When it comes to website development, every business wants to utilize the best technology and tools which can help to deliver the best results for their business. When we are talking about PHP frameworks and CMS, it has been tough for business owners to choose between these two technologies to meet their website development requirements. Therefore, before making a final choice, it is essential to know about PHP frameworks or CMS and their importance in web development.

PHP Frameworks or CMS: Understand The Difference!

What is a Framework?

A framework widely known as web application framework is a user-written, custom code within a predefined set of rules. Developers can develop modules and apps using core library functions, written in PHP programming language. Developers can develop customized websites with the help of PHP framework. Some of the popular PHP frameworks are Laraval, Phalcon, CodeIgniter, and Zend which are highly utilized in website development.

What is a CMS (Content Management system)?

CMS (Content management system) is based on the modules rather than code and has the ability to manage the content of your website. One can develop, access, and modify content dynamically on their website. For example, if you have an e-commerce store then you can add new products, change the text of a particular product, change prices, manage inventory and perform many other functions.

Here are some distinguishing features between PHP frameworks and CMS which can help you choose the best for your business to achieve all business goals.

PHP frameworks or CMS: Factors to Consider in Choosing The Right Solution for Your Business

Flexibility:

Based on specific business needs, your website may need several advanced functionalities. The website also needs to perform an independent operation or connect with various systems. For example, an application needs to install Salesforce CRM in order to send registration data. This application needs to connect with an order processing system like FileMaker when you want the orders to be prepared independently.

On the other hand, the websites powered by CMS can have a significant number of built-in functions and features, but these are not flexible. Since the applications are pre-made, the features can be limited. Within a CMS website, a number of plugins and modules requires a lot of custom development as well. Meanwhile, PHP frameworks come with different library functions which can easily modify according to the specific business needs. Therefore, when we talk about flexibility PHP framework is the better choice than CMS.

Security: 

Nowadays, security is one of the biggest concern of every online business website. Hackers always try new methods to attack a website to steal the sensitive information, destroy or to change the way site looks. This can significantly reduce customer trust and value of the business. Most of the CMS are open-source which means their code base is accessible by everyone. However, there are various security plugins, widgets, extensions are available which help you boost the security of your website.

Website created with PHP frameworks are more secure when compared to the content management system. These frameworks use custom code and have a built-in function for encrypting and protecting against common vulnerabilities. It can effectively protect a business website from cross-site scripting, SQL injection, cross-site request forgery. Website powered with PHP frameworks are more secure than websites built with CMS.

User experience:

With CMS, website owners can easily change the data on the site without any problem. They can easily manage the website content. All themes in CMS are highly responsive such that any module or plugin placed on the website will also function on a mobile device.

PHP frameworks do not have any standard user interfaces which make their CMS user-friendly. Developers can customize the CMS by using CSS frameworks like SASS or Bootstrap for the best user experience. With PHP frameworks, developers can create fully-functional websites. A content management system can bring you with a fully-functional website.

Upgrades:

Getting your business website updated with the latest information, functions, and features is essential as these upgrades will increase your website security and attract more customers towards your business website. CMS should be updated with the latest software upgrade as soon as they are made available. However, if it’s not updated, the website can still function but the site will be not secure or user-friendly. New updates in CMS could be:

• Security patch
• New features
• New Plugins
• Support for SEO

PHP frameworks, on the other hand, are not frequently updated with new features. Even without updates, these will be still secure and function well. So, when we talk about updates both the options have their own advantages and drawbacks. You can choose any one of them according to your preferences.

Final words

Now, you have a basic idea about how they deal with security, flexibility, upgrades, and user experience. Being a business owner, you can better understand the priorities of your business and you can decide which technology is the right choice to achieve all your business goals.