Symfony
A PHP framework for building web and console applications, plus reusable PHP components.
- Stars
- 31.2k
- Forks
- 9.9k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- PHP
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- Library
What it is
Symfony is a PHP framework that gives developers a structured base for building websites, web applications, and command-line tools. It also ships as a set of reusable PHP components that can be used on their own. The README says it is used by thousands of web applications and by many popular PHP projects.
- Build a web application with routing, templates, and other framework features
- Create a console command-line application using the framework
- Use individual Symfony components inside an existing PHP project
- Learn modern PHP framework practices with the Symfony Demo application
Great for
- PHP developers building web applications that need a structured framework
- Teams that want semantic versioning and Long Term Support (LTS) releases
- Developers who want reusable PHP components without adopting the full framework
- Projects that need console applications as well as web applications
Not ideal for
- People who do not work with PHP, since the project is written for PHP developers
- Complete beginners to programming, as the framework assumes familiarity with PHP and Composer
- Very small one-off scripts where a full framework adds more setup than it saves
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: PHP (version requirements are listed in the official requirements page linked from the README) · Composer
Install Symfony with Composer (see official setup docs for the exact command)
git clone https://github.com/symfony/symfony - 2
Run it
- Check the requirements page linked in the README to confirm your PHP setup.
- Follow the Install Symfony guide linked in the README to install with Composer.
- Read the Getting Started guide to create your first page.
- Optionally, try the Symfony Demo application to see a working example.
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Read the Getting Started guide if you are new to the framework.
- Work through Symfony The Fast Track to learn the ecosystem in practice.
- Use the Best Practices reference to structure larger projects.
- Ask questions on GitHub Discussions or Slack through the community links in the README.
Downloads
Strengths
- Widely used, with a large community and many contributors according to the README
- Follows semantic versioning and publishes LTS versions for predictable upgrades
- Has extensive documentation, including a Getting Started guide and a best practices reference
Trade-offs
- Requires working knowledge of PHP and Composer, so it is not a gentle first step for newcomers
- The README is mostly links, so details of specific features must be checked in the official docs
- Feature set and setup depend on the chosen components and version, which the README does not detail
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| symfony (this) | 31.2k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | PHP developers building web applications that need a structured framework |
| CodeIgniter | 18.2k | Framework | intermediate | 2.3 years ago | PHP developers who want a framework with a relatively small footprint |
| Slim | 12.3k | Framework | intermediate | 5 days ago | PHP developers who want a lightweight alternative to a full-stack framework |
| framework | 35k | Framework | intermediate | 4 days ago | PHP developers building web applications or APIs |
| pest | 11.8k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | PHP developers who want to add automated tests to a project |
| grav | 15.7k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers who want a PHP website without running a database |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.