Both PHP and Python are free but when it comes to web development PHP wins for sure. There is no doubt that Python is a powerful language but it is not optimal for web. PHP has issues... of course; but so does any other language.
Another reason I chose PHP is for community - it has one of the most resourceful communities from the internet and for a good reason: it evolved with the language itself.
The fact that OOP evolved so much in PHP makes me keep it for good :)
I like Laravel now but if you want to make an application that hope to get big I recommend not using an entire framework but parts (packages) of it. - composer + packagist.org
Get whatever packages you need and create you own architecture. The main problem with the frameworks is when they update a major version, you need to change your code in order to adjust their changes. If you have a simple website this is not a big deal but for a big projects it can be painful.