CodeIgniter vs Laravel: Which Framework is Better?

Among the various frameworks of this server-side scripting language, two of the most powerful are CodeIgniter and Laravel. Both are different and showcase different features and capabilities. Laravel offers more features and is a robust framework, while CodeIgniter is speedy, lightweight, and simple. The exceptional offerings they both share have significantly benefitted the needs of the business. 

Since both offer robust features and outstanding capabilities, finding the right framework becomes difficult. Depending on your business's requirements, you can either perform in-depth research or take assistance from a Laravel or CodeIgniter development service provider. 

Which Framework Should You Choose, CodeIgniter or Laravel?

PHP is known for its frameworks; CodeIgniter and Laravel are two of the most popular ones. One has excellent features, while the other takes a simpler development approach. The prowess of both frameworks empowers simplicity, which further enhances the development process. These capabilities make them extraordinary in their work. As a result, this makes it difficult to find the right framework for your business requirements. However, considering the key strengths and attributes and what makes them this popular, you can evaluate the correct choice for your business.  Here are some key factors to consider that make the choice between Larval vs CodeIgniter highly difficult:

1. Simplicity vs Complexity 

How simple or complex is your project? How much time are you willing to spend on it? Questions like these can help you determine the correct choice between Laravel and CodeIgniter. If your project is relatively complex, requires an extensive feature set, and requires more time to build, then choosing Laravel is slightly better than CodeIgniter. This is because its rich features can make development relatively slower. On the contrary, CodeIgniter is better suited for simple, clean, and less complex projects. This framework has a comparatively smaller core than Laravel, which makes it highly capable of building moderate projects timely. 

2. Feature Set

You must consider the feature set a particular framework offers in web development. Laravel has relatively more features than CodeIgniter. Laravel has a wide range of features, from powerful routing to extensive community support. CodeIgniter misses out on an essential feature, the Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) system, which Larael fulfills. This feature makes database interactions easier, allowing developers to write clean and unique database-related queries. Some key points about the feature sets of Laravel and CodeIgniter to consider:

Laravel

• Powerful blade templating engine
• Eloquent ORM for database interactions
• Advanced Routing 
• Built-in authentication and authorization

CodeIgniter

• Lightweight and fast
• Error Logging
• Full page caching
• Sessions Management

3. Scalability 

One of the prime factors you should notice is how scalable a web solution a particular framework can build. Both frameworks are capable of building highly scalable web solutions, making it difficult to find which CodeIgniter vs. Laravel is right. The catch lies in the complexity of a project. Also, Laravel offers more built-in tools, like queueing systems, caching, and a modular architecture that expedites the scalability of a web solution built on this framework. On the other hand, CodeIgniter might require more manual toil to improve the scalability of a web solution because of its lightweight nature. 

4. Flexibility 

Considering every factor is important in finding the difference between the two. Flexibility is one such factor that can help you further understand which is better, Laravel or CodeIgniter. Based on this, CodeIgniter is considered more flexible because of its minimalist design, allowing more room for developers to create a web solution as intended. In contrast, the rich feature set of Laravel can sometimes make it a bit difficult to offer CodeIgniter-like flexibility.

5. Testing 

It is crucial to consider the testing capabilities of both frameworks when choosing the right one. CodeIgniter offers the basic capability to test a web solution built on this, compared to Laravel. Web developers need to use third-party tools for automated testing on CodeIgniter. On the other hand, Laravel offers top-of-the-line testing capabilities with features from PHPUnit Integration to easy-to-use testing methods. This makes Laravel a better choice for web applications that require updates more frequently. 

Conclusion 

It isn't easy to choose between Laravel and CodeIgniter because of both frameworks' features and capabilities. You must consider various points, like the feature set to flexibility, before deciding between the two. Also, if you consider the requirements of your project and its scope, it will be of major help. However, if you still find it difficult to make a choice, you can look for a CodeIgniter or Laravel development service provider. The experts will consider your project needs and assist you in finding the right framework for your project.