Laravel vs CodeIgniter: What Are the Differences

Both Laravel and CodeIgniter are frameworks used to develop backend web development. Both frameworks use PHP programming languages. We will discuss what is Laravel, features of Laravel, advantages and disadvantages and applications of Laravel. Similarly, we will discuss CodeIgniter in this article. Then we will differences between Laravel and CodeIgniter. 

What is Laravel?

Laravel is a framework used in backend web development using PHP programming language. Laravel is a open-source framework with model-view-controller design pattern. Laravel reuses existing components of different frameworks. Laravel provides a rich set of functionalities and features. You can learn Laravel framework easily if you know basic and advanced PHP. A website prevents prevents several web attacks if you used Laravel to develop this website.

Features of Laravel

These are various features of Laravel as given below -

• Modularity: Laravel provides 20 built in libraries and modules.
  
• Testability: We can test our code through various test cases.
  
• Routing: Users can define routes in the web application in the Laravel. It increases performance.
  
• Configuration Management: Applications can run on different environments with constant changes. Laravel handles its configuration in an efficient way.
  
• Query Builder and ORM: Laravel provides query builders for querying databases using various simple chain methods. It provides Object Relational Mapper (ORM).
  
• Schema Builder: It keeps the database definitions and schema in PHP code.
  
• Template Engine: It is used to design hierarchical blocks and layouts with predefined blocks that include dynamic content.
• Composer: It is tool with all the dependencies and libraries. We can create a project with respect given frameworks. You can install third party libraries with help of composer. It uses composer.json file to store installed third party libraries.
  
• Artisan: It is command line interface in the Laravel.
• E-mail: We use mail class to send mails.
  
• Authentication: Laravel provides authentication methods for user authentication.
  
• Redis: We connect sessions using Redis in Laravel.
  
• Queues: We use queue services to complete tasks without any delay.
  
• Event and Command Bus: Laravel provides Command Bus. 

Advantages and disadvantages of Laravel

These are various advantages and disadvantages of Laravel as given below -

Advantages	Disadvantages
It is simple in coding because of built-in functions.	It has less features than any other framework.
We can migrate data easily, so it is simple to move data between systems.	It updates frequently, so it can cause different issues with older versions.
It is scalable, so we can handle any size project.	It is expensive.
It is easy to learn because of clear documentation and available tutorials.	It is slower than any other frameworks.
It is secure because of strong security features like encrypted passwords.	It has limited support.

Applications of Laravel

Larvael is a framework to develop different types of web applications. There are different uses of Laravel as given below -

• eCommerce Platforms: We can create secure and scalable online store websites with features like shopping carts.
• Content Management Systems (CMS): We can create websites with dynamic content, i.e., blogs, news portals.
• API Development: We can develop APIs for mobile apps and other applications.

What is CodeIgniter?

CodeIgniter is a framework used to develop backend web development. CodeIgniter is open-source framework. We use PHP programming language in CodeIgniter framework. CodeIgniter follows model-view-controller (MVC) design. It is simple framework used to develop web applications. You can learn CodeIgniter framework if you know PHP programming language. 

Features of CodeIgniter

These are some features of CodeIgniter framework given as below -

• Lightweight Framework: CodeIgniter is lightweight framework.
• MVC Architecture: CodeIgniter follows the model-view-controller design. It separates logic, design, and data for cleaner code.
• Routing: CodeIgniter provides routing options to define custom routes for web applications.
• Form and Data Validation: CodeIgniter provides built-in validation to handle forms and user inputs.
• Security: CodeIgniter provides security features, like XSS filtering, CSRF protection and encryption.
• Database Abstraction: CodeIgniter supports multiple database types for database interactions.
• Session: CodeIgniter provides sessions, like cookie and database-based session storage.
• Caching: CodeIgniter supports caching techniques to improve application performance.
• Error Handling: CodeIgniter provides error handling techniques and debugging features.
• Libraries: CodeIgniter provides different libraries for development tasks.
• RESTful APIs: We use CodeIgniter to develop RESTful APIs.

Advantages and disadvantages of CodeIgniter

These are advantages and disadvantages of CodeIgniter framework given as below -

Advantages	Disadvantages
It is lightweight version, so it is faster.	It has limited features than other frameworks.
It is easy to learn for PHP users.	It has limited support for code and built-in tools.
It has large community and good documentations.	It does not support ORM.
It does enforce strict coding rules.	It has less security features.
We use CodeIgniter framework for small projects.	We do not use CodeIgniter for large projects.

Applications of CodeIgniter

These are some uses of CodeIgniter framework given as below -

• Content Management Systems (CMS): We create blogs, portals and dynamic websites using CodeIgniter framework.
• eCommerce Platforms: We create small and secure online shopping websites.
•  RESTful APIs: We create APIs for mobile applications and web services.

Differences between Laravel and CodeIgniter

These are some differences between Laravel and CodeIgniter given as in table -

Laravel	CodeIgniter
Laravel follows MVC pattern with built-in support.	It follows MVC but is more flexible.
Laravel supports Blade templating engine.	CodeIgniter does not support Blade templating engine.
Laravel support ORM for database operations.	CodeIgniter does not support ORM. It uses query builder.
Laravel supports explicit routing.	CodeIgniter supports explicit and implicit routing.
Laravel is slower than other frameworks.	CodeIgniter is faster.
Laravel supports built-in modules.	CodeIgniter does not support built-in modules.
Laravel provides security features like CSRF and XSS protection.	CodeIgniter provides basic XSS and CSRF protection.
Beginners take time to learn advanced features of Laravel.	CodeIgniter is easy to learn for beginners too.
Laravel provides Artisan CLI (Command-Line Tool) for automation tasks.	CodeIgniter does not have CLI tools.
We use Laravel for large projects.	We use CodeIgniter for small projects.
Laravel is less flexible.	CodeIgniter is more flexible.

Conclusion

Both Laravel and CodeIgniter are frameworks used for backend web development. We have discussed what is Laravel, features of CodeIgniter, advantages and disadvantages and applications of Laravel. Similarly, we have discussed CodeIgniter in this article. Then we have discussed differences between Laravel and CodeIgniter.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Que-1: Which framework is better for small projects?

Ans: We use CodeIgniter framework for small projects because it is lightweight version. We use Laravel framework for large projects.

Que-2: Which framework provide better security?

Ans: Laravel provide large security features than CodeIgniter. CodeIgniter provides basic security features like XSS and CSRF protection.

Que-3: Which framework has better template support?

Ans: Laravel framework has better template support, like Blade templating engine. CodeIgniter does not have a built-in templating engine.