Laravel vs CodeIgniter

Laravel vs CodeIgniter: Which you should use in 2023

Laravel and CodeIgniter are industry standards in PHP application development ( although CodeIgniter may appear to many to be an ancient alternative).

In this post, we’ll explore at the differences between Laravel and CodeIgniter and compare them based on functionality, syntax, loading speeds, security, structure, and other comparable criteria. Having this knowledge on hand will help you comprehend the benefits and drawbacks of both frameworks, allowing you to make the best selection possible while considering all variables.

What is Laravel?

Laravel is an open-source PHP framework that can be accessed on GitHub. Taylor Otwell designed this framework by drawing influence from Symfony, another PHP framework, and basing it on model view controller (MVC) architecture. Laravel development rationalizes several activities needed in web application development, such as routing, authentication, caching, and sessions, to save lots of time and resources.

Applications built using the Laravel framework are highly scalable and have easy-to-maintain codebases. Laravel features include an extensive library with reusable components, web development tools, command line interfaces, and object-relational mapping, among others.

What is CodeIgniter?

Ellis Lab released CodeIgniter in February 2006 (and later proceeded with simplified development at the British Columbia Institute of Technology).

CodeIgniter is an open-source PHP framework that assists in the creation of dynamic, fully functional web pages. CodeIgniter has a plethora of libraries for doing common and repetitive operations. To access the collection of libraries, the CodeIgniter framework employs a straightforward interface and logical structure.

CodeIgniter applications feature great database and session management. Among the features of CodeIgniter are customizable URL routing, complete page caching, error logging, and form and data validation.

Comparison Between Laravel & CodeIgniter

Unit Testing

Laravel provides a built-in unit testing feature named PHPUnit. PHPUnit allows developers to check the application code thoroughly.

CodeIgniter does not offer any built-in unit testing support. Developers using the CodeIgniter framework must use third-party unit testing tools to check code quality and application

Learning Curve

CodeIgniter framework has a shallow learning curve making it easier for developers to learn and practice with CodeIgniter.

Laravel framework has a steep learning curve, with developers taking some time to learn and practice with Laravel.

Authentication

In CodeIgniter, developers must write custom CodeIgniter extensions for user authentication and authorization.

On the other hand, Laravel offers the authentication class feature to execute authentication and authorization for web applications.

HTTP routes

By using the Laravel framework, developers can define custom HTTP routes. Developers can also create a specific URL for each HTTP route.

CodeIgniter uses the response and request mechanism to set up HTTP routes. Developers must create paths to facilitate data transmission.

DBMS support

The Laravel framework offers support for Oracle, IBM, DB2, PostgreSQL OrientDB, JDBC, and MYSQL among others.

CodeIgniter also offers support for the above-mentioned database management systems, excluding IBM and JDBC. Additionally, the CodeIgniter framework supports Microsoft BI and MongoDB.

Online help and Libraries

Laravel has extensive official documentation that can be found in online help and libraries.

CodeIgniter provides lots of prebuilt features, and their website has a helpful guide that requires no coding experience to follow.

Built-in Modules

This framework was created with the ability to add new modules easily. Developers can use the bundle to break up larger projects into manageable chunks.

There are no in-built modularity options in CodeIgniter. Consequently, developers must use Modular Extensions to build and manage separate components.

Modularity features

Laravel provides in-built modules that allow developers to divide parts of a big project into smaller modules. By doing this, developers can work on them separately.

Unlike Laravel, the CodeIgniter framework does not have any in-built modules. Developers must use extensions to create and maintain separate modules.

Structure and Updates

Laravel structure and updates adhere to the Model–View–Controller pattern. You can use the included command-line utility right now.

CodeIgniter Model–View–Controller (MVC) structure and features a straightforward onboarding. The framework was flimsy. Object-Oriented Programming. While many programmers use it for their purposes.

Developers’ Choice

Laravel was released five years after the CodeIgniter framework. Laravel is a sophisticated PHP framework that allows for easy upgrades and integration. Laravel has the advantage over CodeIgniter in the Laravel versus CodeIgniter match because of the sleek and advanced features it offers.

However, developers must select their PHP framework based on the needs of the project. Furthermore, in order to make an informed selection, users must thoroughly analyse the benefits and downsides of each PHP framework.