In practice, I think large frameworks are eventually pretty terrible. It's too easy to compromise your business needs in small ways because the framework offers you something close-enough. Whether those compromises come in the form of over-coupling (which they always do with these frameworks), or in other ways like compromised URL design, query performance, or authorization plumbing.
Great at first, but in my experience a project run long enough in one of these ecosystems tends to outgrow it.
Being faced from the beginning with more of a blank sheet of paper and open ecosystem of solutions to choose from (or build) tends to make you more aware of the trade-offs, and how well the solution you're implementing fits your business needs. Costs more up front, but you're less likely to grow a hate-tumor during years 3-6.