10 Most Popular PHP Frameworks {2022 Update}

PHP or Hypertext PreProcessor is one of the most sought-after open source server-side scripting languages that is embedded in HTML with the purpose of database management, dynamic content management, and session tracking management; to name a few.

There is a whole assortment of PHP Frameworks accessible to users in the current market scenario that enables the users to choose the best PHP development Framework that matches their requirements both financial and technical.

But during selection of PHP Framework, the biggest dilemma is “Which is the best PHP Framework?” 

But the mother of all dilemmas is: Which is the best PHP Framework for you?

Well, to answer your predicament, we have assembled the list of the ten top PHP Frameworks.

List Of Best PHP Frameworks That Will Rule In 2022:

Laravel

Laravel is the one of the most popular PHP Frameworks ever since its genesis in 2011. It’s a free, open source PHP Framework that has the ability to provide security and ability to handle the most complex web applications with acute speed and relative ease of basic processes such as routing, sessions, authentication and caching.

Laravel PHP Framework offers a wide variety of features that helps in developing customized complex apps thus making it perfect for development of mobile applications with complex backend requirements irrespective of its size and footprint. Especially, after the introduction of Homestead, a prepackaged, all-in-Laravel one vagrant box the same can be done quite categorically and easily. 

It is one of the top PHP Frameworks with highly expressive and secure functionality to cater to the needs of the modern day web applications with ever changing web trends.

CakePHP

CakePHP takes the cake when you are looking for the simplest Frameworks amongst all the popular PHP Frameworks, ever since its inception in the early 2000s. CakePHP is an open source platform thus making it easily accessible and open for use to all users and developers. It works on ORM technique i.e. object relational mapping technique. It has an inbuilt ORM which is highly capable. That is why CakePHP is known for its simplicity since it’s all about working with databases and easy going CRUD scaffolding (create, read, update, delete).

Also, CakePHP’s inheritance feature is unparalleled as it has two folders for every project library and app specific one, thus enabling the proper distinguishing of app controller class. 

Keep Reading: CakePHP Website Speed Optimization Tips

Symfony

Another top PHP Framework is Symfony that has been in existence since 2005 and has been able to survive in this competitive and ever emerging technology mart due to its reliability and maturity and sophistication. It’s the good child amongst all the Frameworks since it follows all the rules and standards laid down by the web and PHP both. Symfony Framework works on performance optimization and thus is by far one of the fastest PHP Framework.

Though it is governed by a million web and PHP rules, Symfony is still flexible as it provides 3-in-1 Framework of sorts: Full Stack; Brick By Brick And Micro Framework, thus making it although integrated but also expendable, stable and sustainable with an added easy to use appeal.

CodeIgniter

CodeIgniter is one of the best PHP Frameworks which is most suitable for dynamic website development. With its light footprint as light as 2MB including documentation, CodeIgniter offers prebuilt modules for robust and reusable components for construction purposes.

Due to its dynamic nature, its highly customizable and can always customize the website as per the requirements thus saving time, efforts, and manpower.

CodeIgniter provides flawless website development and delivers exceptional functionality and design. It uses a very basic user interface to detect errors and bugs and mitigate them as well, thus ensuring smooth functioning of the website.

It is one of the most secure and user friendly PHP website development Framework. One of the major reasons it’s in the list of best PHP Framework, owing to its hassle free data migration and the fact that is one of the most lightweight PHP Frameworks.

Yii Framework

Yes It Is or Yii is the top PHP Framework when it comes to using simple yet evolutionary, high performance, component based PHP Framework suitable for developing all sorts of modern websites and web pages, therefore making It a universal web programming PHP Framework.

Yii Framework is one of the sought-after and popular PHP Frameworks when one of the project requirements is shortened development time. 

Yii Framework works on offers a tight security via XSS, cross site scripting, avoidance of cookie attacks via the usage of HMAC (Hash Based Message Authentication) and CSRF Prevention. Also, Yii Framework’s caching is most impressive as it provides cache components such as cMemCache, cDummyCache and cFileCache, thus reducing response time and improving the speed and performance of the web application. Amongst other advantages, Yii is easily configurable as well. 

Zend Framework

Zend is another top PHP Framework which is highly extendable, agile and high-quality PHP Framework with interfaces and inheritance features, making it an Object Oriented PHP Framework which is not offered by a majority of its counterparts. Due to its OO technology Zend is not only highly customizable and most flexible PHP Framework but also most web and PHP law abiding PHP Framework as well.

It’s mostly used for developing complex enterprise level projects such as for designing real estate sites, larger IT departments and banks etc.

It has a bonus feature of being able to integrate itself with external libraries as well. While external library integration the user and developer has the freedom to use only those components that they want. Additional features of Zend Framework include cloud API, data encryption, and session management.

Phalcon

The most popular PHP Framework amongst all the PHP Frameworks that use full stacking is Phalcon which employs MVC architecture to provide highest execution speeds. It’s a high performance oriented Framework which offers a rich set of functionalities. It’s also good for high load and consumes very few resources and more so requires an even lesser number of file operations. Users can use their own base and individual elements while site structuring with the help of ORM Technology thus making Phalcon PHP Framework offer better asset management skills. 

Additionally, Phalcon also has a universal autoloader functionality, template engine functionality, innovative architecture, flash message functionality, high security, and caching prowess. All these functionalities put together are the reason Phalcon is in our list of top PHP Frameworks.

FuelPHP

Another most popular PHP Framework with full stack features is FuelPHP that has been around the technology market for nearly a decade after being launched in 2011. FuelPHP comes with two versions i.e. the basic MVC architecture and its self-developed HMVC (Hierarchical MVC) architecture to avoid data redundancy and duplication, thus saving memory and time.

FuelPHP is flexible and a community driven web Framework which is easy to use and configure. It’s designed in such a way that it is extremely portable and works on almost all servers. 

FuelPHP is one of the most lightweight PHP Frameworks due to its lightweight ORM model. It offers a secure authentication and authorization Framework along with code that are reusable and easily maintained.

FuelPHP supports scaffolding functionality with basic CRUD operations and database operations and also supports secure hashing functions which in turn support strong cryptography tools and password hashing techniques.

PHPixie

Ever since its inception in 2012, PHPixie has been using Hierarchical MVC full-stacking PHP Framework for high-performing read-only websites which in turn has been deemed suitable for social networking websites, customized web applications and app development services; thus crowning it as one of the top PHP Frameworks.

As one of the best PHP Frameworks for web developers, PHPixie is also the most lightweight PHP Frameworks as it provides a restricted full stack feature that focuses on effectiveness and efficiency. Its concentration is on increasing speed and decreasing page load time along with the provision of stable, self-adaptable and robust architecture. It provides a stable codebase that doesn’t get in the way of the creativity of the developers and gives them the freedom they want to write the code in however they see fit. It’s very easy to learn and understandable to anyone with basic PHP knowledge.

Slim Framework

Last one on our list of top PHP Frameworks is Slim PHP Framework which is a super-friendly micro-Framework that helps in creating simple but powerful web apps and APIs and thus mostly suited for small sized web applications that require full-stack PHP Framework. Slim is the fastest micro Resful Framework which is in full compliance with PSR-7. It comes with good documentation thus making it one the most popular PHP Frameworks when it comes to the ease of learning and understanding. Slim Framework is easy to use and quite straightforward in its concept of middleware.

Slim Framework also offers a variety of handy classes that act as reusable components while site or app development such as classes for managing requests, responses, cookies etc.