MVC vs HMVC: What’s the Difference and Which Should You Use?

Posted on by Aditya Ghosh

MVC (Model-View-Controller) and HMVC (Hierarchical Model-View-Controller). While both aim to separate concerns and organize code efficiently, they differ in how they scale and handle modularity.

Let’s break down the differences and understand which suits your project best.

What is MVC?

MVC stands for:

  • Model – Handles data logic and business rules.
  • View – Manages the presentation/UI layer.
  • Controller – Processes input, coordinates models, and returns views.

It’s the foundation of many frameworks like Laravel, CodeIgniter, and Ruby on Rails.

Pros of MVC:

  • Clear separation of concerns
  • Easier to test and debug
  • Cleaner code organization
  • Great for small to medium apps

Limitations:

  • Difficult to scale in very large applications
  • Code reuse across modules becomes challenging
  • Controllers can become “fat” as the app grows

What is HMVC?

HMVC (Hierarchical Model-View-Controller) builds on top of MVC by introducing modularity. It treats parts of the application as independent, self-contained modules, each with its own MVC triad.

For example, a “Blog” module can have its own:

  • Blog_Model
  • Blog_Controller
  • Blog_View

And this module can be called from anywhere—even from another controller!

Pros of HMVC:

  • Better code modularity
  • Higher code reusability
  • Encourages DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principle
  • Ideal for large applications with multiple features
  • Easier to maintain and extend

Limitations:

  • Slightly more complex structure
  • Overhead if used unnecessarily for small apps
  • Not all frameworks support it out of the box

Key Differences Between MVC and HMVC

Feature MVC HMVC
Structure Linear Hierarchical/Module-based
Code Reusability Limited High (Modules can be reused)
Scalability Moderate Excellent for large applications
Complexity Simple More complex setup
Controller Independence Shared Modular (self-contained)

When to Use Which?

  • Use MVC when:
    • You’re building a small to medium-sized app
    • You want simplicity and faster development
    • Your team is new to MVC structures
  • Use HMVC when:
    • Your app is growing and has many features
    • You need modular, maintainable code
    • You plan to reuse parts of the app (e.g., widgets, components)

Example in CodeIgniter (PHP)

In CodeIgniter, MVC is used by default. But you can enable HMVC via the MX extension or use third-party libraries like Modular Extensions – HMVC.

// Example: Loading a module's controller in HMVC
$this->load->module('blog');
$this->blog->recent_posts();

Conclusion

Both MVC and HMVC have their strengths. If you need simplicity and speed, MVC is a solid choice. But if you’re planning for long-term growth, modularity, and clean separation, HMVC is worth the slight learning curve.

Still unsure? Start with MVC and gradually refactor into HMVC as your application evolves.

Need help implementing HMVC in your project? Reach out to us — we specialize in modular architecture and scalable application design.