The Best PHP Frameworks

When talking about web development we think about codes, numbers, HTML, CSS or JavaScript, and we instantly get a headache. But before this happens, you should know which are the best PHP frameworks.

When we think about developing an application or a website from scratch, we must keep in mind that it’ll take a lot of work. Sometimes, you’ll have to recreate functions repeatedly that have already been done previously, which can be tiring and monotonous.

But don't worry, PHP frameworks are made to solve any kind of problems and can help you to create a base on which you can build your application or website.

In the following lines, we want to dive into this very interesting topic about working environments: we’ll explore its concept, why it’s so important in a work group, the advantages that you’ll get by implementing it, and we’ll present to you our ranking with the best PHP frameworks of this 2021.

Are you ready? Let's get started!

What do we mean by frameworks?

Let's get back to the basics by offering a definition of these working environments.

A PHP framework is a platform on which you can create PHP web applications (programming language of general use in web development). These frameworks are like code libraries to perform the most common functions, considerably reducing the amount of source code that needs to be written.

Or in other words: the best PHP frameworks will make our life much easier when it comes to developing codes, so we don’t get a headache. 

Why is it important to use them?

We can think of thousands and thousands of reasons why you should use this type of tool.

However, we’ll give you 7 good reasons to use a framework.

1. Easier development: with these PHP frameworks that have integrated libraries and tools, the time to carry out the development is a lot less.
2. Less to write: thanks to the use of functions that are integrated within the platform, it isn’t necessary to write source code.
3. Common libraries: many of the tasks involved in web application development are common, such as validating forms or CRUD operations. You can use these frameworks from within the system itself without needing to rely on third parties.
4. Practice coding: frameworks are generally the best practice for coding. They’ll force you to organize your code in such a way that it’s neat, organized, and much easier to understand.
5. Safer writing: even in the best PHP frameworks, security threats are not to be underestimated. These include cross-site scripting (XSS), some SQL injection attacks (domain-specific language used in programming to retrieve systems) and cross-site request forgery (CSRF) between different sites.
6. Improves teamwork: having projects with several developers at once can go wrong if there’s no quality in aspects such as information, design decisions or important things like coding standards.
7. Easy to maintain: with PHP frameworks the code base is reduced and therefore less maintenance is required.

Top 5 PHP frameworks of 2021

If you’ve used frameworks before, you know in advance that these tools are unique. If, on the other hand, you haven't used them and don't know how they work, keep reading carefully.

We’ll do our best to provide you with all the information you need regarding frameworks, and which one suits you best.

Therefore, we offer you the 5 best PHP frameworks available in 2021.

1. Acai Code (Recommendation)

We’ve come to one of the best PHP frameworks, that’s getting stronger day by day in web development.

Acai Code is a PHP-based technology that wants to unite the front with the end. Designed by and for front-end developers who want to be able to create their own custom projects.

Acai Code is a revolution in the frameworks sector. It’s a framework oriented to web development and only needs to connect with the source code of the web, allowing continuous development, with a complete scalability comparing to other tools.

Its CMS (or content manager) is connected to multiple tools, with which it pursues complete autonomy and agility to manage content and strategies without having to leave the website.

Developed by a team of developers and specialists in digital marketing, Acai Code allows its users to have not only a specialized team to carry out their digital intervention in the most personalized way possible, but it’s also designed so that you don’t depend on them to make decisions about your online marketing and sales strategies.

2. Zend

Another framework based on MVC architecture, generally object-oriented, that only allows you to load the components that you want to host in libraries, but you can only do it individually.

Therefore, Zend will allow a direct focus on components and functions that you want to develop, ignoring the rest. Because of this and the object-oriented nature of the tool, you'll be able to reuse a lot of the code you're writing, which is a huge plus.

3. Laravel

This is one of the best and most widely used PHP frameworks of them all. It stands out mainly for having an MVC architecture support (responsible for separating codes by their different responsibilities), being open source and with a built-in template engine that complements everything perfectly.

Laravel is the perfect support for the fastest and most efficient web development for your project. You can develop any kind of tasks in the background, improving considerably the performance of the work you’re doing.

4. Symfony

Symfony it’s a tool that has a great flexibility, with a package and a system of components that allows you to choose between some PHP functions that you need or if you want you can use the whole framework.

It guarantees the correct functioning and execution of all applications, including the built-in test functionality. Perhaps it has some handicaps, such as its low performance or its learning curve that can be eternal compared to other frameworks.

5. CakePHP

Back in the early 2000s, CakePHP was the first and one of the best MVC PHP frameworks to hit the market, completely revolutionizing it.

Where this framework excels is in the way it approaches programming conventions. This tells us that, once CakePHP has mastered the set of conventions, you’ll be able to focus exclusively on development and do a much faster and more efficient job.

We’ve come to the conclusion of our article, and we hope it has been of great help, not only to know a little more about the frameworks and everything that surrounds this tool, but also how it works, and which are the best ones.

As you know, the web is vast, and you can find everything and with frameworks it is not going to be less. There’s a wide variety with multiple features that make them unique.

However, we wanted to offer those that, in the opinion of our experts, are the best you can find, in relation to the functionality and features they can offer.

Therefore, having the best PHP frameworks is to optimize resources to the maximum to develop web applications in an optimal and simple way.