other function and can change the parameters and the output of the said function.

13. AjaxAC

If you are working with Ajax application you need to have many smooth features.

It is offered by AjaxAC. It will be the best solution to developing Ajax applications.

Another, open-source framework from PHP, it helps in developing faster, easier and high-quality applications of all sizes.

When using AjaxAC you do not have to reload the entire page as it implements the XMLHttpRequest object to change the state of web pages using the HTTP sub-requests in the background.

Features:

• A single class is used as self-contained for all application code
• Calling PHP file/HTML page is spotless. All that is required is creating the application classes, then referencing the application Javascript and attaching any required elements to the application.
• Built-in functionality for easy handling of Javascript events.
• It makes the process of hooking with existing PHP Classes or MySQL database easier than other

14. Zikula

Zikula is open-sourced PHP frameworks based on the Symfony and Doctrine.

It is suitable for all range of project sizes from small and personal to enterprise-based projects.

It is incorporated many structures like Bootstrap 3 structure and Font Awesome. It delivers high-end performance when coming to the development of the application.

It includes new some exclusive features like elegant theme system, ModuleStudio, WYSIWYG editors, document originator, chat, galleries and many more.

Features

In well-maintained and high-quality components are used for providing high-end performance.

High-quality ecosystem feasible result are delivered fro application.

Zikula uses some of the Model-driven development tools.

It is known for creating dynamic content block creation and arrangement

15. Aura

When you are developing a basic app, Aura must be your priority for it. Because it's always a go-to option for developers for basic apps.

It consists of self-contained decoupled libraries with no dependencies.

This makes Aura to integrate the libraries and components separately into a project.

All the libraries are regularly maintained by the Aura community.

Features:

• Configuration system makes the development process easier and speed up it.
• Dependency injection container allows developers to add components separately.
• Web request and response objects are easy to handle.
• Standard I/O objects are used throughout the framework.

16. PHPixie

PHP developers looking for a simplified PHP framework opt for PHPixie because it is operational on the platform of MVC pattern, helping developers design applications in a short period.

With PHPixie you can get a strong foundation for development.

Most PHPixie is straightforward to study and perform flawlessly to create superior web applications.

Requiring lesser configuration and being easy to use, this is going to be one among more and more popular PHP frameworks in the coming days.

17. Medoo

Medoo is the lightest & an easily manageable PHP framework used to hasten the web development process.

You can learn Medoo easily and use it for development. More for handling databases it offers various options that is it is compatible with SQL databases such as MySQL, SQLite, MSSQL, Maria DB, Oracle, Postgre SQL, Sybase and more.

If you want to manage complicated coding and also entangled with the high number of codes than Medoo will be the option.

Features

Lightweight

It is portable with only one file and less than 100kb.

Powerful

It supports many features including various common and complex SQL queries, data mapping, and prevent SQL injection.

Friendly

You can use this with every PHP frameworks like Laravel, Codeigniter, Yii, Slim, and framework which supports singleton extension or composer.

Compatible

As already states it is compatible with may database technologies like MySQL, MSSQL, SQLite, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Sybase, Oracle and more.

18. POP PHP

A strong design is used in the development of the POP PHP framework.

Even though it is simple to use with an efficient API.

It calls for PHP 5.3+ and manages to maintain its minimalism and lightweight nature.

It is used purely as a toolbox having perhaps having numerous novel features have been added to it.

It is more like the foundation of your applications.

Features

1. Application Object

2. Service Locator

3. Module Manager

4. Base Controller Class

19. Qcodo

Qcodo Development Framework is one of the awesome PHP Frameworks. It is a wholly object-oriented framework and open-source too.

It does not use unnecessary strain of coding for development so it was liked by many developers.

The websites that are powered by Qcodo are capable of generating over 100 million page views each month.

Organizations such as NASA and companies like HP where there is always this rigorous production of data are implementing Qcodo as it hassle-free to use.

Regardless of the application, you can implement Qcodo for almost anything and everything that includes both large scale enterprise applications and even the Web 2.0 startups.

Features

1. Global support

2. It supports object-oriented database querying library

3. Also, it comes with database profiling tools that are in-built

4. It comes with a fully-integrated PHP driven AJAX Support.

20. Seagull

If you want to build complicated applications then Seagull can be preferred. As it is one of the object-oriented PHP Frameworks.

If you are new to PHP and want to master in development then, this is where you should be starting.

It is easy to hunt down the Seagull library for sample applications. In which you can be tailor to fit into your requirements with ease.

Don’t worry if you are an expert, still, you can implement Seagull because it provides you with a variety of options that includes a modular codebase, standards, best practices that will guide you through building some of the best applications.

A number of the command line, GUI apps and web applications have been powered by the Seagull framework from PHP.

Help and assistance are available at any time because of the active community that Seagull possesses.

Features

• Ease of use: It is great for prototyping complex projects
• Integrated with ORM for RAD development
• It is highly configurable with other frameworks, easy to integrate with 3rd party code
• It has loosely coupled components and you can use the template engine of your choice.

21. BlueShoes

If you want to have the Content Management System inside the framework then go for Blue Shoes.

It does not compromise on security and quality for application but also it is easier and faster way of developing the application.

Blue Shoes provides other exciting features that provide unconditional support for the database.

With the help of widely-used MySQL database, it makes database access easier also it support for MSSQL and Oracle.

22. Nette

Nette is a powerful helping developer who creates better websites.

Radical technology is used in Nette which helps in t eliminating security holes and their mishandling like in XSS, session hijacking, and session fixation.

It has a strong debugging tool which helps to discover bugs easily

Features:

Nette is open source and is distributed under the MIT license.

Built around good programming practices

Nette is built to help developers create good, maintainable code using the DRY principle

It helps to develop applications faster.

23. Cappuccino

When you have a short period for development the application then go with Cappuccino.

It is Build on JS but works well with the PHP backend to any application.

It is popular for developing an application in less time without missing out on essentials.

It is Created by the 280North team of Motorola.

It got popular for its rich features and ability to develop applications that might not have been possible on other framework bases.

24.Limonade

Limonade has high-quality web designing and development solutions.

It also provides a significant solution for complex problems

Apart from this, Limonade is one of the excellent PHP frameworks in assisting developers for speedy prototyping solutions.

25. Stratus

Like Qcodo, Stratus is both an object-oriented and open-source PHP Framework!

It is mainly used for rapid development of PHP web applications. Also, you do not worry about safety and security when working on Stratus.

Conclusion

The great thing if you use PHP frameworks, you can make your development process much faster, easier and more fun.

All PHP frameworks are different and unique from each other and offer and amazing features.

Our suggestion is to use only what you consider the most appropriate and easy to learn a framework for your project. Most importantly, which suits your application development and satisfies your business needs.

If you are going to develop your application in PHP you can hire our highly skilled PHP Developers as you want.

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