Choosing the Apt PHP Framework Between Symfony vs. Laravel

In the digital realm more than 80 percent websites are powered by PHP and achieving this exceptional feat by PHP specialists using plain PHP would have been near to impossible. Thanks to the robust, secure and reliable PHP frameworks that made developing complex web applications simpler, easier and faster! In this article we would discuss about choosing the appropriate framework for your project between two highly popular PHP frameworks – Symfony vs. Laravel.

Handling complexity

Symfony showcases excellent complexity handling compared to other frameworks because you can use its components in your project in a modular fashion. Laravel is not that sharp in providing modular approach as Symfony and hence the latter is highly suitable for rapid development of complex projects.

Rapid development

Developing your application within deadlines to meet consumer expectations and keep up with competition is crucial. In such cases you need a robust framework with a strong community support and Symfony comes as a perfect fit for your project. Laravel, on the other hand, still has to come a long way for being the default choice but if you are a beginner then you can consider Laravel for its easy learning curve and online resources to help you to get started.

Database support

Both the frameworks support databases but Laravel supports fewer databases than Symfony. Symfony 2 allows you to work with an array of databases, including DynamoDB and NoSQL and thus stands out as a more relevant option for your project.

Extendibility

Frameworks allow you to improve their scope and functionalities with extensions or packages and Laravel stands out as a winner in this regard. It offers you more than 9000 packages whereas Symfony offers around 2830 bundles.

Community support

The longevity of open source frameworks is decided by the strength of its community. Both the frameworks have rich and strong community support but Symfony’s community is a bit more solid and mature. Both the frameworks have adequate resources available in terms of online learning material and documentation.

Wrapping up

While choosing a framework for your project the point to be kept in mind is not only the features offered by the frameworks but how best the features and functionalities can be utilized for your web application project. For simple and startups you can go for Laravel as it has an easy learning curve but for complex enterprise level projects Symfony is the best fit. For an ideal outcome you can hire a Symfony Framework Spécialiste and if you are pondering about cost then outsourcing your project can be a cost-effective as well as win-win solution.