PHP is used by approx. 77.6% of websites globally. Be it a small or big enterprise, the use of different PHP frameworks is increasing on daily basis. Such two popular frameworks that are used often are Laravel and Symfony. Here in this article, we shall compare Laravel vs Symfony using different parameters and see which framework is more suitable and preferred by web developers.
Before we start with the comparison let’s have a brief information regarding both the PHP frameworks.
Laravel and Symfony
Laravel: made in 2011, Laravel is an open-source framework that has an MVC design. It requires the least configuration and is known for its simple but fast coding style. The framework contains impressive syntax and you can create web apps by reusing the listing components that it can take from other frameworks.
Features of Laravel
- Authentication
- MVC-Architecture
- ORM
- Command Line Interface
- Template Engine
- Unit Testing
- Automatic Pagination
Symfony: is one of the leading PHP frameworks for making websites and web apps. Symfony also relies on MVC architecture and is just not a framework but also a set of reusable PHP components.
Features of Symfony
- Structured MVC
- Powerful Debugging
- Reliability
- Symfony Profiler
- Robust Dependency
- Customization
Let us compare Laravel and Symfony using different features and parameters.
Laravel vs Symfony: Speed and Performance
Performance measurement is always unclear as it comprises many distinct variables. The majority of the benchmarks suggest that Laravel has an edge when it comes to application speed. Regardless, Symfony is known for its optimization options and there are many levers to be pulled. Though beginners may fail to implement all the combinations of scalability and optimization options that Symfony delivers. Whereas development with Laravel is a straightforward and amazingly speedy experience. It has considerable auto-configured features, hence, web developers don’t have to keep it manually or tune it up. As long as you’re operating the latest and greatest version of each PHP framework, the performance will be good.
Laravel vs Symfony: Database Access
Laravel and Symfony both offer Object Relational Mapping (ORM) for data access. In Symfony, Doctrine controls ORM, while Eloquent delivers ORM for Laravel. In general, ORM makes data manipulation simple for both frameworks.
The Doctrine Database System in Symfony itself migrates all the data, whereas in Eloquent developers have to manually migrate the data with CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations.
Laravel vs Symfony: Development Time
Laravel’s minimal code and better performance let developers build web apps quickly. Symfony framework needs multiple resources and more coding efforts to build high-end web applications and hence consumes more time for developers while app development.
Laravel vs Symfony: Modularity and Scaling
Over here, Symfony has a clear advantage over Laravel. Laravel’s strength revolves around MVC architecture and it can’t support you if you want to operate outside the MVC paradigm. Symfony organizes code better and provides reusability which is better while dealing with complex projects.
Laravel vs Symfony: Templating Engine
A template engine is software built to merge templates with a data model to deliver multiple pages that share an identical look throughout the site. In fact, PHP in itself is a template engine. Symfony provides a Twig template engine by default. Laravel offers Blade Template Engine. While Twing may be fast, secure, and flexible it doesn’t provide code reusability as Blade does.
Laravel vs Symfony: Security
Symfony’s security system is strong but, setting it up is complex. It allows diverse ways of authentication as well as a very fine-grained authorization model. Laravel utilizes a simpler method of security, yet, in the majority of cases, the basic features are more than enough.
Here is a summarized comparison of Laravel and Symfony
| Parameters | Laravel | Symfony |
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Performance
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Laravel actually uses Symfony components. Its average loading time is 60 milliseconds and is ideal for projects with a shorter timeline.
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Symfony website takes more time to load i.e 250 milliseconds and demands more time and development effort in comparison to Laravel.
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Scaling & Modularity
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Laravel framework operates on an MVC-based design.
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Symfony functions on a packaged modular architecture that has many reusable components.
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Default Template Engine |
Laravel uses a powerful Blade template engine. It allows Laravel developers to utilize plain PHP code. Using this template engine, make an app without additional costs.
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Symfony uses a template engine named Twig letting PHP developers develop more web designer-friendly templates as they are concise.
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Database Support
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Laravel supports only these database languages
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Symfony provides more options such as
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Learning Curve
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Has a simple learning curve.
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Has a stiff learning curve.
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Security
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The security system in Laravel is powerful but it is also hard to set up. It supports numerous authentication methods.
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The security system here is simple as basic features are enough in most circumstances.
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Speed
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The performance of Laravel is easily expandable and enables quick development with less coding effort.
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Compared to Laravel, Symfony is slower while creating complex web projects but facilitates adaptability and top performance.
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Scaffolding
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No scaffolding tool is blended into the Laravel framework. Although, several tools can be integrated with this framework.
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SensioGeneratorBundle is the Scaffolding tool in Symfony that provides instructions for scaffolding bundles and CRUD-based backends.
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Dependency Injection
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There is no need to create a dependency configuration as it comes with fantastic auto-detection.
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Symfony has a feature named ‘autowire’ that provides comparable functionality and is much more complex as than Laravel.
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Laravel and Symfony: Similarities
- Use PHP as their programming language
- Both frameworks provide a testing tool
- Backs multi-language and Multi-user content
- Object Relational Mapping (ORM)
- Impressive Developer community support
- Laravel and Symfony can run on multiple platforms
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Now before we end the article let’s have a quick peek at scenarios where you can or cannot use Laravel or Symfony.
When to use Laravel?
Laravel is suitable when there is a requirement for quick application development. It comes in handy when developers wish to gain more results with less code and match tight deadlines. In short, it works better for smaller projects.
When to use Symfony?
Symfony is a more reasonable choice when you wish to work efficiently. As this PHP framework is well-structured and scalable, Symfony development services are highly utilized to make large-scale and complex projects.
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Ending Comments on Laravel vs Symfony
One thing is sure, both Laravel and Symfony provide remarkable features. It all relies on what problems you have and which technology is best suitable for solving those issues. So, if you are stuck on making a decision as to which framework is more suitable for your project contact us for getting professional insights from our developing team.
