Laravel VS PHP: Which Will Be More Suitable For Your Team?

Deciding on a programming language and platform takes a lot of time and thought in app development. You might not just pick one technology, as each has its pros and cons. 

Also, some tech stacks, like Core PHP and Laravel, offer different features even though they’re based on the same language.

In this article, we looked closely at the good and bad points of both choices. We compared them thoroughly to help you decide which is best for you.

What Is Laravel?

Laravel is a web framework built with PHP and accessible online for free. It’s commonly used for managing routing, authentication, and creating HTML templates. It works only on the server side, using the Model-View-Controller method. This helps developers keep their app parts organized.

Many people pick Laravel to make different kinds of websites, such as single-page apps, online stores, content management systems, social networks, and data-heavy web portals. It effectively manages data flow and prevents slowdowns in the development process.

Laravel is famous for its organized structure and features made for developers. It makes common web tasks easier and encourages using the best methods. It is suitable for building anything from small websites to large-scale enterprise applications. 

Moreover, Laravel has a lively community and detailed documentation, offering help and materials for developers at any skill level.

Read more: Hire Offshore Laravel Developer: Discovering 10 Powerful Strategies

What Is PHP?

Core PHP is a basic language that developers use to build good-looking, speedy websites and web apps that function on various web browsers. It’s the basic form of PHP, preceding the more advanced versions. 

When making software with Core PHP, developers don’t have to depend on extra tools or libraries. This saves money and helps them complete projects on schedule.

PHP keeps getting better with regular updates and enhancements from its committed community of developers. It has a big collection of frameworks, libraries, and tools that make it even more powerful, helping developers build all sorts of web apps quickly. 

Overall, PHP stays a top choice for web development because it’s flexible, easy to use, and strong.

Read more: How to Hire PHP Developer for Successful Web Development

Pros & Cons Of Laravel

Pros:

• Online sources offer lots of packages and templates, making software building faster, cheaper, and simpler.
• Laravel has a built-in tool called Artisan. It automates repetitive tasks using a command-line interface.
• With Laravel, developers can use caches and email services, making loading faster and keeping users informed through email notifications.
• Laravel gives detailed documentation. It helps developers write neat code and fix mistakes quickly.

Cons:

• Updates can sometimes clash with older versions or lag behind new tech trends, slowing things down.
• Mobile phones can strain processors when loading websites, leading to slower responses.
• Updating the framework could cause apps to crash and lose data permanently.
• Laravel is for making apps, but it doesn’t support payment systems. That’s why it’s not ideal for online stores.

Pros & Cons Of PHP

Pros: 

• The language’s rules are easy to understand. This makes it easier for developers to write clean and effective code. Also, it helps them improve existing apps smoothly, tailoring them to specific needs.
• Proficient Core PHP users can effortlessly connect with any database. Its compatibility with Linux and Unix enables them to set it up on any server.
• Businesses cut down development costs by utilizing the free Core PHP framework accessible online and employing individuals through various work arrangements.
• Websites and apps created with Core PHP are highly user-friendly. They feature designs that seamlessly function on any device, offering simplicity in navigation.

Cons: 

• Users might find it hard to launch the app because there aren’t enough tools to find mistakes during testing and writing code.
• Not being able to change how the core parts of the app work can make it tough to meet industry rules. This might affect how well it runs and its service quality.
• The community is still working on making error handling better, but it’s not perfect yet.
• To ensure data safety, availability, and prevent denial of actions, additional security features must be implemented. Also, adding outside tools to the app might make the whole project cost more.

Laravel VS PHP Comparison 

Feature	Laravel	PHP
Type	PHP Framework	Programming Language
Purpose	Streamline web development	Server-side scripting for dynamic web pages
Built-in Features	Routing, authentication, ORM (Eloquent), caching	Core functionalities, manual implementation of features
Architecture	MVC (Model-View-Controller)	Depends on developer’s choice
Learning Curve	Steeper, particularly for MVC frameworks	Relatively low, accessible to beginners
Suitable for	Medium to large-scale projects	Small to medium-sized projects, rapid prototyping

Let’s now look closely at a detailed comparison between the Laravel PHP framework and others.

Syntax and Structure

• PHP: PHP is a programming language with a relatively straightforward syntax and structure. It offers flexibility in coding styles and does not enforce specific architectural patterns.
• Laravel: Laravel, being a PHP framework, follows a structured MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture. It offers a structured and consistent approach to web app development, with a simple syntax for everyday tasks.

