Twig
Twig: A free, open-source PHP engine for compiled templates, inheritance, escaping, and sandboxing. Ranked #2 of 65 in Template Engine Software by our editors (9.3/10); pricing: Free plan; best for PHP projects needing secure, optimized rendering.
At a glance
- Editor score9.3 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forPHP projects needing secure, optimized rendering
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Rendering modeServer
- Facts checked23 Oct 2026
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.
Our verdict on Twig
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 expressions and control tags, while template inheritance and blocks help organize shared layouts. As a PHP library rather than a standalone subscription service, it fits projects that can host and maintain PHP applications; it is less suitable for buyers seeking a separate hosted template editor.
The core feature set focuses on rendering and control over templates. Twig compiles templates into optimized PHP code and can cache compiled output for subsequent requests. Its inheritance model uses extends and blocks, and automatic escaping helps protect rendered output. For cases involving templates supplied by untrusted parties, a configurable sandbox policy can limit access to tags, filters, functions, and object properties or methods. Loaders can source templates from the filesystem or other resources, and extensions can add custom tags, filters, functions, and operators. These capabilities make Twig broader than a narrow formatting-only engine, while keeping it centered on PHP rendering.
Twig is free and open source, with self-hosted deployment. It runs in environments capable of running PHP across Linux, Windows, and macOS; these are PHP-capable environments, not dedicated Twig applications. Documentation and community are the support channels. That setup favors teams comfortable integrating a library and managing its runtime themselves, across solo projects through enterprise use. Choose Twig when PHP compatibility, output formats, inheritance, or configurable sandboxing matter. Consider another option if you need vendor-hosted service, an end-user product, or support channels beyond documentation and community.
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Twig pricing
Twig fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Rendering mode | Server |
| Syntax model | Logic-based |
| Template inheritance | Yes |
| Automatic escaping | Yes |
| Sandbox mode | Yes |
| Async rendering | Not verified |
| License model | Open-source |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, macOS |
| Support | Docs, Community |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | twig.symfony.com |
| Facts checked | 23 Oct 2026 |
Alternatives to Twig
- JinjaJinja gives Python applications inheritance, configurable rendering, and compilation in an open-source engine.9.4
- Handlebars.jsA free, open-source template engine for JavaScript projects that need reusable HTML.9.2
- ThymeleafAn extensible, open-source choice for Java teams building server-rendered templates.9.1
Twig vs the competition
- Twig vs Jinja
- Twig vs Handlebars.js
- Twig vs Thymeleaf
- Twig vs Apache FreeMarker
- Twig vs Apache Velocity
- Twig vs Go text/template
Compare Twig with any tool side by side →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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