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CodeIgniter VS go-zero

Compare CodeIgniter VS go-zero and see what are their differences

CodeIgniter logo CodeIgniter

A Fully Baked PHP Framework

go-zero logo go-zero

go-zero is a web and rpc framework written in Go.
  • CodeIgniter Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-21
  • go-zero Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-01

CodeIgniter features and specs

  • Performance
    CodeIgniter is known for its exceptional performance and fast execution, which is beneficial for applications requiring quick load times.
  • Documentation
    CodeIgniter offers comprehensive and clear documentation, making it easier for developers to understand and use the framework effectively.
  • Easy to Learn
    CodeIgniter's simple and straightforward syntax makes it relatively easy for beginners to learn and start developing applications quickly.
  • Lightweight
    The framework is lightweight and does not impose many dependencies or require a specific server environment, providing flexibility to developers.
  • Community Support
    CodeIgniter has a strong and active community, which means plenty of resources, forums, and add-ons are available for developers.
  • Built-in Security Features
    CodeIgniter comes with built-in security features like XSS filtering and CSRF protection, helping developers to secure their applications with minimal effort.
  • MVC Architecture
    The framework follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, promoting clean code separation and better organization of the project.

Possible disadvantages of CodeIgniter

  • Lack of Modern Features
    CodeIgniter does not include many modern features found in other frameworks, such as built-in ORM or out-of-the-box RESTful API support.
  • Limited Modular Extensions
    It has fewer modular extensions compared to other frameworks like Laravel or Symfony, which can limit code reusability and scalability.
  • Manual Routing
    Routing in CodeIgniter is somewhat manual and less intuitive compared to other frameworks that offer more automatic and flexible routing mechanisms.
  • Outdated PHP Practices
    Some of the practices and conventions in CodeIgniter are considered outdated with respect to modern PHP development trends.
  • No Built-in Authentication
    CodeIgniter does not come with a built-in authentication system, requiring developers to implement their own or use third-party libraries.
  • Less Emphasis on Testing
    CodeIgniter has less built-in support and emphasis on unit testing compared to other frameworks like Laravel, making it harder to implement TDD or BDD.
  • Lack of Native Composer Support
    The framework's native support for Composer, PHP's dependency manager, is not as robust as other modern frameworks, which can complicate dependency management.

go-zero features and specs

  • Performance
    go-zero is designed with a focus on high performance, utilizing techniques like zero-copy and efficient scheduling to optimize workloads.
  • Scalability
    The framework supports scalable microservices with features like built-in service discovery, load balancing, and fault tolerance.
  • Developer Productivity
    go-zero provides code generation tools and a structured design pattern that can significantly speed up the development process.
  • Rich Feature Set
    It includes a wide range of built-in features such as API gateways, distributed tracing, and rate limiting, reducing the need for third-party integrations.
  • Community and Support
    The project has an active community and comprehensive documentation, making it easier for developers to find support and resources.

Possible disadvantages of go-zero

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New developers might find go-zero challenging to learn due to its comprehensive and complex functionalities.
  • Dependency Management
    Managing dependencies and updates can become complicated, especially when utilizing many of the out-of-the-box features.
  • Customizability
    While go-zero provides many pre-built features, this can sometimes limit flexibility and make it challenging to implement custom solutions.
  • Maturity
    Being relatively new compared to other frameworks, go-zero might have fewer third-party integrations and extensions available.
  • Resource Intensity
    Despite its performance advantages, the extensive feature set can be resource-intensive, which might not be ideal for small-scale applications.

Analysis of CodeIgniter

Overall verdict

  • Yes, CodeIgniter is a good choice for developers looking for a simple and efficient PHP framework. It's particularly well-suited for projects where performance is a priority, and extensive feature sets found in larger frameworks are not necessary.

Why this product is good

  • CodeIgniter is considered a good PHP framework because it is lightweight, easy to set up, and requires minimal server resources. It offers a straightforward approach to building web applications, especially for developers who appreciate simplicity and performance. Its comprehensive documentation and active community support are additional positives.

Recommended for

  • Developers who need a lightweight and fast framework
  • Projects with straightforward requirements and simplistic architectures
  • Developers who prefer a framework with easy installation and minimal configuration
  • Smaller projects or prototypes that require rapid development
  • Projects with limited server resources

CodeIgniter videos

PHP CodeIgniter tutorial: What is CodeIgniter and why should I use it? | lynda.com

More videos:

  • Review - Laravel vs Codeigniter - A quick comparison for you to decide
  • Review - Review Codeigniter 4

go-zero videos

No go-zero videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to CodeIgniter and go-zero)
Web Frameworks
94 94%
6% 6
Developer Tools
91 91%
9% 9
PHP MVC Framework
100 100%
0% 0
Open Source
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare CodeIgniter and go-zero

