Laravel Vs Codeigniter: A Comprehensive Guide On PHP Frameworks

Laravel Vs Codeigniter: A Comprehensive Guide On PHP Frameworks Application development is as challenging as predicting one’s future. Likewise, choosing the tech stack has never been easy, especially if one has to decide between Laravel vs. CodeIgniter.

Though both frameworks are PHP powered they have always remained a topic of debate. Let’s dive deeper and understand what CodeIgniter is and what is laravel and why have they been a topic of debate since times.

But before understanding the difference between them, let’s first know both Laravel and CodeIgniter by giving them a brief description.

What is Laravel Laravel is a PHP based framework. It is open-source as well as supports MVC patterns for application development. However, the laravel framework is a robust platform. The laravel framework is dedicated to developers intended to have a modest and elegant toolkit for developing full-featured applications for the web.

What is CodeIgniter CodeIgniter is yet another open-source PHP framework. It is a powerful platform while having a very small footprint. The framework is a popular choice among developers who looks for a simple and elegant toolkit in order to develop fullfeatured web applications.

However, let’s look at Google Trend’s comparison of laravel and CodeIgniter.

As it is clearly seen, laravel is ahead of codeigniter with a major margin, there is something which keeps laravel framework still a top choice for PHP application development.

However, before going to any conclusion, it is better to check comparison parameters of both the php framework.

Sr. No. Database Model

Laravel Object Oriented

Codeigniter Relational Object – Oriented

Programming Paradigm

Object Oriented Event Driven Functional

Component Oriented

Routing

Explicit Routing

Supports both explicit and implicit Routing

Structure and Updates

Follows MVC for filling while using a commandline tool named artisan.

Built-in Modules

Laravel comes with in-built

CodeIgniter follows MVC structure as well as easier onboarding as it is based on the object-oriented programming.

CodeIgniter doesn’t bring

modularity features, which means developers can divide the big project into smaller modules and work on them separately.

Moreover, they can reuse the modules on different projects.

Support for the RESTful We all know the API importance of RESTful APIs in mobile dominating world. Laravel framework has RESTful controllers that let developers create RESTful APIs quickly.

Template Engine and Laravel has a template API Building engine named ‘Blade’ that is simple yet robust. The template allows application developers to optimize, and manipulate web apps and enhance its views.

Support of other DBMS

built-in modularity features. Therefore, developers use Modular Extension to create and maintain modules.

Even knowing the mobile dominance of today, CodeIgniter still does not provide the streamlined development of the REST APIs

CodeIgniter lacks such kind of built-in template engine. Therefore, developers have to use smarty like framework having template engines to perform even common tasks and improve the app's performance.

A developers can work Besides MySQL, around many DBMS such MongoDB, PostgreSQL as ORACLE, IBM DB2, and Microsoft BI, PostgreSQL orientdb, CodeIgniter also supports Microsoft SQL Server, JDBC some of the other popular and MYSQL with Laravel databases like Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, DB2, and others.

Libraries and Online Help

Developers have a big support of Laravel’s official documentation feature.

Laravel’s documentation is easy to comprehend.

The framework is backed by several built-in functionalities. On its official website, one can find a useful guide - a great help to novice developers.

Authentication

Yet again, laravel

CodeIgniter yet again

framework supports authentication class feature.

It is built-in within the framework as well as simplifies authentication and authorization rules.

doesn’t support any builtin authentication features.

Thus, to authorize and authenticate users, developers use the custom CodeIgniter extensions.

HTTPS Support

Security and vulnerability assessment of an app is important today. Laravel not only allows developers to define custom HTTPs routes but also keeps the data transmission secure by adding https:// protocol before the URL automatically.

Support for PHP 7

PHP 7 is available with many amazing new features and enhancements.

Laravel supports the newest version of PHP and provides a seamless experience to developers.

Stack Overflow questions

96.7 k

When it comes to HTTPs Support, CodeIgniter does not support HTTPs fully.

In an era where security and vulnerability hold significance, codeigniter developers have to make use of URL helpers to create pat to ensure security to data transmission.

CodeIgniter also supports the newly released version of PHP. However, many issues being highlighted by the developers while developing and testing CodeIgniter apps on PHP 7.

606. k

GitHub Stars Prominent Companies using the product Unit Testing

45.5 K 9GAG, Union, Geocodio Laravel supports PHP Unit therefore lets developers check the application code thoroughly and continuously.

16.5 K Buffer, Machester.com, Webedia Again CodeIgniter lacks as the framework doesn't have any inbuilt unit testing tools. Developers user additional unit testing tools to assess the quality of the application and code.

Laravel vs. CodeIgniter which is better?

If we look at the aforementioned table of comparison between laravel and CodeIgniter, it is easy to recognize that both the frameworks have relevance in application development services. Despite that, laravel framework maintains the edge as it is having more advanced and elegant features than CodeIgniter.