PHP Framework Adoption Research: Laravel and Symfony Market Analysis 2024

Research Methodology

How JetBrains validated framework adoption through global developer surveys

Study Design

This analysis examines PHP framework adoption patterns based on JetBrains' annual Developer Ecosystem Survey, the largest and most comprehensive survey of PHP developers worldwide. The survey captures framework usage, satisfaction, and trends across diverse development contexts.

Research Framework

The JetBrains Developer Ecosystem Survey 2024 gathered responses from 19,696+ PHP developers globally, representing a statistically significant sample of the PHP development community. The survey methodology ensures representation across:

• Geography: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and other regions
• Organisation Size: Individual developers, startups, SMBs, and large enterprises (>1,000 employees)
• Project Types: Greenfield development, legacy maintenance, API development, web applications
• Experience Levels: Junior developers (<2 years), mid-level (2-10 years), senior (10+ years)

Data Sources

1. Annual Framework Usage Survey: Direct measurement of framework adoption through self-reported usage
2. Longitudinal Trend Analysis: Year-on-year comparison of adoption data from 2020-2024
3. Geographic Segmentation: Regional framework preferences and adoption patterns
4. Enterprise vs Startup Context: Framework choice correlation with organisation size and project complexity
5. Satisfaction Metrics: Developer satisfaction with current framework choices and switching intent

Measurement Criteria

• Adoption Rate: Percentage of developers reporting regular framework usage (multiple selections allowed)
• Growth Trends: Year-on-year percentage point changes in framework adoption
• Regional Variation: Geographic differences in framework preferences
• Satisfaction Scores: Self-reported satisfaction and recommendation likelihood
• Multi-Framework Usage: Percentage of developers using multiple frameworks simultaneously

Market Analysis and Trends

Deep dive into framework adoption patterns, growth trends, and regional variations

PHP Framework Market Landscape

The JetBrains survey data reveals a clear framework hierarchy with Laravel maintaining dominant market leadership while Symfony retains strong enterprise positioning.

Laravel Market Dominance

Laravel adoption reached 61% in 2024, confirming its position as the most widely-used PHP framework globally. This represents sustained growth from 53% in 2020, indicating Laravel's continuing momentum and ecosystem expansion.

Symfony Enterprise Strength

Symfony maintains 29% adoption, with particularly strong representation in enterprise contexts. Symfony's market position reflects its architectural maturity, long-term support commitments, and suitability for complex, large-scale applications.

Framework Adoption Hierarchy

The complete framework adoption landscape shows:

1. Laravel: 61% - Dominant across greenfield projects, startups, and rapid development contexts
2. Symfony: 29% - Strong in enterprise, complex architectures, and long-term maintenance
3. CodeIgniter: 8% - Declining but retained in legacy contexts
4. Yii: 7% - Niche adoption, primarily Asia-Pacific region
5. CakePHP: 5% - Limited adoption, primarily legacy maintenance

Growth Trends

Laravel's +8 percentage point growth over 5 years (2020-2024) demonstrates sustained market expansion. This growth comes primarily from:

• New PHP developers choosing Laravel as their first framework
• Teams migrating from legacy frameworks (CodeIgniter, Yii, CakePHP)
• Greenfield projects selecting Laravel for rapid development

Symfony's market position has remained strong in enterprise contexts, indicating solid retention in its core market for large-scale applications and complex architectures.

Developer Satisfaction

87% of Laravel users and 89% of Symfony users report satisfaction with their framework choice, indicating low churn and minimal framework switching. This stability suggests mature ecosystems with adequate documentation, community support, and library availability.

Multi-Framework Development

43% of PHP developers use multiple frameworks, typically maintaining Laravel for greenfield projects while supporting Symfony or legacy frameworks for existing applications. This polyglot approach reflects the reality of enterprise PHP development where teams inherit diverse codebases.

Regional Variation

Framework preferences vary by geography:

• North America: 67% Laravel, 22% Symfony - Laravel strongly preferred
• Western Europe: 52% Laravel, 38% Symfony - More balanced adoption, Symfony stronger
• Eastern Europe: 64% Laravel, 28% Symfony - Laravel preferred but Symfony competitive
• Asia-Pacific: 59% Laravel, 24% Symfony - Laravel dominant, regional frameworks (Yii) retain presence

These variations reflect cultural differences in framework selection, enterprise concentration, and regional technology ecosystems.

Strategic Implications

What these findings mean for organisations making technology stack decisions

Strategic Implications for Organisations

These framework adoption patterns have significant implications for organisations managing PHP applications or planning new development.

Technology Stack Decisions

With 61% Laravel adoption, organisations face strong market signals favouring Laravel for new projects:

Advantages of Laravel Alignment:

• Largest talent pool (61% of PHP developers have Laravel experience)
• Richest package ecosystem for common features
• Faster recruitment and onboarding
• Abundant community resources and commercial support

When Symfony Makes Strategic Sense:

• Complex domain requiring advanced architectural patterns
• Enterprise context with stringent long-term support requirements
• API-first or microservices architecture
• Existing Symfony expertise and investment

Recruitment and Talent Management

Framework adoption rates directly impact hiring:

• Laravel Skills: Expected baseline for most PHP developers; broad candidate pool
• Symfony Expertise: More specialised skill set; commands premium in enterprise contexts
• Multi-Framework Teams: 43% of developers use multiple frameworks, enabling flexible team composition

Migration and Modernisation

The declining adoption of legacy frameworks (CodeIgniter 8%, Yii 7%, CakePHP 5%) signals migration urgency:

Risks of Legacy Framework Retention:

• Shrinking talent pool makes recruitment and retention difficult
• Reduced community support and security patch availability
• Limited ecosystem growth and modern feature availability

Migration Pathways:

1. Laravel Migration: Suitable for most applications prioritising speed and developer productivity
2. Symfony Migration: Appropriate for complex applications requiring architectural sophistication
3. Gradual Modernisation: Strangler fig pattern allows incremental migration with minimal disruption

Regional Considerations

The ±15% regional variation suggests geographic context influences framework choice:

• North American Teams: Strong Laravel preference (67%) suggests abundant Laravel talent and ecosystem alignment
• European Teams: Balanced Laravel/Symfony adoption (52%/38%) reflects enterprise Symfony strength
• Global Teams: Should anticipate framework diversity and multi-framework expertise requirements

Framework Satisfaction and Retention

87% satisfaction rates indicate stable framework ecosystems with low switching risk:

• Framework choice is sticky; teams rarely switch once established
• Recruitment should align with current framework to avoid retraining costs
• New projects offer opportunities to re-evaluate framework choice without legacy constraints

Investment Priorities

Based on these findings, organisations should prioritise:

1. Skill Development: Invest in Laravel training for greenfield teams; Symfony expertise for enterprise contexts
2. Tooling and Automation: Leverage framework-specific tools (Laravel Forge, Symfony CLI) for productivity
3. Ecosystem Engagement: Participate in framework communities for talent attraction and knowledge sharing
4. Migration Planning: Proactively plan migrations from legacy frameworks before talent pool erodes
5. Architectural Standards: Establish framework selection criteria aligned with project complexity and team expertise

Risk Mitigation

Key risks to address:

• Framework Lock-In: Mitigate through component-based architecture and API boundaries
• Talent Availability: Maintain multi-framework expertise or invest in training programmes
• Ecosystem Dependency: Monitor framework community health and commercial support availability
• Technical Debt: Regularly upgrade to latest framework versions to avoid security and maintenance issues