Core PHP vs. Laravel: Which is the Best for Your Web Apps

Core PHP and Laravel are two server-side frameworks that have been recently gaining traction in the PHP development space. Laravel and PHP are both back-end technologies well-suited to build your next web app project. PHP is a scripting framework while Laravel is a fully structured scripting language that offers templatization features.

Core PHP is PHP language to create highly dynamic web applications while enterprises prefer to use Laravel because of its powerful features like expression migration systems, inverted control containers, and integrated unit testing.

We will cover the differences between Core PHP vs Laravel development in this blog and more below.

Core PHP vs Laravel: An In-Depth Comparison

Laravel is used for building multilingual CMS systems, e-learning web apps, stock trading portals, SaaS apps, and on-demand streaming apps. It is open-source, written in PHP, and offers several features that make the development process easy. Some of them are – MVC architecture, routing systems, authentication and authorization, artisan CLI, database management, blade templating, testing support, caching, and database migrations. Core PHP is used more for general-purpose web development and has a higher concurrency rate which makes it the faster option.

Pros and Cons: Core PHP vs. Laravel

It is important to analyze the pros and cons of backend development with Core PHP and contrast it with that of Laravel development. Here are the pros and cons of Core PHP vs. Laravel:

Pros of PHP Development

• The syntax is easy to pick up and new developers don't face challenges when streamlining the code. PHP has great code reusability and developers can flawlessly reinforce PHP apps built by others.
• Core PHP is an excellent choice when it comes to cost-effective web app development. It is free, and open-source, and all websites created using core PHP are very user-friendly and responsive. It is convenient to find and hire PHP developers as professionals with PHP development skills are in high demand always
• Multiple databases can be connected to PHP web apps and the framework is compatible for use with Linux and Unix environments.

Cons of PHP Development

• Core PHP lacks additional security components for maintaining data integrity, non-repudiation, and availability
• The error and exception handling feature is not up to the mark
• Application performance, quality of performance, and inability to modify core behaviours in PHP development are other problem
• Some errors may occur during the code compilation and testing process 

Pros of Laravel Development

• Laravel features a clean codebase and extensive documentation which gets aspiring developers up to speed and ready
• Developers can reduce load times with its multiple caching and mail integration services
• Artisan is an in-built tool included to automate repetitive tasks
• Laravel offers various templates and packages with online repositories that streamline the entire Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) process 

Cons of Laravel Development

• Payment gateways are not supported by Laravel
• Data may get accidentally deleted permanently when trying to update the framework version
• Upgrades are not backwards compatible which negatively impacts application performance
• Consumes too much processing power when loading web pages across mobile devices 

Similarities between Core PHP and Laravel

There are several differences between Core PHP and Laravel but there are also many features as well. Both Laravel and Core PHP have the following similarities:

PHP Foundation

Core PHP and Laravel follow a similar syntax as the PHP programming language since their foundation is built on it.

MVC Architecture

Laravel and Core PHP use an MCV or Model-View Controller architecture design. It helps organize code, streamline development, and separate major coding concerns.

Server-Side Rendering

Both Laravel and PHP can perform server-side rendering on web server processes and generate HTML responses for sent user requests.

Database Support

Laravel and PHP provide data abstraction layers and query builders to software developers. Both offer support for different databases like SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and many others. A unique templating system is offered in addition and Core PHP has a built-in templating engine. Laravel offers a Blade templating engine to its users and includes additional features like control structures and template inheritance.

Difference between Core PHP and Laravel

Below we have analyzed the top key performance indicators for Core PHP vs. Laravel and highlighted their differences. They are as follows:

Function

According to performance benchmarks conducted by open-source communities, PHP development has achieved a score of being able to process 1617 instructions simultaneously. It can process up to 9000 commands per second and render 90,000 lines of code in a minute. Laravel provides cache tags that minimize response times by loading pre-stored data. 

Performance and Scalability

PHP can be directly embedded with HTML code and is extremely versatile. It writes uncomplicated scripts and enables ActiveRecord style data manipulation without sacrificing performance. Laravel is slower in performance but offers exceptional development scalability due to the sheer number of tools and libraries. It is compatible with diverse database and receives extensive backing from its community. 

Architecture

The architecture of a software development framework can affect the speed, data security, and performance of business applications. Laravel uses a model view architecture that is ideal for front-end and backend development. It helps interface designers speed up projects and complete them before the application deadlines.

Laravel’s MVC architecture improves website search engine rankings. Users can enjoy better control and customize it according to their desired preferences. Core PHP only allows developers to configure data routes for receiving and processing user inputs. 

Database Compatibility

Core PHP can be linked to multiple databases like Oracle, MySQL, IBM-DB2, MongoDB, etc. Databases are designed to collect, store, share, and process data requests. PHP ensures a smooth data transition between PHP objects. Laravel supports SQL, SQLite, MySQL, and Postgres as the most popular databases and creates seamless communication paths for users. 

Application Scalability

Both Laravel and Core PHP feature top-notch application scalability since they are updated regularly by the community. Developers are constantly making improvements and enabling them to be embedded with cloud infrastructures. Businesses can scale up or down resources anytime and Core PHP offers additional features like an autoloader and opcode cache for user request execution. One advantage of PHP development is that it is unable to compile code for all user requests which saves scripts in shared storage, thus enhancing its speed.

Security

Laravel has built-in authorization and authentication mechanisms that let users define custom security protocols. It can prevent SQL injections and cross-site request forgery attacks. Users can cross-verify their identities and only allow access to restricted resources on a case-by-case basis. Core PHP is a bit different and not as secure as Laravel. It requires using third-party APIs to enforce access authorization.

Which is Better – Core PHP or Laravel?

Laravel developers will find themselves being bound to specific libraries, unlike PHP development. Laravel has many object-oriented libraries that are optimized for use with clear module structures. Although the framework offers a smooth maintenance experience and code reusability, PHP provides a faster development process.

Core PHP scripts can speed up tasks, enable faster code execution, and are reusable for similar projects. Laravel follows a layered architecture and offers extensive debugging tools to address any errors that arise during the code-building process. When it comes to PHP vs NodeJS, NodeJS is great for building lightweight mobile apps while PHP is more suited for high-performance web-based applications.

For individuals who need help with building PHP projects, they can hire PHP developers and get started.

Conclusion:

Developers can consider PHP and Laravel when it comes to designing the latest web applications. Each is straightforward to use, however, Laravel wins in terms of flexibility and features. After comparing both Core PHP vs Laravel, we can safely say that organizations will adopt emerging technology trends and choose Laravel for software development projects. Laravel is an advanced framework that is best suited for scalable and large business solutions.

Clarion Technologies makes it convenient to hire Laravel developers and helps companies build dynamic web applications. Laravel development services encompass integrating payment gateways, order processing, inventory management, etc. Clarion’s PHP services are also widely used by businesses for designing custom PHP web applications and popular CMS systems.

FAQs

What is the difference between Core PHP vs. Laravel web development?

Core PHP is a basic scripting framework while Laravel is a fully structured programming language designed for web application development. Laravel come out at the top of all PHP frameworks.

What are Core PHP and Laravel best suited for?

Core PHP is great at building CMS systems, and third-party email integrations, and offers custom notifications. Core PHP introduces many robust cybersecurity protocols for website application development. Core PHP can quickly identify emerging threats, remediate them, and enable ease of adding or updating content in accordance to target audiences. Laravel is perfect for application testing, eloquent ORM, custom applications, and MVC architecture solutions. Custom web applications built using Laravel are fast, effective, and easy to deploy.