[eluser]toopay[/eluser]
By general metrics, you'll get this from me (I compare CI with Laravel 4) :
- Speed : CI faster than Laravel, alot.
- Flexibility : Laravel is modular by default, while CI is "sticky" by default (you could use less-sticky version by using @wiredesignz HMVC library, but still, you'll get duck-tape everywhere).
- Interopability : Laravel support Composer which mean it have broader compability with 3rd party code (actually, any PSR code is compatible) while CI only have its own library repository (Spark) with its own idiomatic CI style.
- Stability : CI go from 1.x to 2.x in several years, Laravel go from scratch to 3.x in several months. Taylor is code-machine that could be your "Lets update our framework team!" nightmare.
- Testability : Testing CI Application is damn-hard because its origin arcitectural/technical decision (i know this, because mostly the CI Test suite is my contribution), while Laravel get benefit from the shoulder of giant (Symfony Component). I'll be honest here, this maybe just me being cynical, but i think Laravel is no more than Symfony Component wrapper that use their own API... and Taylor Otwell call this technique as "Facade Pattern".
After knowing this characteristic, i'll let you choose one that fit with your current project. Last tip, before you choose Lara, take a look at Symfony first. Symfony is much more identical with Laravel at all metrics above, except its way better... and because i think French chick is hotter than US chick.
#Just my 2 cents