PHP is an acronym for “Hyperlink Preprocessor”. PHP is one of the most preferred open-source and server-side scripting languages for the development of websites and web apps. As per the expert’s reviews, PHP development tools have made PHP development effective and easier for PHP developers.

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Why developers prefer PHP over other scripting languages?

Yes, it is true that most of the developers prefer PHP rather than using the other scripting languages as it is easy-to-use, several ready-to-use scripts, well-defined documentation, large community support, etc.

To remain competitive and productive, the style of writing code matters a lot. With the evolving technology, the PHP developer now has numerous options for development tools to maintain the PHP code’s quality.

As the market is flooded with the best and perfect PHP development tools, selecting the right development tool has become a challenging task for beginners and developers. Here, we will discuss the trending PHP development tools that have captured the attention of web development communities.

Which is the best IDE for PHP programming?

There is numerous PHP IDE available in the market. Here is the list of famous and best PHP development tools- Netbeans, Eclipse, Sublime Text, Aptana Studio, Zend Studio, Visual Studio, Adobe Dreamweaver, etc.

What is PHP and Why is it used?

PHP(Hypertext Preprocessor) is a scripting language used to develop static and dynamic websites and web applications.

Top 10 PHP development tools for developers :

PHP Storm

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux

Developed By: JetBrains

Supported Languages: PHP, HTML, Javascript

Price: 30 days free trial, US $199.00 for the first year

Custom Software Development Company - Tekki Web Solutions Inc.

PHP Storm is a lightweight, incredibly smooth, and fast development tool for PHP development. PHP Storm is compatible with the PHP frameworks like Zend Framework, Symfony, Laravel, Cake PHP, etc. Other features provided by PHP Storm are SQL and database support, integration of the version control systems, phing support, issue tracker integration, visual debugger configuration, debugging and unit testing, etc.

Features of PHP Storm:

Smart PHP code editor
Easy to navigate and search
Allows debugging, testing, and profiling
Support frontend frameworks like CSS and Javascript
Allows SQL and database integration

Top Companies that use the PHP Storm:

Accenture, 9GAG, etc.

Net beans

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Solaris

Developed By: Apache Software Foundation, Oracle Cooperation

Supported Languages: Java, PHP, JavaScript, HTML, C/C++, Groovy

Price: Free

Netbeans – a lightweight, supportive development tool initially developed for Java. But now it supports multiple languages, including PHP. Netbeans, a PHP development tool also compatible with all the PHP frameworks, namely, Zend Framework, Cake PHP, Symfony, etc. Netbeans provides an immense number of features for the development of websites and web apps.

Features of Net beans:

Smart coding
Syntax highlighter
Allows checking the structure of PHP class
Readymade templates for writing scripts
Assist coding with the autocompletion feature.

Top Companies that use the Net beans:

Photoshare, Tech Stack, Book Share, etc.

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Aptana Studio

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Eclipse Plugin

Developed By: Aptana Inc.

Supported Languages: JavaScript, HTML, CSS, DOM, Ruby on Rails, PHP, Perl, Python

Price: Free

Aptana Studio is an open-source PHP development tool that supports both client-side and server-side integration. It makes PHP development easier by integrating features like debuggers and command-line interfaces. Aptana Studio is a single environment for the development and testing of web applications. Aptana Studio is known for the high performance and wide range of useful features that help increase the productivity of PHP developers.

Features of Aptana Studio:

Git integration
IDE customization
Debugger integration
Built-in terminal

Top Companies that use the Aptana Studio:

Accenture

Eclipse

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Solaris

Developed By: Eclipse Foundation

Supported Languages: C/C+, COBOL, Ruby on Rails, Scala, PHP, Perl, JavaScript, Java, and many other languages

Price: Free

Eclipse is initially developed for Java development. Eclipse is one of the excellent and reliable PHP development services. Eclipse makes the coding much easier as it has a range of plugins and features. Eclipse support both GUI and non-GUI applications. Ideal IDE for large-scale PHP projects.

Features of Eclipse:

Built-in templates
Syntax highlighter
Option to manage projects remotely
Code refactoring
Code navigation

Top Companies that use Eclipse:

Hike, Ericsson, Google Cloud, etc.

