Let’s start with a quick question
Are you looking to develop a new site, automate your administrative process, or create a personalised application? When PHP is included in your tech stack, one thing you can do to pay yourself back in saved time and benefit from a more secure and scalable codebase is to use a PHP framework.
Additionally, if you are working with a website design company in the USA, then it is one choice that can significantly impact the success of your project.
But wait a minute, why should you be using the PHP framework over just using plain old PHP? Let’s unpack it — plainly and clearly.
PHP Still Dominates the Web
Believe it or not, more than 74% of websites on the internet are still powered by PHP, from the most powerful platforms such as WordPress, Facebook and Digg to small websites. 74.5% of all known websites are written in PHP,” according to W3Techs’ data for server-side web application development — that’s nearly 3 out of every 4 websites.
What’s more, even among the top 1 million websites, PHP-powered sites still represent over 69.9% of them according to SimilarTech.
So if you’re working with a website design company in the USA, with PHP (particularly in a modern framework), you can connect to what is essentially the backbone of the internet.
PHP Framework Market Is Booming
The PHP frameworks ecosystem is maturing fast. As per a report by Future Market Insights, the worldwide PHP framework market was worth USD 1.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 2.8 billion by 2032 with a growing CAGR of 9.5%.
Another forecast by Fact. MR sees a CAGR of 10.5% between now (2024) and 2033, which grows the market from USD 1.5b to USD 3.2b over a period of less than 10 years.
Why the growth? Simple:
- Custom software is in high demand.
- Custom RPA solutions are becoming more popular for companies.
- Early-stage founders want to work faster, more securely and more scalably.
What Is a PHP Framework?
A PHP framework is more or less a kind of toolbox or skeleton for building web applications more rapidly, easily, and securely.
It offers:
- Pre-baked code for standard things (e.g. login/routing/data validation)
- MVC architecture (Model-View-Controller) for a clean and efficient coding structure
- Onboard security, so you don’t have to build the bike.
Just imagine doing that with Lego pieces instead of moulding plastic — much faster and far less error-prone.
Why Use a PHP Framework?
- Faster Development
Out of the box, frameworks like Laravel and Symfony provide tools to handle a lot of the heavy lifting — so developers can focus on features and not setup. This means being faster to market for bespoke software.
- Built-in Security
Popular frameworks have built-in safeguards against attacks such as SQL injection, as well as cross-site scripting (XSS) and cross-site request forgery (CSRF). You don’t have to construct these protections yourself — they’re already good to go.
- Cleaner Code, Easier Maintenance
The framework makes organisation and best practices mandatory. That means fewer bugs, simpler updates and quicker onboarding for new developers.
- Better Performance & Scalability
Accessible features like caching, routing, and asynchronous programming, ready for use in your web project. Whether you’re building a lightweight portal or an enterprise-level product, frameworks grow with you.
PHP Frameworks You Must Know
Here’s a quick primer on some of the most widely used frameworks:
Framework |
Highlights |
Best For |
Laravel | Intuitive, rich ecosystem, well-documented | Web-apps, SaaS, e-commerce, individual RPA solutions |
Symfony | Enterprise grade, very modular used by Drupal, Magento | Complex systems, large-scale projects |
CodeIgniter | Lightweight, fast setup, minimal configuration | MVPs, small/medium business projects |
Phalcon | Written in C, ultra-fast performance | High-load APIs, performance-critical applications |
Slim | Micro-framework, best for REST APIs | Lightweight backends, integrations |
These frameworks are steady, fast, and perfect for combining RPA trends such as bots, background tasks, automation etc.
PHP + RPA? Perfect Pairing
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is all about automating these boring things — which PHP frameworks can do with RPA bots just fine.
Using tools such as Laravel’s queue system, or Symfony’s command-line console, you could:
- Invoke RPA bots in response to user inputs
- Develop backend infrastructure to interact with automation services
- Process documents, pull information and respond to users live
Want to see this in action? With a UiPath API integration, we developed web applications (PHP-based) that can interact securely by sending and receiving bot tasks.
So if your enterprise is thinking about custom RPA, frameworks allow you to get there faster — and with fewer bugs — with both hands on the wheel.
Real-World Scenario
So a company contracts a website design company in USA to build a dashboard where employees dump invoices.
How it works with PHP Framework and RPA Here is how it works with a PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) Framework and RPA:
- Laravel receives the upload and it is securely stored.
- A UiPath bot is now invoked which picks the invoice, extracts and updates the dashboard.
- An encrypted file containing a message that is sent to the customer by Laravel when an invoice is processed.
No manual data entry. No human error. But plain, automated workflows — a “real-world example of custom-made software powered by amazing software” is how he put it.
Are There Any Downsides?
Sure, but nothing major:
Learning Curve
You might have said, I think that ‘craft’ of Symfony is a little painful (It’s generalising, but you got the point). But for agencies and teams, that’s only a natural part of growth.
Slight Overhead
Frameworks include many features. This can be “extra” for very lightweight apps, but generally, performance is not really affected.
Framework Lock-in
Once you build with one, switching can be complex. So choose a framework aligned with your long-term goals.
Numbers that speak
As a recap, here are some real numbers that back up why frameworks are the right move:
- 74.5% of websites use PHP (W3 Techs)
- The PHP frameworks market is growing from USD 1.2B to USD 2.8B.
- Symfony is used in 10,000+ enterprise projects.
- Laravel has over 70,000 stars on GitHub Repository.
These aren’t just trends – they reflect where the web is heading.
What does it mean for you if you’re a business owner or startup looking to build:
- A Powerful online presence
- A tool to integrate with automation
- A custom digital product
Then PHP frameworks offer:
- Better security
- Fast development
- Long-term maintainability
- RPA-ready architecture.
And if you’re looking for a website design company in USA, make sure they are offering framework-based solutions. It’s a sign of professionalism, quality, and a forward-thinking approach.
Final takeaway
To sum it up in a single slide:
- PHP is here to stay
- Frameworks make PHP modern, fast, and secure
- They are perfect for custom-made software, RPA trends, and scalable solutions
- The market is growing and the tools are mature.
If you are building the next big SaaS product or automating your back-office tasks – choosing a PHP framework is a future-proof investment.