Laravel vs Other PHP Frameworks: Which One Should You Choose in 2026?

If you’re running a website development company, you cannot undermine the importance of Laravel- one of the most demanding PHP frameworks.

From personal blogs to integrating CRM into a client’s website, Laravel made things like walking in a park!

PHP and its frameworks power 74.5% of all websites, making it a familiar server-side programming language. Most of the core development work entails developing websites and web applications. In fact, PHP and its frameworks are responsible for the seamless operation of several globally acclaimed websites, including Walmart, Slack, Wikipedia, and Facebook.

More than 640,408 users are currently using Laravel to develop their websites.

However, there are other PHP frameworks on the market, such as CodeIgniter, Symphony, and Zend Framework. This begs the next question- “Laravel or the other PHP frameworks?”. To find the answer, continue reading this blog.

What are the Features of the Laravel Framework?

Laravel is an open-source framework popular for its robust features that provide consistent support for building web applications. If you’re running a PHP development company and want a modern framework that aligns with your clients’ business, Laravel’s features will never let you down. Here are some of the notable features-

• Blade Templating Engine– Laravel’s templating engine, Blade, offers a dynamic way to develop views. This enhances code visibility.
•   Eloquent ORM– To simplify database interactions with an expressive syntax, Laravel has an eloquent object-relational mapping system.
• Middleware– This provides a mechanism to filter HTTP requests entering the web application. Moving forward, it enables quick customization of the HTTP request handling process.
• Artisan Console- The command line interface of Laravel is the game-changer for developers as it provides a series of commands to streamline development tasks. This enables developers to save effort and time. Instead, they can focus on application development and its features.
• Routing System- The routing system of Laravel allows developers to define clear and expressive routes for web applications.

 

What is the Usage of Laravel?

Recent studies show that 20-30% developers have leveraged PHP. This shows the interest in Laravel compared to other frameworks. Let’s see the usage of Laravel –

• API Development– Laravel helps in the creation of RESTful APIs, which allow developers to develop secure and efficient endpoints for multiple applications.
• Web Application Development– Laravel is used to develop robust and scalable web applications for various companies, irrespective of their size.
• E-Commerce Platforms– Appropriate for developing e-commerce applications, which provide a solid foundation for developing secure and feature-rich online stores.
• CMS– Laravel is used to develop CMS platforms, leveraging its eloquent syntax and powerful features for content management.  
• Enterprise Applications– As Laravel contains expressive syntax and comprehensive features, it is used to develop large-scale enterprise applications.

Laravel Vs. CodeIgniter

• Laravel– This framework offers a full-stack framework with modern practices like dependency injection, MVC, and Artisan CLI.
• CodeIgniter– Faster and lighter for smaller projects. However, it lacks modern features.

Why You Must Choose Laravel over CodeIgniter?

• Appropriate for developing complex web applications.
• Laravel has the pre-defined built-in modularity features, which allow developers to bifurcate a project into small modules.
• Laravel follows the MVC architecture structure of files. It comes with Artisan- a command-line tool.  

Laravel vs. Symfony

• Laravel- Offers a developer-friendly setup with quicker setup.
• Symphony- Provides flexible options and enterprise-grade architecture.

Why You Must Choose Laravel over Symphony?

• Expressive Syntax.
• Quicker setup and project bootstrapping.
• Enables the developers to work with out-of-the-box tools like Blade, Eloquent ORM, and Laravel Mix.

Laravel vs. CakePHP

• CakePHP – This offers faster performance for smaller projects as it doesn’t offer a data binding strategy.
• Laravel– Provides top-notch performance for complex projects due to its two-way data binding procedure.

Why You Must Choose Laravel over CakePHP?

• Laravel has elegant and modern syntax.
• Laravel offers an effective and intuitive CRM.
• Contains quality learning resources to help the new Laravel learners adopt the coding vibe quickly.
• Has an in-built testing suite for effective learning.
• Provides a powerful routing system.
• Offers modern caching mechanisms for enhanced performance.

Laravel Vs. Symphony Vs. CodeIgniter Vs. CakePHP: A Quick Comparison Table

Features	Laravel	Symphony	CodeIgniter	CakePHP
Ease of Use	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Routing	Flexible	Flexible	Straightforward	Flexible.
ORM	Eloquent ORM	Doctrine ORM	Basic ORM	Built-in ORM
Support	Top-notch Support.	Good Support.	Good Support.	Average Support.
Testing	Excellent Support.	Good Support.	Normal Support.	Good Support.
Community Support	Strong.	Strong	Moderate.	Moderate.
Security	Predefined Security Features and Protection.	Predefined Security Features and Protection.	Normal Security Features.	Normal Security Features.

Which Framework must You Choose in 2026 for the Next Project?

So, here comes the billion-dollar question- Which PHP Framework must you choose for Your Next Big Project? Considering the common development scenarios, we advise you to choose Laravel, as it works buttery smooth on larger, complex applications. Not only us, but most Laravel development service providers also recommend this framework, as it integrates well with both new and existing databases.

Also, Laravel’s default database features are helpful when the project needs to be developed quickly and simply. Start your next project with Laravel and see the results that bring value, no matter what!