Technological advancements are becoming more cutting edge by the day. As a result, web development has become more and more accessible. Once you secure the right software and web developer, you’re off to a good start. While companies churn out many frameworks, Laravel is by far one of the best in the game. The software makes web development much more straightforward. It even makes it easier for the end-user to navigate. But like any web framework, it does come with its drawbacks. We’ll highlight both sides of the coin. That way you can develop an informed point-of-view before deciding if you’ll put the software in place.
So, what are the pros and cons of Laravel? The framework’s strong points include high security, robust deployments, and simple coding. It also boasts a variety of web development tools and is easy to learn. The drawbacks include the potentially high cost of Laravel developers, limited support, frequent need for updates, and slow speeds.
What is Laravel?
Before we dive into the pros and cons to help you decide whether to hire Laravel developer services, it’s necessary to explain what exactly Laravel is. Laravel is a web application framework and its expressive and elegant syntax makes web development easier. The framework aims to build custom web applications using PHP. But it doesn’t stop there. Laravel is popular among web developers because of its wide range of built-in features and the fact that it makes web development a breeze, such as the use of a modular packaging system. There is also a complete authentication system and automatic testing functions, among other features.
Laravel is a multi-functional framework used for a wide range of projects, such as routing and caching. While it is primarily a back-end development framework, front-end functions are available.
The Pros of Laravel
We’ll start by outlining the endless list of advantages that come with picking Laravel as a web development framework. Opting for Laravel when compared to the rest will award you the following benefits:
- Simple coding: Ask any web developer, and they’ll tell you that coding has to be among the most complex tasks in web development. Laravel makes the task that much more straightforward. That’s because the software has an extensive library of pre-programmed functionalities, which minimizes the amount of coding required. As a result, it’s easier to build robust web apps using the software.
- Scalability: Project sizes differ. Highly scalable software allows you to tackle projects of any size, depending on your needs. Laravel is one such scalable framework that makes it easy for you to use for small and medium-sized web applications.
- Secure: The software has a safe, built-in access control system. Plus, it provides a robust mechanism that allows you to handle any bugs or issues with ease. In addition, the framework will enable you to store passwords in an encrypted format instead of text, so you get that extra layer of protection.
- Easy data migration: Data migration is a lot simpler if you use Laravel. As such, you’ll cut down on the overall time it’ll take to complete your project.
- Easy to learn: Many web developers agree that Laravel is among the more accessible web frameworks. That’s thanks to the thorough user documentation that is available in the simplest form. Also, the software includes PHP screencasts which are easy to understand.
The Cons of Laravel
Given the mind-blowing benefits that come with Laravel, it seems near impossible to fault the software. But as mentioned before, no web framework, despite how excellent it appears, is immune to having a few drawbacks. We’ll bring your attention to the areas where Laravel falls short of the mark:
- Lightweight framework: Laravel does have a comprehensive list of built-in features designed to make web development easier. But when compared against other frameworks, it has fewer features and can be classified as lightweight software. While it can build robust and large web applications, the task can be tedious to complete.
- High cost: Laravel isn’t the cheapest web framework you’ll come across. The amount you’ll pay to hire a Laravel developer will depend on many factors, such as the developer’s experience, time invested, and the engagement model used. Be that as it may, it’s still more costly when compared to other frameworks.
- Limited support: Unfortunately, support for Laravel isn’t easily within reach. Because support for the software isn’t readily available, this might cause issues in the case of system downtimes.
- Frequent updates: Laravel has regular updates, which is excellent. But the downside to this is that older versions of the product quickly become buggy. Also, sometimes web developers may face difficulties while updating the new versions of the software.
- Slow: Laravel isn’t the fastest web framework out there to work with. As such, web development is pretty slow when you compare it to other frameworks.
Conclusion
Laravel has managed to cement its position as one of the go-to web development frameworks on the market. Like any other software, it excels in several areas but fails in others. It would help if you weighed the pros and the cons before you use the software. Only then can you decide whether or not the software will optimally meet your project needs. From Laravel developers to NinjaTrader programmers, you can find the expert you need on Guru.
