Skip to main content
CF
PHP & Laravel thumbnail

PHP & Laravel

79 courses 7 categories

Part of Learn Programming

PHP and Laravel covers the modern PHP backend stack — the language that runs WordPress, Wikipedia, Slack, Mailchimp, and a huge share of the world's e-commerce. PHP 8.x has done what cynics did not expect: type system, JIT, attributes, enums, readonly classes, and async runtimes (ReactPHP, Swoole, Frankenphp) have turned it into a credible alternative to Node and Python for new server work, not just legacy maintenance.

Laravel is the framework that drives most new PHP projects in 2026. Eloquent, queues, broadcasting, Livewire, Inertia, Sanctum, Reverb, and the wider first-party ecosystem (Forge, Vapor, Cloud, Nova) make it the most productive way to ship full-stack PHP. Symfony holds the high-end and enterprise tier where decoupled components and bus-based architectures matter; WordPress still powers a third of the public web; and Magento, Drupal, and Slim cover the niches that other frameworks cannot.

What you'll find under this topic

  • Modern PHP 8.x: types, attributes, enums, readonly classes, fibers, JIT performance
  • Laravel: Eloquent, queues, broadcasting, Livewire, Inertia, Sanctum, Pennant, Reverb
  • Symfony: components, Messenger, API Platform, EasyAdmin, bundle authoring
  • WordPress: Gutenberg blocks, custom plugins, WooCommerce, headless via WP REST / WPGraphQL
  • E-commerce platforms: Magento 2, Shopware, PrestaShop
  • Drupal and Slim: enterprise CMS work and lightweight API microframeworks
  • Testing and quality: PHPUnit, Pest, Psalm, PHPStan, Rector for automated refactoring
  • Deployment: Forge, Vapor, Ploi, Docker, Frankenphp, Octane runtimes

PHP roles still hire at every scale — from agencies maintaining WordPress sites, through Laravel-shop SaaS companies, to large platforms where Symfony powers core systems. The skill set is durable because the installed base is enormous and the language has modernized without breaking backward compatibility.

Top 10 picks for 2026

Categories (7)

Drupal thumbnail
Drupal is an open-source content management system (CMS) developed and maintained by a community of users, with major…
Laravel thumbnail
Laravel is a PHP framework developed by Taylor Otwell, designed to make web application development more efficient and…
Magento thumbnail
Magento is the open-source e-commerce platform, now branded as Adobe Commerce, that is widely used for complex…
PHP thumbnail
PHP is a server-side scripting language designed primarily for web development but also used as a general-purpose…
Slim thumbnail
Slim is a PHP microframework designed to facilitate the rapid development of simple yet effective web applications and…
Symfony thumbnail
Symfony is a PHP framework known for its modular component-based architecture, initially developed by Fabien Potencier…
Wordpress thumbnail
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) originally developed by Matt Mullenweg and the WordPress Foundation. It…

Courses (79)

Showing 130 of 79 courses

Frequently asked questions

Is PHP still worth learning in 2026?
Yes — PHP runs roughly 70% of websites and most of the SMB and agency market. Modern PHP (8.3+) with strict types, attributes, enums, and readonly classes is a genuinely pleasant language. Laravel makes shipping CRUD applications fast, and the WordPress ecosystem alone employs a vast number of developers. Strong language for steady, well-paid mid-market work.
Laravel vs Symfony vs raw PHP?
Laravel for fast product development, opinionated conventions, and the largest active job market. Symfony for enterprise PHP, longer-lived codebases, and component-based architecture (Laravel itself builds on several Symfony components). Raw PHP only for maintaining legacy code or building tiny utilities — every serious new project should use a framework.
Laravel vs Django vs Rails — which is most productive?
All three are highly productive for CRUD products. Laravel has the largest current momentum, the most active package ecosystem (Filament, Livewire, Inertia, Forge, Vapor), and the cheapest hosting. Django wins for Python ecosystems and data-adjacent work; Rails remains excellent but has a smaller hiring market. Choose by ecosystem fit, not raw framework quality.
Is Laravel a good first backend framework?
Yes — the documentation is famously good, the conventions reduce decision fatigue, and you can ship a real product in weeks rather than months. The risk is becoming over-reliant on Laravel's magic and avoiding fundamentals (HTTP, SQL, queues, caching). Build a couple of projects with the framework, then deliberately learn what's underneath.
What about WordPress — is it real PHP work?
It is, and it's a huge employment market, but it's a different skill set from modern PHP application development. WordPress hiring leans toward themes, plugins, page builders, and integration work rather than from-scratch architecture. Many developers blend both worlds; treat them as distinct specialisations when planning a career path.