CodeIgniter Reviews

  1. A PSR-compliant framework with diverse set of facilities and capabilities

    You can build any kinds of web apps and sites with this framework without consuming substantial server resources.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: Lumen Framework

CakePHP vs CodeIgniter: Which PHP Framework is Best for Development?
CodeIgniter: CodeIgniter was developed by EllisLab and released in February 2006. It is known for its simplicity and speed, designed to help developers create full-featured web applications quickly. CodeIgniter emphasizes a lean and minimalistic approach, providing just enough to get the job done without imposing too many restrictions.
Top 5 Laravel Alternatives
CodeIgniter is simpler to use for the majority of developers. Laravelโ€™s convenience is matched only by its adherence to a small set of standards and guidelines. CodeIgniter also offers improved error handling and more leeway in terms of customization. Overall, in comparison of Laravel and CodeIgniter, CodeIgniter might be the simpler choice for most web programmers.
Framework review: Laravel vs CodeIgniter
Let's start with CodeIgniter first. It focuses on performance and speed. It offers a simple, easy-to-learn syntax, making it ideal for beginners. CodeIgniter uses its own proprietary Active Record implementation for database operations, which provides a simple and intuitive way to interact with data. Unlike Laravel, CodeIgniter does not enforce a specific architectural...
Source: infinyhost.com
10 Ruby on Rails Alternatives For Web Development in 2022
Laravel is a PHP web framework that was built by Taylor Otwell in 2011 as an attempt to replace the older framework CodeIgniter that lacked some important features, like built-in customer authentication and user authorization. The current version of the framework, Laravel 8.16 has a great infrastructure of web development tools that facilitate queue monitoring, server...
The Most Popular PHP Frameworks to Use in 2021
Laravel is billed as โ€œThe PHP Framework for Web Artisans.โ€ It was developed by Taylor Otwell, who wanted a framework with elements that CodeIgniter didnโ€™t have, such as user authentication.
Source: kinsta.com

go-zero Reviews

We have no reviews of go-zero yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

go-zero might be a bit more popular than CodeIgniter. We know about 12 links to it since March 2021 and only 10 links to CodeIgniter. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

CodeIgniter mentions (10)

  • 19+ Laravel Best Practices for Developers in 2024
    For history's sake, you should know that Laravel was built in place of the CodeIgniter framework as a modern replacement because the CodeIgniter framework missing important core features such as built-in support for user authentication and authorization. Since its initial launch in 2011, Laravel has implemented built-in support for localization, views, dealing with sessions, routing the request to the specific... - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • How to Install Codeigniter on a Local Server in 2025?
    Visit the CodeIgniter official download page and download the latest version. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Top 12 PHP Frameworks For Web Development in 2024
    CodeIgniter is an open-source PHP framework with 18k+ stars and 7.8K forks on GitHub. It follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture and provides a structured way to create and organize code. It provides a set of libraries and an intuitive interface to accelerate PHP web app development. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Why I selected Elixir and Phoenix as my main stack
    Over the years I have tried different frameworks, mostly in PHP, like Code Igniter (2010), ProcessWire (2014) and Laravel (2015). - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • In One Minute : CodeIgniter
    CodeIgniter is an open-source php web application framework created by EllisLab Inc and it is now a project of British Columbia Institute of Technology. The framework implements a modified version of the Model-View-Controller design pattern. It is praised for its performance and the quality of its documentation. It's currently licensed under the MIT License, although the previous version was released under the... - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
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go-zero mentions (12)

  • Best Web Sever Framework?
    Maybe you can try https://github.com/zeromicro/go-zero, a different way to write your web applications. It generates the skeleton of your web apps. Source: over 2 years ago
  • What is the best microservices framework in Go?
    Easy to use with start with https://github.com/zeromicro/go-zero, cannot say about long term. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Show HN: Go-zero (a cloud-native microservice framework) is now two years old
    Today in two years ago, I submit my first commit of go-zero code to GitHub, and two years later, go-zero is now 19.7K stars and 2.9K forks. go-zero has been well known for lots of developers, adopted by many companies, and helped many developers to be hired by their favorite companies through learning go-zero source code. Looking forward to the third year, we will continue to bring more convenient and practical... - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • How can I convert RESTful requests to gRPC requests in my gateway?
    I'm writing a simple gateway for go-zero, but I don't know what's the best practices on converting RESTful to gRPC requests. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Understanding and tuning parameters of connection pools
    When I was doing backend development and writing go-zero, I would often need to monitor network connections and analyze the request packets. For example. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing CodeIgniter and go-zero, you can also consider the following products

Laravel - A PHP Framework For Web Artisans

Adonis JS - AdonisJs is a Node.js web framework with breath of fresh air and drizzle of elegant syntax on top of it

CakePHP - The Rapid Development Framework for PHP

Stellify - A Better Way for Artisans to Build Web Apps

Django - The Web framework for perfectionists with deadlines

celljs.org - A self-driving web app framework