Laravel VS Lumen: Here’s Everything You Need to Know

So, you are about to hire a Laravel developer, and someone suggests you should opt for Lumen?

Considering that the person suggested has just built an application in the Lumen and finds the framework, ideal for you too. Though, we would not deny that Lumen is an ideal framework, but when and how – that’s something you should base your decision on. Before we move on to differentiating Lumen and Laravel, we would have a quick look at the two core technology – full-stack web framework and micro-framework.

The Background

Developing an application is, by default a necessity today however, the search does not end with this. Once you have made a choice on deploying an app for your business, there arises a significant question, and that is, which technology would you choose to append the application and likewise, which developer do you actually need to hire.

Web frameworks are one of the choices most of the companies make, but the gamut of this isn’t small either. Years of turmoil and bundles of debates, organizations are yet to come to a conclusion – Full Stack Web Framework or Micro Framework?

Now, the point in the discussion is not ‘which one’; it is basically talking about the needs and then investing in one which maps well with the same.

Full Stack Web Frameworks

Full-stack, as the term states are a full-stack Web framework is one that comprises of every element needed in Web development. Starting with Web Serving, HTML generation to database management, full-stack Web framework includes all. You can consider this to be the storehouse of nearly every component; you may use it all or the ones you needed. Full-stack Web framework helps developers build both, a basic application or a feature-driven, function-specific application. Example – Laravel.

Micro Frameworks

On the contrary, microframeworks are the ones that are designed specifically to do a particular task or solve any designated issues. These aren’t huge like the full stack one and are meant for smaller applications. For instance, when developers have to develop APIs, they prefer working on Lumen, as it is short and function-oriented. As a minimalistic Web application, microframeworks are in total contrast to the full-stack Web framework. Ex- Lumen

Now that you have an idea about what full-stack Web framework and microframeworks are and where do each of Lumen and Laravel fall, we take this discussion forward and expand our knowledge, particularly on Lumen and Laravel.

Lumen

The subset of full-stack Web framework or the core of microframeworks, Lumen is tailored to develop smaller applications, one that is function-driven. The fact that Lumen is small – it is a faster learner and promotes higher speed. For organizations that seek to the point applications, and are restricted on budget, Lumen appears to be the best choice. What’s more? A developer can extend features in the Lumen by extended extra components to the same.

As a matter of fact, the Lumen is targeted at Microservices, meaning that they have loosely coupled components that can boost the project core. Also, considering that microservices comprise of smaller, separate components, there could be a pool of different Lumen apps that fuse together and support each other.

Pros

• The fact that Lumen is the subset of Laravel, it can be easily upgraded to the same.
• Has a smaller learning curve and is easy to use
• Benchmarked at 100/rps (request per second), Lumen is regarded as the fastest performing micro-framework of PHP.

Cons

• Mainly for smaller applications
• As Lumen is based on Laravel, it embeds the pitfalls too.
• It is used primarily with Laravel only.

Laravel

An open-source PHP framework, Laravel owns the potential to build applications, irrespective of their features. Whether you are a small-sized organization or a big fat enterprise, solutions rendered by Laravel suits all. Laravel has an extensive set of libraries, feature-rich templates, and an inbuilt database migration system, all of that help developers reduce their coding time and enhance the overall efficiency. What sets Laravel apart is the fact that applications built using Laravel are highly secured and surpasses any kind of Web attacks.

Pros

• Too many methods complicate debugging
• Since Laravel is flooded with features, it turns bloated. Irrespective of the fact that an app might not need a specific folder, the framework embeds it.
• You need to be an expert to code in Laravel.

Laravel Vs. Lumen – Head to Head

• Laravel is a full-stack Web framework that consists of several tools and an array of libraries supporting the development of best in class Web applications. On the other hand, Lumen is primarily a microframework based on the microservices. This is used to build smaller applications but with higher speed and lesser time to market. APIs form the primary example of applications developed using Lumen.
• Since Laravel is custom fit for almost all sorts of application development, it, at a time, requires extended tools and components to build a particular application. Laravel also mandates the need for separate configuration for different servers considering the requirement of a specific application. In opposition to this, the fact that Lumen is driven by microservices, it is apparently a lighter version of Laravel and dedicated towards the development of specified services such as APIs, templates, caching, logging, cookie development, etc.
• Laravel, being full-stack enables the integration of an array of other tools to enhance the feature set as provided by the same. Lumen, on the contrary, fails to extend much and has a restricted integration of tools and third-party components. As a matter of fact, Lumen based APIs can be used while developing applications, but you cannot integrate Laravel based projects within Lumen.
• Considering the fact that Laravel has an inbuilt database migration system, it can adequately handle the SQL queries and adopt the changes likewise. Also, Laravel works well when aligning the database functionality at the level of the developed application. This feature is not supported in the Lumen, and the overall performance drips as soon as there arises the need to juggle with SQL queries.
• When it comes to the ORM framework, it is Laravel that outstand Lumen. The framework is both eloquent and blade as the default engine template. For Lumen, no such feature exists, let alone the fact that it is derived from Laravel.
• Lumen is microservice-based, supports API development, and is easy to use. On the other hand, Laravel is an open-source, has a sleek architecture and supports dependency injection too.
• Laravel being a bigger one, mandates the need to learn and master the art, where the Lumen is easy to use and does not have a sharp learning curve.

The Crux

There is no best of the two. Each of them has its own spec of benefits and drawbacks, and it’ is not the technology that decides which one should you choose, but your project requirements. Based on the type of application, the functions, and the features, you need to choose whether to hire laravel developer or hire a Lumen developer. We have expertise in both and can help you build a robust, scalable and secure web application as per your business requirements. At Bacancy Technology, we make sure to deliver the most exceptional full-stack solution using these prominent technologies to support your business venture.