I'm creating a website with a back-end system.
I have always done this process using only a framework like Laravel or Codeigniter, but talking to some more experienced people on this subject, they recommended using Codeigniter or Laravel only for the backend and using silex which is a micro framework.
The recommendation came from the fact that silex is faster than these macro frameworks. I wonder if this really works, or can I continue to use what I've been doing?
In a nutshell, the affirmation of your friends proceeds. Large frameworks like Laravel help the developer to simplify a lot of tedious day-to-day tasks, but this comes at a cost. They carry many packages that are often not used by your application, which ends up generating an overhead.
Since a microframework is faster due to the small amount of packages that it carries intrinsically with you, you will have to manually install some package that does not come by default, which generates extra work but improves performance.
If you really want speed, I recommend using Phalcon it is a full-stack framework, however as it is written in C, its speed is monstrous. Below is a benchmark for you to get an idea of how fast it is.
What's most important to you? Implementation of the application or the speed of development?
While the micro framework is naturally lighter, it will not have all the features of a full stack framework, which already includes everything in a tightly integrated way.
You can create all of these integrations in a micro framework, but do you want to keep that type of code in your application? The libraries that your application uses may be updated and you will need to change this code.
It all depends on the purpose of your project. Many people recommend micro frameworks because they are in evidence. And it really makes sense to use the micro framework if you have a micro-services architecture where all the features of a full stack become expendable.
However, what is the advantage of starting with a micro framework and implementing 90% of a full-stack framework and > all this integration?
In conclusion, micro frameworks perform better because they have fewer features. But with every feature or integration you need, more overload will be added, even a full stack if we do not do it the best. With a full stack, you're going to load things you do not need, but everything you need to use is already integrated and just use.
