When it comes to web development, choosing the right tool is crucial for ensuring your project’s success. In 2024, the debate between PHP and Laravel continues to be a significant one for businesses and developers alike. While PHP is a time-tested scripting language, Laravel—a framework built on PHP—offers a range of advantages for developing modern web applications. If you’re an enterprise like Aryu Enterprises, understanding the differences between PHP and Laravel can help you make a more informed decision for your development needs.
In this blog, we’ll explore the key differences between PHP and Laravel in 2024, including their ease of development, code structure, performance, security, and scalability. We’ll also provide some insights into which tool is best for different types of projects and needs.
Ease of Development
PHP :
As a general-purpose scripting language, PHP allows developers to write custom code without the constraints of a framework. For smaller projects or developers who prefer to build their applications from the ground up, PHP is a straightforward and flexible choice. However, as the project grows, managing code and handling repetitive tasks can become cumbersome and time-consuming.
Laravel :
In contrast, Laravel is a full-fledged web application framework built on PHP. It comes with a variety of pre-built tools, including authentication, routing, and database management, that simplify development. For larger and more complex projects, Laravel significantly reduces the amount of code developers need to write, speeding up the development process. It also enforces best practices, which makes it easier to manage and scale the application as it grows.
Best for Ease of Development: Laravel—due to its built-in tools, structure, and faster development speed.
Code Structure and Organization
PHP :
PHP allows developers to write code in any structure they like, giving them flexibility but also leaving room for disorganization. Without a structured approach, larger applications can quickly become difficult to manage, especially when multiple developers are working on the same project.
Laravel :
One of the primary advantages of Laravel is its enforcement of the MVC (Model-View-Controller) design pattern, which helps developers organize their code into distinct sections. This promotes cleaner, more maintainable code and reduces the risk of bugs. By following this structured approach, Laravel makes it easier for teams to collaborate on large-scale projects and ensures that the application remains scalable.
Best for Code Structure: Laravel—its built-in structure provides a much-needed framework for organizing large projects efficiently.
Learning Curve
PHP :
PHP is known for its simplicity, making it one of the most accessible programming languages for beginners. Its clear syntax and vast community support allow new developers to quickly get up to speed. However, as projects grow in complexity, developers may find themselves needing to manually implement more advanced practices and optimizations, which can become difficult to manage as the application scales
Laravel :
While Laravel is based on PHP, it has a steeper learning curve, especially for beginners. Learning Laravel requires understanding concepts like MVC, object-oriented programming (OOP), and routing. But, once developers get past the learning curve, they benefit from Laravel’s powerful tools and features, which significantly speed up the development process for complex applications.
Best for Simplicity: PHP is better for beginners, while Laravel is ideal for developers looking to master more advanced web development techniques.
Built-in Features
PHP :
As a standalone language, PHP doesn’t come with built-in tools for handling common web application features like authentication, session management, or database migrations. Developers have to write custom code or integrate third-party libraries for these features. While this can be an advantage for small, simple applications, it becomes more cumbersome as the project scales.
Laravel :
On the other hand, Laravel comes with a suite of built-in tools to handle common tasks. It includes an authentication system, routing, database management, and caching out-of-the-box, reducing the need for third-party libraries and custom code. This feature-rich environment makes Laravel an ideal choice for building complex, modern web applications quickly.
Best for Built-in Features: Laravel—thanks to its pre-built tools and ease of use for common web development tasks.
Performance
PHP :
In terms of raw performance, PHP is lightweight and fast, especially for simple websites and applications. PHP performs best in smaller projects where performance is not heavily impacted by additional features or functions. However, when the application grows in size and complexity, performance might begin to suffer unless developers optimize the code carefully.
Laravel :
Laravel offers great performance, but due to its added features and overhead, it might not be as fast as plain PHP for simple applications. However, Laravel has been optimized in recent years, and its built-in caching, route caching, and other performance-enhancing features help improve speed. For large applications, Laravel’s modular structure allows developers to improve performance by caching common data, optimizing queries, and using tools like Laravel Vapor for serverless deployment.
Best for Lightweight Performance: PHP; Laravel is better for larger applications that benefit from its caching and optimization features.
Security
PHP :
When using PHP directly, developers need to implement their own security measures such as protecting against SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF). While PHP can be secured, it requires developers to be proactive in ensuring that the application is protected against vulnerabilities.
Laravel :
Laravel comes with built-in security features such as protection against SQL injection, XSS, and CSRF attacks. It also offers easy-to-use functions for hashing passwords and validating input, making it a more secure choice for developers who want to focus on building features rather than security.
Best for Security: Laravel—thanks to its default security features, Laravel offers a more secure foundation for building applications.
Scalability
PHP :
Scaling PHP applications requires careful planning and organization, especially when the application involves large amounts of data or many concurrent users. PHP itself doesn’t provide specific tools to handle scaling, so developers need to implement their solutions for performance optimization and scalability.
Laravel :
Conclusion: Which is Best for Your Project in 2024?
In 2024, PHP will continue to be a dependable option for developers working on smaller projects or those seeking flexibility. However, for businesses and enterprises like Aryu Enterprises, or for aspiring developers looking to enhance their skills, Laravel is the ideal choice. It offers a structured environment that streamlines development, ensures better security, and provides scalability for complex applications.
If you’re looking to learn Laravel and PHP, join Aryu Academy today! Our academy provides expert training to help you master these technologies, equipping you with the skills needed to build modern, scalable web applications.
FAQs: PHP vs Laravel in 2024
PHP is a general-purpose language, while Laravel is a framework built on PHP that provides tools and structure for building web applications faster and more efficiently.
If you’re working on a small-scale project and need flexibility, PHP is a great choice. Laravel is better suited for larger, more complex applications.
Yes, Laravel is perfect for large-scale, enterprise-level applications due to its scalability features, built-in tools, and cloud compatibility with Laravel Vapor.
Yes, Laravel comes with built-in security features, making it a safer choice for developers who want to avoid manually implementing security measures.
While Laravel has a steeper learning curve than PHP, its robust documentation and community support make it easier to learn once you get familiar with the basics of web development.