PHP is highly popular, and needs no introduction. But, so are the frameworks, Laravel, and Symfony. This blog plans on sharing detailed insights on the two frameworks, so that developers can make a wise and accurate choice. We hope that we help you best in choosing the best as per your needs.
The two contenders here, Laravel and Symfony can lead to a hot discussion. The discussion here refers to, which one is more popular between the two. Well, according to the
Laravel introduction
It is an open-source framework that follows the model-view-controller pattern. Laravel is used for developing nearly 0.89% of the foremost one million world websites. To confirm, there are nearly 1,35,974 websites that are built using Laravel while we are writing this.
The highlight of the framework is that the functions are divided into separate components managed by the composer. This means, there is a divided source of code repository instead of one single code repository.
Laravel is easy to learn because of similar features to other PHP frameworks, Yii, Ruby on Rails, and CodeIgnitor. Developing a beautiful website with simple syntax is quite easy and quick using Laravel.
Symfony Introduction:
Symfony is again an open-source PHP framework based on projects such as Propel, Doctrine, Twig, Swift Mailer, etc. Same to Laravel, Symfony also has decoupled components. This means you can easily replace one Symfony component with another even from a non-Symfony project.
To our surprise, even Laravel uses nearly 14 Symfony components. We can say, ever since its birth in 2005, Symfony has evolved with time.
What are the similarities between Laravel and Symfony?
Needless to mention, both frameworks are PHP-based. Also, both of them support cross-platform functioning. Additionally, Symfony and Laravel extend support to multi-user and multi-language content. Also, you can find scaffolding of application, interfaces pattern, and text search support in both frameworks.
Both frameworks provide testing tools and have built-in internationalization features.
Laravel and Symfony both can be easily extended because of the CLI tool available.
These open-source frameworks provide database support.
In the next segment, we will look into the key differences between the two. Before we delve into the key differences, here is an outlook table that will give you a quick review of the differences.
|
Comparative segment |
Symfony |
Laravel |
|---|---|---|
|
Date of release |
October 2005 |
June 2011 |
|
Current version |
Version 6.1 |
Version 8 |
|
GitHub stars |
27.4K |
71K |
|
Flexibility |
More flexible |
Less flexible |
|
Repository |
Symfony repository |
Laravel repository |
|
License |
MIT License |
MIT License |
|
Speed |
Normal |
Improved |
|
Data Migration |
Automatic |
Manual |
|
Data Modeling |
Doesn’t require SQL Knowledge |
Requires SQL knowledge |
|
Framework |
Web framework |
Web Application framework |
|
Original Developers |
Fabien Potencier |
Taylor Otwell |
Well, we feel a tabular form of information would be easy to read and grasp. So here we go.
|
|
Laravel |
Symfony |
|---|---|---|
|
Modularity & Scalability |
Laravel is based upon the MVC structure. Any deviation from MVC reduces its flexibility drastically. If you wish to change a code part, you need to do it entirely. |
The framework provides many reusable components because of the packaged modular structure. You can share code across multiple apps. The code is well organized here. |
|
Templating Engine |
Laravel uses Blade, which allows code reusability and optimized performance |
Symfony uses Twig as a Templating Engine. Twig is known for the development of more compact, legible templates. |
|
Database Support |
MySQL: YesDrizzle: NoOracle: NoPostgreSQL: YesSQLite: YesSQL Server: YesSAP Sybase SQL Anywhere: No |
MySQL: YesDrizzle: YesOracle: YesPostgreSQL: YesSQLite: YesSQL Server: YesSAP Sybase SQL Anywhere: Yes |
|
Database migration |
One has to manually migrate data |
Data migration occurs automatically. One just has to mention fields within the model. |
|
Learning curve |
Laravel is comparatively easy to learn & implement |
Symfony is difficult to execute. |
|
Security |
Laravel has a straightforward security feature that can be at a risk |
Symfony has a powerful security feature supporting a number of authentication methods. |
|
Speed |
Laravel development requires minimal coding which means the speed of development is faster |
Symfony on the other hand, is slow in speed. |
|
Data modeling |
One needs to have SQL knowledge to execute Laravel |
There is no such need for SQL knowledge. One can create a repository for each cell. |
To Summarise
Laravel
It has a huge community of supporters to help you with any blockage. Laravel allows easy access to the newest version of PHP features and it is also compatible with third-party platforms & libraries.
On the downside, If the application is complex, it might take a few more seconds for loading. Also, if you want to shift to the latest version of Laravel, you would have to make changes in the code string.
Symfony
Symfony also has huge community support. Drupal, Magento, and eZPublish already use Symfony which means it can be trusted with your project. Unlike Laravel, the updates are easily accessible.
The downside of Symfony includes that it’s difficulty in learning PHP might divert your interest during web development. Symfony needs you to rebuild code for various purposes, which means you need to invest more time in testing and development may take longer.
When should you choose Laravel or Symfony
For speedy development, Laravel is the best option to go for. Also, the cost of Laravel app development is cheaper than Symfony. Hence, if you have a low budget, you should opt for Laravel.
Magic methods are eye-catchers of Laravel. It helps you in mitigating the hassle of writing long codes.
Symfony is suitable for complex projects which means a project having a higher budget. Symfony supports personalization and allows you to add features at convenience. It consists of bundles where the developers can make changes instead of changing the entire project.
Conclusion
Symfony and Laravel frameworks are both user-friendly. However, each one of them has its individual cases where they can be implemented in the best possible way.
You should discuss your project requirements with your development partner and they will guide you in the best possible way.
Well, disclosing the truth, our personal favorite is Laravel.