You can install Yii in two ways, using the Composer package manager or using the

Composer downloading an archive file. The former is the preferred way, as it allows
you to install new extensions or update Yii by simply running a single command.
Standard installations of Yii result in both the framework and a project template
being downloaded and installed. A project template is a working Yii project
implementing some basic features, such as login, contact form, etc. Its code is
organized in a recommended way. Therefore, it can serve as a good starting point
for your projects.