Comparisons
LaravelSymfonySlimLumen

What’s the Same

Coming from Slim 4? StrataPHP feels familiar:

  • PSR-7/15 Native — Request, Response, Middleware work identically
  • No Magic — Explicit routing, explicit DI, no auto-wiring
  • Micro Core — Slim is ~2MB, StrataPHP is ~450kb
  • Composer — Same `composer require` workflow
  • Fast Boot — Both under 10ms cold start
  • Route Groups — `{id}` params, prefixes, middleware
  • DI Container — PSR-11, bring PHP-DI or League
  • Testing — PHPUnit with PSR-7 mocks
  • .env Support — `vlucas/phpdotenv` pattern
  • Bring Your Own — No ORM, no template engine enforced

StrataPHP adds to Slim:

  • Module system — Admin, CMS, User Management ready to install
  • Database migrations — CLI built-in
  • Official structure — MVC folders, not just `/public/index.php`
  • StrataPHP/CMS — Full CMS if you need it, or ignore it

Stick with Slim if:

  • You want pure micro — 1 route, 1 file
  • No database, no admin, just JSON endpoints
  • You’ll never need user auth or CMS features