Codeigniter Vs Laravel (First content in 2026 in English) #2

To help you see the difference in "vibe" and syntax between the two, let’s look at how you would perform a basic database operation (fetching a user by their ID) and how you define a route.

1. Database Operations

This is where the difference between Eloquent ORM (Laravel) and Query Builder (CodeIgniter) is most visible.

Laravel (Eloquent)

Laravel uses models that act as a direct representation of your data.

PHP

// In a Controller

$user = User::find($id);

return view('profile', ['user' => $user]);

CodeIgniter 4 (Query Builder)

CodeIgniter is more explicit, which many find easier to debug but slightly more verbose.

PHP

// In a Controller

$userModel = new \App\Models\UserModel();

$user = $userModel->find($id);

return view('profile', ['user' => $user]);

2. Routing Logic

Routing is how the framework maps a URL (like website.com/contact) to a specific piece of code.

Laravel

Laravel uses a dedicated routes/web.php file. It feels very descriptive and "modern."

PHP

Route::get('/profile/{id}', [UserController::class, 'show']);

CodeIgniter 4

CodeIgniter uses a Config/Routes.php file. It is very similar, but often uses a slightly different syntax for placeholders.

PHP

$routes->get('profile/(:num)', 'UserController::show/$1');

3. Architecture Comparison

While both are MVC, their internal complexity differs significantly.

Laravel includes a "Service Container" and "Middleware" layer that handles things like security and session management before the request even hits your controller. CodeIgniter keeps the path from "Request" to "Response" as short as possible to maintain its high performance. Summary of the "Developer Experience". In Laravel, you spend more time learning how the framework wants you to work, but once you learn it, you can build massive features in minutes. In CodeIgniter, you spend more time writing standard PHP, which makes it easier for people coming from a traditional coding background to feel "at home."

-Saya pasti pulang-