PHP and Node.js are among the most popular open source programming languages. Although they share the same purpose, they are quite different in terms of features. Below we describe both in more detail and explain in which cases it is better to use PHP and in which cases Node.js.

PHP

PHP is a server-side programming language developed by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994. It is an open source language that is particularly suited for web development. Because it can be easily embedded in HTML code, it quickly became extremely popular. Often PHP runs through the Zend Engine environment, which is installed on web servers such as Apache and Nginx. Due to its many advantages, PHP is now used on more than 80% of web servers.

It also works well with CMS systems for building websites such as WordPress, Joomla and Drupal, and with frameworks such as Laravel and Symfony.

Node.js

Node.js was developed by Ryan Dahl in 2009. It is an open source programming language that runs in a JavaScript environment. It uses the Google V8 JavaScript engine, which is also used in the world’s most popular browser – Google Chrome.

Applications developed with Node.js do not need a web server to run because they are written in JavaScript. This in turn enables event-driven, asynchronous I/O requests that can handle thousands of simultaneous client connections.

Although both PHP and Node.js are programming languages for building web applications and pages, there are significant differences in their performance.

Comparison between PHP and Node.js

Node.js is more scalable and faster compared to PHP, but PHP offers more application possibilities. Some programmers prefer PHP because it is easier to use and has an integrated database.

Compared to PHP, Node.js is relatively new, but it has been well received by developers and companies such as Microsoft, Yahoo, LinkedIn and PayPal.

In the table below you can see the main differences between the two programming languages.

Benefits of PHP

Many developers agree that PHP is easier to use than Node.js. Other advantages that argue in favour of PHP are:

• PHP makes it easier to configure the development environment.
• PHP requires less code than Node.js.
• If you want to code on Node.js, you need to understand the callback and blocking functions.
• All web hosting providers allow PHP.
• Several CMS systems for building websites are based on the PHP programming language.
• It has a larger collection of instructions and FAQs (as it has been around for more than 20 years).
• PHP supports more than 25 database management systems, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Apache, Oracle, etc.
• PHP is represented by a large community of developers who are constantly updating libraries, frameworks and other components.

Benefits of Node.js

One of the main advantages of the Node.js language is that it efficiently handles a large number of asynchronous requests. Other important advantages of Node.js are:

• Common language at server and client level.
• Module caching – modules are downloaded and configured when they are first used, and are then continuously available.
• The so-called “stream” module makes it easier to work with large files.
• Node.js has almost the same syntax as JavaScript, which means that if you know JavaScript, you can quickly learn to use Node.js.
• It’s powered by Google’s highly efficient V8 JavaScript Engine, which is also used by Google Chrome.

PHP or Node.js?

Both PHP and Node.js are extremely efficient programming languages. Which one you use depends on the nature of your project.

When to use PHP?

If you are building a website, shop or blog in one of the most popular CMS systems (WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc.), PHP is the only possible choice. PHP is a very flexible programming language, as it can run on virtually any platform that supports Apache, IIS and has a supported database.

When to use Node.js?

Node.js is the right choice for projects that use software packages such as the MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express.js and AngularJS), dynamic single page applications and technologies such as AngularJS, Backbone.js and React.js. There is therefore a big advantage in using the same programming language (JavaScript) across the whole package.

So when it comes to process execution speed, Node.js is faster than PHP. For example, if you are making a multiplayer game that runs in a web browser, then Node.js is a better choice. Also, Node.js is great for applications that require real-time data.

For anyone who is building or about to start building Node.js applications, we offer lightning fast and affordable Node.js hosting.