Best PHP Framework

PHP or Hypertext Preprocessor is a highly popular web programming language that millions of websites rely on. It has become widely used thanks to its interactive features and its fantastic HTML and database integration support. In addition, it is very easy to learn how to use it. PHP has a good framework that will allow you to develop faster and with less errors. In addition, it adds a layer of protection to keep your website safe from SQL injection and other attacks. In this list, you will find the best frameworks for PHP development. They are available for free and are supported by a worldwide community.
Laravel
Although Laravel is still relatively new (it was released in 2012) when compared to other options, it has become the favorite PHP framework for many developers. It is widely used thanks to practical features such as migrations support, Blade templating engine, good routing and easy authentication. The most recent version is available as individual Composer packages.
Zend Framework
This scalable and fully featured object-oriented PHP framework offers a great selection of features and the new version comes with some great updates and enhancements. The online training and certification available make Zend Framework a popular solution that is used by many enterprise organizations. Its OOP (object-oriented programming) and design patterns allow you to extend custom classes and use just what is required.
Phalcon
Like the bird that inspires its name, this PHP framework stands out for its amazing speed. Phalcon offers the fastest time request and lowest memory usage, which gives it an advantage over other solutions of its kind. The speed that Phalcon supports is in great part due to the fact that it was written with C/C++ with a focus on delivering the best performance.
CodeIgniter
This free PHP framework offers powerful performance and while it is simple, it also offers a great design that supports all the necessary tools to create a fully featured application. It comes with a good level of documentation and it supports a large community of users. The features include zero installation, easy error handling, encryption steps and no PHP version conflict.
Slim
Slim is based in Sinatra, a Ruby framework. It is lightweight and allows you to write simple but powerful web applications and APIs. This PHP micro framework may be small in size but it offers great features and it is not to difficult to learn. It integrates routing system and it has a focus on RESTful API with all HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) supports.
CakePHP
CakePHP offers fast and flexible template options and it is an easy to learn solution. Its integrated CRUD, which stands for Create, Read, Update and Delete, make it perfect for database interaction. CakePHP also comes with convenient features that focus on security, as well as email, cookies and sessions.
Symfony
Symfony is a powerful PHP framework that offers a high degree of flexibility and scalability. You will find many PHP components that can be reused such as Translation, Validator, From Config, Security and more. The main purpose of Symfony is to ensure that your web application and maintenance can be carried out faster, reducing repetitive coding.
YiiFramework
This modern PHP framework features OOP design system and it is very easy to install. It can be extended so you can add whatever you need. YiiFramework offers a wide variety of tools that will allow you to enhance your web application to ensure that it offers optional performance. Its built-in integration offers a great PHP testing framework, as well as CodeCeption that lets you test your application easily.
Kohana
This PHP framework features HMVC (Hierarchical Model View Controller) architectural pattern and it was built with a focus on PHP OOP. It supports abstracts, automatic class loading, interfaces, overloading, singletons and more. With Kohana, you get flexibility to use GET, POST, COOKIE and SESSION methods as preferred. Keep in mind that Kohana requires at least PHP version 5.
FuelPHP
FuelPHP is based on PHP 5.3 and it requires this or higher versions of PHP to work. This PHP framework relies on Cascading File System, inspired by Kohana. Its main features include a URL routing system, HMVC implementation, template parsing, form and data validation, RESTful implementation, ORM (Object Relational Mapper), as well as caching system and vulnerability protection. Thanks to the fact that it is a community based solution, FuelPHP offers flexibility and it is an scalable framework.
Fat-Free
Fat-Free is a convenient and easy to use solution that was released in 2009. This PHP micro-framework is lightweight and it was almost completely developed in PHP. Its main features include multilingual application suppory, cache engine and URL router. You can find a great selection of plugins that support a wide variety of database back-end including MSSQL, Sybase, CouchDB, MongoDB, DB2 and Flat File.