Top 5 PHP Frameworks of 2012 : A Guide to PHP Frameworks

Developers are always in a search for a Framework which works best with their needs and comfort level. While selecting a Framework also involves considering various parameters like Security, ease of use, and yes, Functionality with ease! With so many Frameworks, it is actually a little tough to decide which Framework to use for your projects. Here, I would like to give a try and list the Top 5 PHP Frameworks which I think are the most popular in PHP developers.

1. CodeIgniter Framework

The most favorite PHP framework is CodeIgniter. Its main features include Ease-of-Use, more power as compared to other Frameworks like Zend and Cake, and less time in developing your projects. CodeIgniter framework is the best when it comes to keeping the developer concentrated in functionality instead of writing codes. It includes most commonly used rich libraries for tasks that are commonly needed by developers. I will suggest you to start your PHP work with this framework.

Download: www.codeigniter.com/downloads/

Know more on their official website: www.codeigniter.com/

2. Symfony Framework

Symfony is the framework for PHP based web projects. The main job Symfony does is to help you with easy creation and maintenance of your web applications. It aims to replace the repetitive tasks in coding, and obviously, very easy maintenance of your web application.

Download: www.symfony.com/download
Read more at their official website: www.symfony.com/

3. Zend Framework

Zend is a powerful PHP Framework which is secure, reliable, and allows Web 2.0 web applications. Zend Framework's important feature is that it is enrich with APIs from Google, Amazon, Yahoo!, Flickr etc.
It is powerful, fast and scalable for any type of PHP projects.

Download: http://framework.zend.com/downloads/latest
Read more on their official site: http://framework.zend.com/\

4. CakePHP Framework

CakePHP is another popular PHP framework for web application development. It follows the principle of MVC and helps to extend most aspects of your Web Application. It is also simple to learn and keeps the entire code consistent and logical.

Download: https://github.com/cakephp/cakephp/zipball/2.2.3
Official website: www.cakephp.org/

5. Yii Framework

Yii Framework is a kind of next-generation PHP framework. It is a bit faster than CodeIgniter and Zend Frameworks. It starts with a fully functional website and impressive website already running, which you can configure and change according to your needs. It has many features which are very easy to do. That's the reason popularity of Yii Framework is on the rise nowadays.

Download: http://www.yiiframework.com/download
Official Website: www.yiiframework.com/