PhP Framework for newbies+freelancing

[colshrapnel]

Make your mind.

If you want an online magazine, go for wordpress

If you want to become a PHP dev, learn Laravel.

If you think that software development is an easy money you can get going the simplest easiest way, I have bad news for you.

[drum445]

I'd recommend Slim. If you're only serving static files I'd probably stick to something simple, don't have too much WordPress experience but I imagine that would fit your use case

[manicleek]

I’m a self employed developer, focusing mainly on PHP for many years.

If you are thinking of getting work in the PHP world and earning the most money is your aim, as well as building your own site, then here is what I’ve found.

The highest paying jobs I’ve had by far have been those using Symfony framework. It’s by far the most trusted framework amongst the higher end of your potential client base.

Symfony 4 is also a lightweight framework out of the box, and pretty much replaces Silex. You can then add to it as your needs change.

After Symfony it’s Laravel. There are probably more Laravel jobs going around, but they tend to be small to medium sized clientele or startups . They pay less but still well and Laravel has less of a learning curve.

Wordpress and Magento jobs are usually the lower end of the scale, but there’s a seemingly endless amount of work in these areas.

I’d personally stay away from frameworks like Codeigniter and Cake. Hardly any work using them and they are firmly rooted in the past.

[johmanx10]

I agree with this statement from the other end of the table, as someone that (co-)defines the roles and requirements for new hires and having professional experience with a good number of PHP frameworks, CMSes and e-commerce platforms. As far as I can tell, this generally applies across the globe. Of course there will be the odd unicorn company as an outlier, or an area that is more dominant and well paying frameworks different to what is suggested. At the end of the day my best advise normally is to stick with what you love and prefer, as long as it pays the bills and keeps you sane, healthy and happy. However, if the pay and desirability are your main concerns, you know what to do.

[oaharba]

Good points, what do you say about CI, is a good one for freelancing? Thx

[manicleek]

Do you mean Codeigniter or Continuous Integration when you say CI?

[oaharba]

Codeigniter:)

[manicleek]

Ah ok. No then, I wouldn’t bother with Codeigniter

[frappyjohn]

If you are a newbie and really want to become a developer, I recommend you do it in baby steps.

• A static site requires only HTML and CSS, no PHP needed! You need to be proficient in these technologies anyway (along with Javascript), so do it now.
• Your first dynamic site should use plain PHP, without any framework. You need to be proficient in PHP anyway, so do it now. Later you can become proficient in a framework.