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Head-to-head · Template Engine Software

Twig vs Smarty

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Twig #2 in Template Engine Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Twig
Smarty #8 in Template Engine Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Smarty

Twig leads on 1 check, Smarty on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreTwig · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresTwig · 3 of 4

Twig scores higher on our rubric for template engine software: 9.3 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #8.

Twig offers automatic escaping; Smarty doesn't.

Twig is the better fit for PHP projects needing secure, optimized rendering. Smarty is the better fit for PHP teams separating presentation from application logic.

  • Twig fits best

    PHP projects needing secure, optimized rendering

  • Smarty fits best

    PHP teams separating presentation from application logic

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Side by side

Feature Twig 9.3/10 Visit ↗ Smarty 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 8.7
Ranking #2 in Template Engine Software #8 in Template Engine Software
Best for PHP projects needing secure, optimized rendering PHP teams separating presentation from application logic
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Self-hosted
Support Docs, Community Community
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Twig 3/4 · Smarty 2/4
Template inheritance ✓ ✓
Automatic escaping ✓ (best) —
Sandbox mode ✓ ✓
Async rendering Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Rendering mode Server Server
Syntax model Logic-based Logic-based
License model Open-source Open-source
Our review
Pros
  • Compiles templates into optimized PHP code with a compilation cache.
  • Supports inheritance, blocks, and automatic output escaping.
  • Sandbox policies can restrict access to untrusted template capabilities.
  • Compiles templates to PHP scripts and recompiles when files change
  • Template inheritance lets child templates fill parent blocks
  • Built-in caching plus custom functions and variable modifiers
Cons
  • Requires a PHP application; it is not a standalone end-user product.
  • Self-hosted deployment puts implementation and operations on your team.
  • Documentation and community are the listed support channels.
  • HTML escaping is optional rather than enabled by default
  • Self-hosted deployment requires a PHP application
  • Support is community-based
Our verdict

Twig is an open-source template engine and template language for PHP applications. It is suited to developers who need to render text-based output from templates, including HTML, XML, CSV, and LaTeX. Its logic-based syntax includes…

Read the review →

Smarty is an open-source PHP template engine for teams that want presentation handled separately from application logic. PHP applications pass content and variables into templates, where tags format and render them. That arrangement can…

Read the review →
  1. TwigTemplate Engine Software 9.3Free plan
  2. SmartyTemplate Engine Software 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Twig — where it wins

    • Compiles templates into optimized PHP code with a compilation cache.
    • Supports inheritance, blocks, and automatic output escaping.
    • Sandbox policies can restrict access to untrusted template capabilities.

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires a PHP application; it is not a standalone end-user product.
    • Self-hosted deployment puts implementation and operations on your team.
    • Documentation and community are the listed support channels.

  • Smarty — where it wins

    • Compiles templates to PHP scripts and recompiles when files change
    • Template inheritance lets child templates fill parent blocks
    • Built-in caching plus custom functions and variable modifiers

    Where it doesn't

    • HTML escaping is optional rather than enabled by default
    • Self-hosted deployment requires a PHP application
    • Support is community-based
  • Twig9.3/10 · Free plan

    A free, open-source PHP engine for compiled templates, inheritance, escaping, and sandboxing.

    Visit TwigFull verdict →
  • Smarty8.7/10 · Free plan

    Smarty separates PHP views from application logic and compiles templates for reuse.

    Visit SmartyFull verdict →

More comparisons

All template engine software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update