# codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4

Open Source PHP Framework (originally from EllisLab)

Repository: https://github.com/codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/codeigniter4
Homepage: https://codeigniter.com/
Language: PHP
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: php, codeigniter, codeigniter4, framework-php, hacktoberfest, php-framework, php8
Last push: 2026-08-25T20:27:56+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 93/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 80, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4024, "days_push": 8, "days_rel": 57, "gap_med": 46.5, "n_releases_24m": 15}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 5968, forks 1993 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:33.828078+00:00)

## What it is
CodeIgniter 4 is a lightweight, full-stack PHP web framework with a small footprint, MVC architecture, and built-in security features like CSRF and XSS protection. It is a modern rewrite of the classic CodeIgniter framework, targeting PHP 8.1+ with near-zero configuration and clear documentation.

## Use cases
- build a full-featured web application in PHP
- create a REST API with routing and controllers
- build an MVC web app with a small framework footprint
- develop a database-driven website with query builder and migrations
- learn PHP web development with a simple framework
- build a lightweight website with built-in CSRF and XSS protection

## When to choose
- you want a fast, lightweight PHP framework with minimal configuration
- you prefer simple, elegant tooling over heavy complexity
- you need built-in security features and clear documentation
- you want a framework that encourages but doesn't force MVC

## When to avoid
- you need a large ecosystem with extensive third-party packages like Laravel's
- you want async or event-driven architecture
- your team prefers heavily opinionated, convention-over-configuration frameworks
- you are maintaining a legacy PHP 5.6 project (use CodeIgniter 3 instead)

## Facets
- artifact type: framework
- maturity: active
- function: web-framework, routing, orm, templating, http-server, security, api-framework
- domain: web-development, backend, developer-tools
- platform: php, cross-platform
- tags: mvc, full-stack, small-footprint, rest-api, php8, query-builder, web-server

## Member repositories
- codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4 (main) score 93

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:33.828078+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:50:09.343963+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4 (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:33.828078+00:00, sha 31e7df5dc64b)
  - homepage: https://codeigniter.com/ (fetched 2026-08-29T08:46:02.936276+00:00, sha e6024ebb52e2)
  - site_page: https://codeigniter.com/user_guide/index.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:46:02.946251+00:00, sha f80238396fec)
  - site_page: https://codeigniter.com/download (fetched 2026-08-29T08:46:02.944104+00:00, sha b8f1bf04c68a)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.