PHP2Shell, two critical PHP flaws (CVSS 9.2), went public and were patched on October 21, 2026, after an exploit attempt was recorded four days earlier. Official fixes cover only PHP 8.2 and newer. Many CodeIgniter 3 apps still run on PHP 7.x or 8.0, where the best case is an unofficial source backport. Laravel on PHP 8.4 closes the gap. What PHP2Shell is.
CodeIgniter to Laravel migration services translate an existing CodeIgniter app into Laravel on PHP 8.4 without losing a route or business rule. Techno Mantra is an AI and web development company that builds AI applications, websites, SEO programs and custom CRM systems for businesses in the US, Canada and Australia.
CodeIgniter 3 gets only occasional maintenance releases, and many CI3 apps are pinned to PHP versions with no official PHP2Shell fix. CodeIgniter 4 is a ground-up rewrite with new namespaces, a new request flow and a new database layer, so moving CI3 to CI4 costs about as much as moving to Laravel. With a rewrite needed either way, most teams pick the framework with the larger community, more packages and more developers for hire.
CodeIgniter splits code into models, views and controllers, so each piece has a known place in Laravel: $this->load->model() calls become injected Eloquent models, $this->db chains become Eloquent or the query builder, application/config/routes.php becomes routes/web.php, form_validation becomes validation rules, and CI hooks become middleware.
Why CodeIgniter teams move to Laravel
Laravel ships far more built in, has a much larger community and keeps the PHP habits CodeIgniter teams already have.
More done for you
Queues, mail, notifications, file storage, task scheduling, API tokens and testing tools all ship with Laravel or as official packages, where CI3 needed custom libraries.
Fewer custom parts
Sanctum, Horizon, Cashier and thousands of Composer packages cover work your team would otherwise write and maintain by hand.
Hiring is easier
Laravel developers are far more common in the US than CodeIgniter developers, so one resignation doesn't strand the app.
What we carry over from CodeIgniter
- Controllers rewritten as Laravel controllers with the same actions
- CI models and $this->db queries moved to Eloquent models
- Views converted from PHP templates to Blade
- routes.php entries recreated in routes/web.php and routes/api.php
- form_validation rules turned into Laravel validation and form requests
- CI session and auth code replaced with Laravel authentication
- Custom libraries and helpers turned into service classes
- Same URLs kept, deployed on PHP 8.4 with SSL and backups
CodeIgniter to Laravel in 7 days
Day 1: Map the app
Each CI controller, model, library, helper and hook is listed beside its Laravel counterpart, then you approve a fixed price.
Days 2-4: Translate
Laravel goes on PHP 8.4, Eloquent takes over the database, then controllers and views move across module by module.
Days 5-6: Test side by side
Each screen, form and report is checked against the CodeIgniter version, and you review it on staging.
Day 7: Release
Traffic moves to Laravel with URLs unchanged, and the team stays on watch through the first days.
CodeIgniter 3 vs Laravel
How everyday jobs differ between the two frameworks.
| CodeIgniter 3 | Laravel | |
|---|---|---|
| Loading code | $this->load->model() and libraries | Composer autoloading and dependency injection |
| Database | Query builder with result arrays | Eloquent models, relationships and migrations |
| Templates | Plain PHP views | Blade templates with auto escaping |
| Validation | form_validation library | Validation rules and form request classes |
| Background work | Custom cron scripts | Queues, scheduler and Horizon |
| Future | Occasional maintenance releases, CI4 is a rewrite | Yearly major releases with published support dates |
Why trust us with your CodeIgniter app
Developers who know both frameworks translate your CI code as written, so nobody guesses what a method was meant to do.
Feature-for-feature checklist
Every controller action in your CodeIgniter app goes on a list, and each one is checked off in Laravel before launch.
Existing passwords keep working.
NDA on request and a fixed price upfront.
CodeIgniter migration for businesses in the US
The service fits US companies running a CodeIgniter admin panel, portal or SaaS product that needs a framework with a long future. Calls fall inside US Eastern hours, and any inquiry gets a reply within one business day. Clients in Canada and Australia get the same terms.
You get a named contact, a firm launch date and ownership of all code, designs and accounts. Past work covers 5,000+ projects for 3,460+ clients.
Official sources: PHP supported versions · Laravel documentation · CodeIgniter
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about our CodeIgniter to Laravel Migration service.
Most small and medium CodeIgniter apps move to Laravel in 7 days. A large app gets a phased plan: the first modules go live within those 7 days, and the rest follow in agreed stages.
For most CI3 apps, no. CI4 breaks backward compatibility with CI3, so either path is a rewrite, and Laravel adds queues, scheduling and API tokens out of the box for similar effort.
Rarely. Laravel works with your existing MySQL or PostgreSQL tables, Eloquent models sit on top, and the schema changes only where that fixes a real problem.
They keep working. Hashes from password_hash() pass Laravel's check unchanged, and older md5 or sha1 hashes are verified once, then rehashed with bcrypt at the next login.
Yes on PHP 8.1 or older, which has no official fix, only unofficial backports at best. The Laravel app runs on patched PHP 8.4.
Yes. Projects come from businesses across the United States, with an NDA on request, a fixed price and one project manager.
Is your PHP app still on an old version?
Send the URL or repository, under NDA if needed. The audit checks for the PHP2Shell flaw and outdated code and shows what a 7-day migration looks like.
Request a migration audit