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Laravel PHP Framework vs Zend Framework comparison

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Laravel PHP Framework
Ranking in PHP Frameworks
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zend Framework
Ranking in PHP Frameworks
4th
Average Rating
9.0
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the PHP Frameworks category, the mindshare of Laravel PHP Framework is 28.1%, up from 26.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zend Framework is 17.4%, up from 13.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
PHP Frameworks Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Laravel PHP Framework28.1%
Zend Framework17.4%
Other54.5%
PHP Frameworks
 

Featured Reviews

Kidanemariam Argaw - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Full Stack Developer at Exelia Technologies
Framework has streamlined complex web APIs and toolbox integration but still needs clearer extension paths
To be honest, because I mostly spend my time on .NET, I have all the features that I need on Laravel PHP Framework. It has its own Swagger which I can easily integrate with it. It has a webhook for making it available with Stripe. The ORMs are so flexible specifically to have N+1 problem preservations. It has authentication and authorization which is pretty okay for a developer to make things so easily. The same thing applies with having email management for the queue because people are requesting for any of their support. Webhook handling, report generation and many other features are what I have reviewed in the application. As a .NET developer, I just go from Entity Framework to that one. It is a super set which is already set. On the users, whenever I get the posts, I can easily manipulate to have database applications by the unexisting features that are binded by an array of objects. For example, update, since the entity is already known by that one, I update these specific models according to these properties. Create such events, such posts by this one. Tracking the logs. This flexibility has already been there in Entity Framework and it is quite already similar to that one except the operations are called by the array keywords and the object mappings. At the same time, it is so speedy according to the demand. Since I am not developing the entire applications, but I was requesting the guards and the tenant things to be right on the APIs. The simple one just makes it available login, registration, password confirmations, and based on the routing which I already set or which the identity server set. It is simple, I can make it login or guard this thing. Those are the features that I specifically use it.
it_user220542 - PeerSpot reviewer
Database Engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
We consolidated PHP code into a single set of modules and libraries but it needs integration improvements from the security perspective.
Ease of use Documentation Community Its hard to tell, but Zend Framework allowed us to consolidate PHP code into single set of modules and libraries, which are simple to share between different projects. It requires enterprise integration improvements from the security, and audit perspective…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Since we started with Laravel PHP Framework, our product development time has been very efficient, and our team is very efficient and comfortable."
"The product helps minimize writing redundant code and speeds development."
"Laravel PHP Framework has positively impacted my organization by being really helpful for productivity and creativity."
"The command-based tools are a must have. We use this feature extensively to handle numerous cron-based tasks within our applications."
"Everything in Laravel PHP Framework is perfectly tailored."
"Laravel PHP Framework has positively impacted my organization by leading to good productivity and efficiency."
"Laravel PHP Framework's best features include the ORM model, which allows me to create database tables by writing schema files or using ORM without needing to write queries in simple SQL format."
"Laravel PHP Framework is better than the others; it is simple, quick to spin up, very performant, easy to learn, security-wise it is good, there are lots of boilerplates and scaffolding to speed up development, it has good integration with particular front-end frameworks, and it is free to use with no licensing costs."
"Zend Framework allowed us to consolidate PHP code into a single set of modules and libraries, which are simple to share between different projects."
 

Cons

"The implementation process is quite complex and needs to be simplified and more automated."
"Most users who are not conversant with setting up databases may have a challenge because Laravel requires a working database, whether it is MySQL, PostgreSQL, MS SQL, or another option."
"While Laravel PHP Framework's documentation is one of its crowning jewels and remains pretty stable, I believe it could be better in terms of testing."
"When I was a beginner to Laravel PHP Framework, I had some trouble understanding the syntax because PHP syntax was somewhat inconsistent at certain points, which I felt Python does not have."
"I did not find Laravel PHP Framework to be AI compatible because for API, Python is more comfortable, and I think it is not working well with AI models currently."
"Laravel PHP Framework could be improved by adding some AI features because I am also doing AI development, and I think it does not work as well with AI models."
"Maybe since the community size, I am not sure about how the community is fast."
"All programming languages and frameworks have challenges, and the main challenge in Laravel PHP Framework nowadays is some of the packages that are needed, especially about AI agents."
"It requires enterprise integration improvements from the security, and audit perspective (AD integration etc.). Also, integration into existing BI tools is not present."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The open-source version of the product is free to use."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
17%
Construction Company
11%
Outsourcing Company
11%
Healthcare Company
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise3
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Laravel PHP Framework?
Regarding pricing for Laravel PHP Framework, I can only share my experience with my personal projects, where I spent around ten dollars for the Laravel Cloud setup.
What needs improvement with Laravel PHP Framework?
While Laravel PHP Framework's documentation is one of its crowning jewels and remains pretty stable, I believe it could be better in terms of testing. Laravel PHP Framework can be improved by inclu...
What is your primary use case for Laravel PHP Framework?
My main use case for Laravel PHP Framework is building websites. A specific example of a website I have built with Laravel PHP Framework is the current auction platform for clients, along with an a...
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Overview

 

Sample Customers

bugsnag, PhpStorm, LaraJobs, Vehikl
BBC, AutoTrack, Centroy, Cisco WebEx, Netrail Holding