Are you aware that PHP frameworks are among the most popular frameworks on the market? Some of the most obvious reasons are that it is loosely connected, easily modified, and allows for efficient use of codes. The Laravel and Symfony frameworks are the most widely used and most simply comparative among the list of PHP frameworks.
As per the report by BuiltWith, over 17 lakhs 1,706,641 websites utilize Laravel, whereas over 1 lakh websites use Symfony. The whopping numbers illustrate why Symfony and Laravel are preferred frameworks for developers because of their wide-ranging capabilities, high performance, and popularity.
It may be challenging to choose between these two because each has its own advantages and disadvantages for your project. We decided to compile a full comparison between these two in order to make the choice simpler and more straightforward for you.
We hope by the end of this article, you will have absolute clarity about both of these frameworks, and you can choose the best one for your business requirements.
Let’s get started.
What is Symfony?
Symfony is an open-source development framework built by Fabien Potencier in October 2005 under the MIT license. A group of interconnected PHP components makes up the Symfony framework. A web application framework, an idea, and a community are all included in the collection.
Symfony is a proven and dependable platform that is appropriate for difficult enterprise initiatives because of its reusable PHP components and reliance on the MVC design. It decreases coding errors while saving developers time.
The most common applications for the Symfony framework include content management systems, microservices, blog posts, accounts, bots, eCommerce platforms, and accounting systems. This framework’s main objective is to make it simple for users to create software that meets their demands.
What is Laravel Framework?
Laravel is an open-source and popular PHP framework developed by Taylor Otwell in 2011. This framework allows the building of scalable web apps using a model-view-controller design pattern. It uses pre-existing parts from many frameworks to build a web application.
A robust query builder, user-friendly authentication and authorization systems, and an attractive template engine called Blade are just a few of the many built-in features and tools that Laravel offers to make development simple and rapid. It is simple to develop and read code, thanks to Laravel’s clear syntax.
Overall, Laravel is a strong and adaptable PHP framework that makes it simple for developers to swiftly and simply build high-quality online applications.
Laravel vs. Symfony – The Major Differences!
Symfony Vs. Laravel Performance & Development
Laravel performs very well for small web apps that need to be implemented quickly. Using Laravel’s built-in authentication, rapid database migration, object-relational mapping, and simple configuration assistance, when you hire Laravel developers, they can significantly speed up the development of online applications.
Symfony is a great option for large, complex online applications as well as apps that need custom development for special features, such as enterprise apps, e-commerce stores, or music/video streaming applications. Well-known companies that use Symfony to build complex online apps include Spotify, Trivago, and Dailymotion.
Laravel vs. Symfony – Learning Curve!
The learning curves for the Laravel framework and Symfony vary a lot. Laravel is considered as beginner-friendly as compared to Symfony and aims to offer an elegant and expressive syntax, making it easier for developers to get started quickly. It comprises various built-in functionalities and conventions that streamline common tasks.
On the other hand, Symfony has a steeper learning curve as it emphasizes more on flexibility and modularity and is useful in developing huge and complex applications. It offers a powerful set of tools, and when you hire Symfony developers, they need to have a deeper understanding of its components to develop complex applications.
Laravel vs. Symfony – Database support!
Laravel and Symfony have different approaches when it comes to database support.
When it comes to the Laravel framework, it includes an ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) known as Eloquent, which offers a simple and expressive syntax for interacting with databases. Eloquent supports a wide range of database systems and offers functionalities like query development, relationships, and migrations, making it easy to work with databases.
On the other hand, the Symfony framework utilizes Doctrine as its default ORM. Doctrine is also a powerful and widely adopted ORM that focuses on scalability and sophisticated database features. It offers extensive support for database management, querying, and mapping complex object relationships.
Laravel vs. Symfony – Scalability and Modularity.
The wide collection of reusable Symfony framework components leads to improved modularity. It skillfully arranges the code, making it simple to employ for more complicated, larger applications. Symfony’s modularity and scalability are two reasons why experts choose Symfony over Laravel.
Even though MVC-based applications are Laravel’s area of strength, once you depart from these principles, the Laravel framework can’t help you out. In terms of this criterion, Symfony takes the lead due to its adaptability and flexibility. But if you still need to go with Laravel, you hire the leading Laravel development company to cope with your scaling needs.
Laravel vs Symfony – Default Templating Engine
Laravel makes use of the Blade template engine, one of the most effective default template engines. It enables Laravel programmers to use standard PHP code. Create an app using our template engine that offers results rapidly and at no additional expense.
Contrarily, Symfony makes use of the Twig template engine, which enables PHP programmers to create templates that are more concise and user-friendly for web designers. The twig template engine is a well-known technology that businesses utilize to provide high-end PHP programming services.
Laravel vs. Symfony – Architecture!
One of the major differences between Laravel and Symfony lies in their architectural approach. Laravel follows the MVC (Model-View-Controller) pattern, which offers an organized way to separate application logic, presentation, and information.
On the other hand, Symfony abides by a more scalable and modular structure known as the Symfony Components, which helps programmers to pick up the elements they require and develop their own architecture. Symfony promotes a decoupled and reusable codebase.
Laravel vs. Symfony Popularity and market share
Statistics show that 11,654 websites use Symfony, while 135,974 use the Laravel framework. When evaluating the market shares of these frameworks among websites with 10k, 100k, and 1 million visits, Laravel comes out on top.
According to GitHub statistics, Laravel has 65.8k stars compared to Symfony’s 25.4k. Another crucial statistic to take into account is the number of contributors to the various framework communities: Symfony has 2394 contributors, while Laravel has 2576.
These figures clearly show that there are more job opportunities for Laravel than for Symfony.
Laravel vs. Symfony – The future!
We have reached the stage where, given the maintenance and scalability requirements of each framework, we can predict what the future holds for the Laravel framework and Symfony.
Due to its wealth of cutting-edge features and versatility, Symfony appears to have a promising future. It is a fantastic option for projects that call for a high degree of customization and scalability.
Laravel, on the other hand, has a more promising future than Symfony because of its user-friendly interface, out-of-the-box functionality, and simplicity of usage, making it the perfect choice for projects that need quick development and a short time to market.
Which Platform to choose?
Between Laravel and Symfony, there is no apparent winner because everything is based on your ultimate objective.
When to choose the Laravel framework?
- If this is your first time using the framework, Laravel is a superior option because it’s simpler to learn, offers better learning resources, and is easier to understand.
- You’re developing a startup product and testing the idea because it is easy to hire Laravel developers, and it’s a necessity for quick application development.
When to choose Symfony?
- If you’re creating an extensive enterprise application, Symfony is the best choice because it is well-structured, adaptable, and maintainable.
- When you are working on complex migration or a long-term development project, Symfony is suitable. Because Symfony has realistic release schedules for the next six years, it is less probable that there will be any unexpected events in the future.
To sum up!
For web development, Laravel and Symfony are both excellent choices. In conclusion, choosing between Laravel and Symfony in 2023 will depend on a number of variables, including the project’s needs, the team’s skill set, the available funds, the time frame, and future-proofing.
The choice mostly depends on the particular needs of the project as well as the abilities and preferences of the development team. Both frameworks have advantages and disadvantages – so considering your business needs, you can move forward.
When choosing between Laravel and Symfony for your project development needs, if you’re still unsure which to choose, set up a free consultation with Sufalam Technologies – The leading Laravel development company with a team of committed and experienced professionals. We are more than delighted to help you with our first-rate development services.
Also read: List of Useful Tools for a PHP Developer: Top 7 Tools
