What PHP Frameworks Should You Use in 2024?

2024 could be a real breakthrough for your business. You spent most of 2023 fine-tuning operations to make your company more efficient and able to produce more with less. This year should allow you to reap the benefits of that fine-tuning.

But that doesn't mean you should sit back and relax. No. Your company needs to move forward, building on the momentum created and expanding even further. This means your software engineers must constantly focus on improving their actions and methods. To do this, developers need to continuously add new frameworks. This is especially true for a language like PHP.

PHP has become one of the most widely used programming languages on the planet. Why? Two words: web applications. Web applications have completely changed how users interact with websites, and your company should leverage them.

To successfully develop and deploy web applications, your developers need to use one or more PHP frameworks.

What is a PHP Framework?

Before we dive into the frameworks, let's clarify what a framework is. Simply put, a framework is software designed and used by software engineers to make the application development process more efficient. Frameworks allow engineers to use (and reuse) pre-built code snippets (like libraries), saving them from building everything from scratch.

Think of it this way. When you shop at a store like Ikea, everything is arranged by rooms. But they go a step further by decorating showrooms according to their functions. So, you have a model bedroom filled with furniture and other elements that create a finished look. Then you can pick and choose items from that room that you need.

You don't have to assemble every piece of furniture by hand (since Ikea keeps it simple). You just choose "Bed X", "Dresser X", and "Nightstand X". But another bedroom might feature "Bed Y", "Dresser Y", and "Nightstand Y". You can mix and match items to create your desired perfect look. You can even reuse these items by adding new elements to create a completely different look.

That's roughly how a framework works... only with code. These tools make it much easier for developers to create the software your company needs to operate in today's competitive market.

Primary benefits of a framework are:

Acceleration of the development lifecycle.
Less original code to create.
Numerous available libraries for common tasks.
Learning (and following) best coding practices.
Enhanced security.
Code that is easier to maintain.

So, which frameworks should you use in 2024?

CakePHP

This framework has been around for a long time but remains one of the most popular. This is because its creators have done an enormous amount of work to keep CakePHP relevant to modern development needs. CakePHP is fairly easy to install and learn. In fact, CakePHP's configuration is minimal, so your developers will have no trouble getting started with this framework.

CakePHP is an excellent choice for applications that require a high level of security. With support for features like SQL injection protection, cross-site request forgery protection, and cross-site scripting protection, this PHP framework is ideal for large business applications. If you're looking for a PHP framework that includes modularity, the ability to create standalone libraries, proper class inheritance, validation, password hashing, form data protection, CSRF protection, and very fast build times, then CakePHP is for you.

CodeIgniter

CodeIgniter is a lightweight framework that takes up very little space (just 2 MB). With many pre-built modules (specifically designed for reusable components), this PHP framework is a great option for building dynamic sites.

CodeIgniter is one of the fastest frameworks on the market and offers a high level of security, strong encryption, easy error handling, and a very low learning curve. Additionally, CodeIgniter is well-documented, meaning there is a wealth of information to help your developers get up to speed quickly. The only downside of CodeIgniter is the lack of regular updates, which may not be the best option for companies needing the most secure framework on the market.

FuelPHP

One of the main advantages of FuelPHP is that it is not limited to the basic Model-View-Controller pattern; it can also work with the Hierarchical-Model-View-Controller pattern. The latter pattern adds an additional layer between the controller and the view, which improves code organization, modularity, extensibility, and encourages code reuse. This framework is community-driven and has over 300 contributors over its lifetime.

FuelPHP is also one of the most secure PHP frameworks on the market due to features like output encoding, CSRF protection, and Input/URI/XSS filtering. Other capabilities of FuelPHP include a URL routing system, built-in caching system, and vulnerability protection.

Laravel

Laravel is often called "the PHP framework for web artisans." It is one of the newest PHP frameworks on the market. It is also one of the most popular. Why? Simply put, Laravel can handle very complex web applications with speed and security that no other framework can match. While enabling the creation of incredibly complex web applications, Laravel also reduces the complexities inherent in common tasks, including authentication, queuing, routing, and sessions.

With Laravel Homestead (the official pre-packaged Laravel Vagrant box), you can get started with this framework in no time.

As for security, Laravel includes all necessary modules and features, including authentication, authorization, email verification, encryption, hashing, and password reset.

Symfony

Symfony is one of the most popular PHP frameworks for building both websites and web applications that require scalability. It is a very flexible framework, allowing developers to choose the components needed for a specific project.

Symfony is known as one of the most database-friendly frameworks on the market, supporting Drizzle, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, SAP Sybase SQL Anywhere, SQLite, and SQLServer. Symfony also includes over 4,000 packages that can be downloaded and used.

One of the most important advantages for enterprise-grade developers is that Symfony is backed by Sensio Labs, which offers professional support and includes Long Term Release (LTS) versions with 3 years of support.

Conclusion

Regardless of your needs, there is a PHP framework ready to help make a developer's life more efficient and easier. And this list is just a small sample. If you didn't find a framework suitable for your project in this list, ask any PHP developer, and they will point you in the right direction.