Visual Studio

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux

Developed By: Microsoft Cooperation

Supported Languages: C/C+, Visual Basic, PHP, JavaScript, C#

Price: Free, USD $2,999+

Visual Studio is an integrated environment developed by the company Microsoft. Visual Studio can be used for creating computer programs, websites, web apps, etc. Visual Studio comes with built-in features like code profiler, GUI applications development, code refactoring, etc.

Features of Visual Studio:

Code refactoring
Integration of debugging, testing
Customization options
Team collaboration options
Code cleanup with one click
SQL server data tools

Top companies that use Visual Studio:

Royal Dutch Shell, British Airways, etc.

Zend Studio

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux

Developed By: Zend Technologies

Supported Languages: PHP, JavaScript, HTML, CSS

Price: $89.00 to $189.00

Zend Studio is the favorite PHP development tool due to its fast speed and quick development features. Zend Studio supports the deployment of the websites on various servers, including the server on the cloud. Zend Studio can be extended by using the Eclipse plugins. Zend Studio is a viable PHP development tool for all types of company sizes ranging from small to large scale companies and really beneficial for PHP developers.

Features of Zend Studio:

Supports the latest version of PHP, HTML, JavaScript, and CSS
Work with cloud platforms like Red H OpenShift, Microsoft Azure, etc.
Supports Laravel and Symfony frameworks
Docker Support
Support for Eclipse plugin
High Performance

Top companies that use Zend Studio:

Disney, Parada, eBay, etc.

Code Lobster

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux

Developed By: Codelobster Software

Supported Languages: PHP, JavaScript, HTML, C, Python

Price: Free to $99.95

Code Lobster IDE is developed by the Codelobster firm for the PHP web development services. Code Lobster, a PHP development IDE, supports the PHP frameworks like Symfony, Laravel, etc. Code Lobsters provide autocomplete features, so you need not remember the functions, arguments, etc names. Code Lobster also supports CMS like Drupal, WordPress, Magento, and Joomla. Code Lobster is recognized as one of the popular PHP development tools.

Features of Code Lobster:

SQL management
Code validation
Autocomplete support
Free internal debugger
Streamlined development

Top companies that use Code Lobster:

ValveTech

Sublime Text

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux

Developed By: Sublime HQ

Supported Languages: all programming and markup languages

Price: $80.00

Sublime Text is one of the extensively used code editors of PHP development tools. Although Sublime Text is not an absolute IDE, you can extend it using the plugins and packages. Sublime Text supports a range of programming languages and markup languages.

Features of Sublime Text:

Split editing
Plugin API
Instant project switch
Offers command palette
Highlights the syntax

Top companies that use Sublime Text:

Goldbelt.Inc, Armedia, etc.

Dreamweaver

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux

Developed By: Adobe Inc.

Supported Languages: several markup languages including HTML, CSS, XML

Price: $20.99 to $52.99 per month

Adobe Dreamweaver is one of the popular PHP development tools among PHP developers. Adobe Dreamweaver PHP development tool helps to create, publish, and manage websites.

Features of Dreamweaver:

Used to develop dynamic websites
Allows customizations
In-built HTML validator
Range of readymade layouts

Top companies that use Adobe Dreamweaver:

twenty-eight.Inc, Korman Communities.Inc, etc.

Notepad++

Platform: Windows, Mac OS, Linux

Developed By: Don Ho (a product of Microsoft)

Supported Languages: all programming and markup languages

Price: Free

Notepad++ is a free and open-source code/text editor tool for PHP web development services. Nodepad++ allows you to work with multiple files on a single window. You can use Notepad++ as a syntax and keyword highlighter.

Features of Notepad++:

Autosave feature
Macro playback and recording
Syntax highlighter
GUI customizations
Multilingual environment

Top companies that use Notepad++

Walmart, Ericsson, DevOps, etc.

On the Whole

All the trending and latest code editors and PHP development tools are fully packed with outstanding features and plugins that allow PHP developers to create effective and quick PHP websites and web applications. If you are looking for custom PHP development services, then you can hire PHP developers from Tekki Web Solutions Pvt.Ltd, an esteemed PHP Development Company.