Phalcon is a PHP web framework based on the model–view–controller (MVC) pattern.

Unlike other PHP frameworks that are written purely in PHP, Phalcon is implemented as a web server extension written in Zephir and C, aiming to boost execution speed, reduce resource usage, and handle more HTTP requests per second than comparable frameworks written primarily in PHP.

One drawback of this approach is that root/administrative access is required on the server to install Phalcon by building a custom binary or using a precompiled one.

[5] Phalcon was created by Andrés Gutiérrez and collaborators looking for a new approach to traditional web application frameworks written in PHP.

The original draft of the framework in 2011 was called "Spark",[6] the name was later changed to Phalcon, representing the words "PHP" and "falcon".

[12] On 19 August 2020,[13] it was announced that Serghei Iakovlev, one of the core contributors on the Zephir language was stepping down from the project.