Choosing between CodeIgniter and Laravel in 2026

Clients ask which is better. The honest answer is that both are good and the choice is about the team who inherits the code.

When we reach for CodeIgniter

Small footprint, shallow learning curve, and a hosting environment we do not fully control. If the client has one in-house developer who also handles IT, CodeIgniter keeps the surface area small enough for one person to hold in their head.

When we reach for Laravel

Queues, scheduled work, complex authorisation, a team of three or more, and a hiring market that expects it. The conventions pay for themselves once more than a couple of people are in the codebase.

What actually decides it

Who is on call in eighteen months. We have never regretted picking the framework the client's own team already knows.