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why hire PHP developers with EPAM Startups & SMBs

PHP software developers from around the world come to work with EPAM Startups & SMBs full-time. Hire PHP web developers with the appropriate expertise in software development, your required years of experience, background, and qualifications to deliver your project on time and within budget.

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    6,000+ remote PHP developers
    With an impressive pool of thousands of PHP developers, EPAM Startups & SMBs is ready to start working on your project immediately. Our talents are not freelancers but dedicated PHP programmers for hire, assigned exclusively to your project and applying best practices to benefit your business.
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    EPAM quality talent
    Hire PHP developers that have experience working on projects for Fortune 1000 companies. This gives you a massive advantage since you hire PHP programmers who use advanced knowledge and technologies tested and approved by market leaders. Get to work with PHP contractors who deliver results.
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    experts in remote work
    EPAM Startups & SMBs is backed by 30+ years of experience managing remote teams across multiple countries. Hire PHP programmers who are experts in working internationally, matching their PHP development talent with that of the client to create an effective, united team. This enables a smooth and high-quality delivery for any project.
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    experience in your niche
    Our PHP developers have worked in fintech, edtech, retail, gaming, and many other niches. This allows you to hire a PHP developer or a whole team who have handled the type of project you require and minimize training and onboarding time.

how to hire PHP experts with EPAM Startups & SMBs

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share your requirements

Specify your requirements to hire dedicated PHP developers

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choose PHP developers

Get our full assistance to hire a PHP programmer or assemble a team from the list of best-suited candidates

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onboard your team

With our all-round support, your newly-hired PHP developers will be introduced to the existing project workflows

our PHP development stack

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PHP frameworks and libraries

CakePHP

Laravel

Symfony

and more

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front-end development

JavaScript

HTML/CSS

Ajax

React

Angular

and more

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platforms

Linux

Windows

MacOS

and more

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data

MySQL

NoSQL

Postgres

mongoDB

and more

do you want to add more capabilities to your project?

Expand your project capabilities with software developers well-versed in more programming languages, both server-side and front-end. Your project will be delivered end to end by a multi-competent team that works following a shared approach and best practices.

you are in good company

We at EPAM Startups & SMBs are happy to deliver excellent results and prove our expertise time and again with clients that range from small and medium to enterprise-size businesses.

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We found working with EPAM has been a true partnership, where they’ve proven themselves to be a reliable, trustworthy and hardworking team that has really helped us push the boundary of customer-centric innovation.

Zac Carman Managing Director Products, Consumer Affairs
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The trusted EPAM team has helped us push the boundaries of customer-centric innovation. With programs like Horizon 4, we need the ability of our development partners to stay on track. And EPAM stands for that.

Mark Giesbers Managing Director Products, Liberty Global
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We chose EPAM to develop a native mobile extension of an existing enterprise application. They were able to quickly identify the needs of our project and collaborate with key individuals within our organization to not only deliver the application on-time, but make significant improvements to our existing core application.

Justin Catalana CEO, Fort Point Beer Company
dedicated software development team that fits you
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the pros & cons of PHP development

PHP is a popular server-side scripting language that is widely used for web development. Here are some pros and cons of PHP programming:

Pros:

  • Easy to learn: PHP is relatively easy to learn and use, especially for those who have some experience with programming.
  • Open-source: PHP is an open-source language, which means that developers can use it for free and access a large community of developers who contribute to it.
  • Wide support: PHP is widely supported by web hosting companies and works on most platforms, including Linux, Windows, and macOS.
  • Versatility: PHP is a versatile language that can be used for a variety of tasks, including web development, command-line scripting, and desktop applications.

Cons:

  • Security: PHP has been criticized for its security vulnerabilities, which can make it more susceptible to attacks and hacking attempts.
  • Performance: PHP can be slower than other languages, such as Java and C++, which can impact the performance of websites and applications.
  • Inconsistent syntax: The syntax of PHP is inconsistent, which can be confusing for developers. For example, some functions have underscores in their names, while others don't.
  • Lack of consistency: PHP has a lack of consistency in function names and parameters, which can make it more difficult to learn and use.

While PHP is easy to learn and has a large community of developers, it may require skilled programmers to use it effectively, and may also have limitations in terms of scalability. If you decide to use PHP for your web application development, it is important to follow best practices and hire PHP programmers with extensive experience to ensure the success of your project.

top 5 PHP frameworks

When it comes to building dynamic and robust web applications, PHP frameworks offer developers the tools and features they need to create scalable and secure applications quickly and easily. With a range of frameworks available, developers can choose the best one that suits their needs, whether it be speed, flexibility, or security.

  • Laravel: Laravel is a popular and widely used PHP framework known for its elegant syntax, robust features, and active developer community. It is well-suited for building complex, scalable web applications.
  • Symfony: Symfony is a high-performance PHP framework that provides a set of reusable components and tools for building web applications. It is known for its flexibility and scalability.
  • CodeIgniter: CodeIgniter is a lightweight PHP framework that is easy to learn and use. It is known for its speed and simplicity, making it a good choice for smaller projects.
  • CakePHP: CakePHP is a rapid-development PHP framework that provides a set of tools and features for building web applications quickly and easily. It has a strong focus on security and is well-suited for enterprise-level applications.
  • Yii: Yii is a high-performance PHP framework that provides a set of tools and features for building web applications quickly and easily. It is known for its speed and scalability, making it a good choice for large-scale applications.

When to use a PHP framework:

  • If you need complete control over the application's functionality, structure, and design;
  • If you are building a large-scale, complex web application with custom requirements;
  • If you have a team of experienced developers who can handle the complexity and customization of a framework;
  • If you want to build an application from scratch, using only the necessary components and libraries.

top 5 PHP-based CMS

With a content management system (CMS), you can easily create, publish, and manage your website's content, without needing specialized technical skills. Let’s explore the top PHP-based CMS available in the market and highlight their key features, strengths, and weaknesses.