Development Speed and Efficiency

• PHP: PHP is easy to use and allows for quick web app development.
• Laravel: Laravel speeds up development with tools like Artisan, built-in features for authentication and routing, and a wide range of packages.

Scalability and Performance

• PHP: PHP apps can be scaled up or out, but they need careful planning and optimization to handle high traffic.
• Laravel: Laravel offers database query optimization, caching, and microservices support, improving scalability and performance compared to raw PHP apps.

Security Considerations

• PHP: PHP does not have built-in security features, which is why developers must incorporate techniques such as input validation and output sanitization.
• Laravel: Laravel includes security measures like CSRF protection, encryption, and authentication mechanisms. It additionally supports role-based access control and features to prevent typical security problems.

Ease Of Development

• PHP: PHP is well-known for its simplicity and extensive community backing, making it ideal for those new to coding.
• Laravel: Laravel streamlines web development by providing clear conventions and tools, simplifying the process of creating and managing complex applications compared to raw PHP.

While PHP offers flexibility, Laravel enhances development speed, scalability, security, and maintenance ease. The choice between them depends on project needs and developer experience.

The Similarities Of Laravel And PHP

Both Laravel and PHP have similarities in templating, database support, and their foundational use of PHP. They both adopt the MVC architecture and offer server-side rendering capabilities. 

However, Laravel extends and improves PHP’s capabilities for web development through its additional features and conventions. Here is a detailed breakdown:

Templating

• PHP: PHP supports templating with features like echo statements, HTML mixed with PHP code, and PHP-based template engines such as Smarty and Twig.
• Laravel: Laravel uses Blade, its templating engine. Blade allows developers to create clean and expressive templates with features like template inheritance, control structures, and blade directives. Both PHP and Laravel offer templating solutions for dynamic content generation.

Database Support

• PHP: PHP offers extensive database support through integrated extensions for communication with various database systems like MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, among others.
• Laravel: Laravel provides database support through its Eloquent ORM. It provides an expressive and fluent interface for database operations, supporting multiple database systems. Laravel also includes migrations and a schema builder for efficient database management.

PHP Foundation

• PHP: Laravel is constructed atop PHP, utilizing its core features and functionalities. PHP serves as the foundation for Laravel’s development environment and execution.
• Laravel: Laravel is a PHP framework, written in PHP, that utilizes the language’s capabilities for web app development. It extends PHP’s features and conventions to offer a structured and efficient development environment.

MVC Architecture

• PHP: Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern can be utilized by PHP apps. PHP code in MVC is responsible for handling the business logic (Model), presentation (View), and user input (Controller).
• Laravel: Laravel naturally adopts the MVC architecture, organizing app code neatly. It separates tasks, encourages code reuse, and is akin to structuring PHP apps using MVC.

Server-Side Rendering

• PHP: PHP functions as a scripting language on the server side, generating HTML responses dynamically to fulfill client requests.
• Laravel: Laravel, which is based on PHP, also enables server-side rendering. It handles HTTP requests and generates dynamic HTML responses accordingly. Both PHP and Laravel facilitate server-side rendering for web applications.

Laravel VS PHP: Which Will Be Better For Your App Development?

Laravel and PHP each have advantages and disadvantages in the field of web development. Understanding your project requirements is crucial in selecting the best option for app development.

Laravel:

• Ideal for complex web applications and websites.
• Suitable for projects requiring advanced features like authentication, routing, and database management.
• Perfect for large-scale projects such as content management systems, customer relationship management systems, online shopping platforms, social media platforms, and online portals.
• Provides structured and efficient code management, making it suitable for collaborative development.

PHP:

• Versatile scripting language ideal for various tasks in web development.
• Utilized for smaller tasks or when emphasis is placed on simplicity and adaptability.
• Suitable for creating simple websites, basic web applications, blogs, forums, and small-scale projects.
• Emphasizes rapid development and ease of deployment.

Overall, PHP is good for smaller projects and custom solutions. Laravel is more suitable for medium to large-scale projects that require scalability, advanced features, and continuous maintenance.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the choice between Laravel and PHP hinges on factors such as project needs, developer expertise, scalability demands, and time constraints.

Teams should assess their specific needs and goals to choose the most suitable option—Laravel or PHP—for their project.