A big challenge for start-ups & SME’s today is building quality websites in an efficient and timely manner. The first question they must ask is: Which technology to use? For web development purposes, most tend to go for PHP frameworks. PHP frameworks are one of the best frameworks for web development for many reasons- scalability, development speed, code reusability and organization. There is no doubt that the two most popular PHP frameworks are both Laravel and Symfony.
Laravel and Symfony are quite similar in many ways. Firstly, they both obviously use PHP as their programming language. They are both cross-platform which means that they are computer software that is implemented on multiple computing platforms. It is worth noting that both are multi-user and multi-language content. The two provide the scaffolding of the application, pattern for interfaces and support text search. So, how do they compare? And which should you choose?
Laravel was created in 2011 and is one of the most prominent frameworks on the market today, allowing developers to focus on core fundamentals, with easy scaling options and quick development with codes that are easily manageable. Laravel is open-source, free to use, and renowned for its simple and fast coding approach. It is mostly used for smaller projects that require quick implementation. Laravel allows you to program in PHP with less code, higher performance, and lower costs. Its built-in authentication, easy migration of databases, and simple configuring facilitate and significantly speeds up web app development.
Some features of Laravel:
Security: Laravel framework has several advanced tools that help to protect an app’s code from various kinds of hacker attacks. It finds errors quickly and fixes bugs.
Independent Codes: Allowing you to change appearance of the web page easily.
Usage of Back-end Tools: Laravel uses backend tooling that makes the web development process much smoother.
Symfony is typically suited for large-scale or complex enterprise level projects. It helps developers create scalable websites that are flexible to changing business requirements. Symfony can work with some of the largest open-source platforms such as PHPBB, Piwik, and Drupal. The main philosophy behind Symfony is to help create software by users for their own needs.
Some features of Symfony:
Bundles: Everything is a bundle in Symfony, including both the core framework functionality and the code written for your application. Each bundle is intended to add functionality to the framework and can also be reused in another project or shared with the rest of the community.
Components: Symfony’s components help reduce routine tasks as they can be used independently by adding your own custom modules without affecting the architecture. Symfony has around 30 helpful Symfony components that aid the web development procedure.
Customization: Symfony is loaded with exclusive custom features and functionalities. Using Symfony, you can make your web application as user oriented as you aim for. The advanced OOPS service architecture of Symfony allows to scale up projects.
CONCLUSION
After having a closer look, it is clear both Laravel and Symfony are rich in features and both are very suitable to use on a wide range of web development projects. Laravel and Symfony provide robust functionalities as well as features, which supports ease-up the PHP development process. When you are in the initial phase of a project like a start-up product or have small projects, PHP Laravel could be the right choice for you. It is often preferred by developers for its rapid development, performance, and speed. However, if you have a long-term complex project, PHP Symfony can be the better choice, as it is fast, expandable, stable, flexible and more sustainable.