  • WordPress: This is a popular open-source CMS that powers over 30% of websites on the internet. It is known for its ease of use and flexibility, making it a good choice for both personal and business websites.
  • Joomla: It provides a set of tools and features for building websites and online applications. It is known for its scalability and extensibility.
  • Drupal: Drupal is a flexible and powerful CMS that is well-suited for building complex websites and applications. It provides a wide range of features and tools for content management, user management, and more.
  • Magento: Magento is a PHP-based CMS that is specifically designed for building ecommerce websites. It provides a wide range of features and tools for managing products, orders, and customers.
  • OpenCart: This is an easy-to-use CMS that is specifically designed for building online stores. It provides a set of features and tools for managing products, orders, and customers, making it a good choice for small to medium-sized businesses.

When to use a CMS:

  • If you need a website up and running quickly;
  • If you want a customizable design;
  • If you are building a website that requires basic functionality such as a blog, online store, or portfolio;
  • If you want to save time and money.

Ultimately, the decision to use a framework or CMS will depend on your specific project requirements and constraints. Our vetted team of experts and EPAM Startups & SMBs will help you carefully evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each option before coming up with a solution.

the role of a PHP developer

A PHP programmer is responsible for developing and maintaining web applications using the PHP programming language.

The role of a PHP programmer may include:

  • Writing and testing PHP code to create and maintain web applications;
  • Collaborating with other developers and designers to ensure that applications meet technical requirements and user needs;
  • Troubleshooting and debugging code to ensure that applications run smoothly;
  • Developing and maintaining database systems to support web applications;
  • Keeping up to date with new technologies and trends in web development;
  • Writing and maintaining technical documentation and user manuals;
  • Working with project managers to ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget;
  • Providing technical support and assistance to end-users.

Overall, the role of a PHP programmer is crucial in developing and maintaining web applications that are critical to the success of many businesses and organizations.

hard skills of a PHP programmer

When it comes to PHP programming, there are two basic categories of skills: backend and full-stack.

Backend PHP programmers focus on server-side development and are responsible for building and maintaining the core logic of a web application. This includes working with databases, integrating with third-party APIs, and ensuring the security of the application.

Full-stack PHP programmers, on the other hand, are expected to have a broader set of skills that includes both backend and front-end development. In addition to working on the server-side logic, they are also responsible for building the user interface of the web application, integrating with external services, and deploying and maintaining the application.

Here are the hard skills that PHP programmers should have in each of these two categories.

Backend PHP programmer

  • Strong understanding of PHP syntax and data types
  • Proficiency in PHP frameworks such as Laravel, CodeIgniter, or Symfony
  • Mastery of SQL database concepts and MySQL syntax
  • Experience with version control systems (Git)
  • Familiarity with web application security principles and practices
  • Understanding of OOP principles and design patterns
  • Experience with automated testing frameworks such as PHPUnit

Full-stack PHP programmer

  • Strong understanding of front-end technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
  • Proficiency in front-end frameworks such as React or Angular
  • Experience with integrating third-party APIs and services
  • Familiarity with web application security principles and practices
  • Experience with containerization and orchestration technologies (Docker, Kubernetes)
  • Ability to architect and design complex software systems using PHP and related technologies
  • Experience with agile project management methodologies

Note that there is some overlap between the two categories. However, the main difference is that a full-stack PHP programmer has a broader set of skills that includes front-end development, while a backend PHP programmer is more focused on server-side development.

The hard skills of a PHP programmer can also be categorized into junior, middle, senior, and team lead levels, with each level requiring a deeper understanding of the language, frameworks, and software development practices. Let’s explore some of the key hard skills that PHP programmers should have at each level.

Junior PHP programmer

  • Basic understanding of PHP syntax and data types
  • Familiarity with PHP frameworks such as Laravel, CodeIgniter, or Symfony
  • Understanding of basic SQL database concepts and MySQL syntax
  • Familiarity with version control systems such as Git
  • Basic understanding of front-end technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
  • Understanding of basic software development principles such as Agile methodologies and software testing

Middle PHP programmer

  • Strong understanding of PHP best practices and coding standards
  • Strong understanding of PHP frameworks and their underlying concepts and architecture
  • Proficiency in SQL database design, optimization, and query optimization
  • Experience with integrating third-party APIs and services
  • Familiarity with web application security principles and practices
  • Understanding of object-oriented programming principles and design patterns
  • Experience with automated testing frameworks such as PHPUnit

Senior PHP programmer

  • Deep understanding of PHP internals and performance tuning techniques
  • Ability to architect and design complex software systems using PHP and related technologies
  • Experience with large-scale web application development and deployment
  • Experience with continuous integration and delivery pipelines
  • Ability to lead and mentor junior and middle PHP developers
  • Familiarity with containerization and orchestration technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes

PHP team lead

  • Strong leadership and project management skills
  • Ability to manage a team of PHP developers and coordinate with other teams
  • Ability to define and enforce coding standards and best practices
  • Experience with agile project management methodologies
  • Ability to collaborate with stakeholders and product owners to define project requirements and scope
  • Strong communication and presentation skills to effectively communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders

soft skills of a PHP developer

In addition to technical skills, soft skills are also important for a PHP developer to be successful in their role. Some key soft skills for PHP developers include:

  • Communication
  • Problem-solving
  • Time management
  • Attention to detail
  • Adaptability
  • Collaboration

Overall, a PHP developer with strong soft skills will be able to work effectively with others, produce high-quality work, and deliver projects that meet client and stakeholder needs.

frequently asked questions

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