When it comes to PHP vs JavaScript, some developers argue that there is no point in discussing the differences between the two since both serve different purposes in web development.
In the past, people used to refer to PHP and JavaScript as server-side and client-side languages respectively, making things quite straightforward with regard to web development. However, with the advent of Node.js, React.js and Angular.js, JavaScript can also be applied to the server-side scripting as well, doing a lot of things that PHP can do. Now, suddenly the debate PHP vs JavaScript has become much more interesting.
In this article, we’ll focus on the key differences between PHP vs JavaScript across different parameters, sharing some use cases of both languages to help you pick the most suitable one for your project.
What is PHP?
PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor which is a widely-used open-source scripting language for back-end development. Considered as a one of fundamental wed technologies, PHP helps developers build interactive and dynamic websites.
PHP programs can generate dynamic page content, collect form data, or receive and send cookies. Not to mention some great features that allow PHP developers to create high-level interactive web pages and database driven sites. As an open-source technology, PHP can run on almost all major operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, RISC OS, Linux or UNIX, as well as web servers like IIS and Apache.
Some of the most popular PHP frameworks include are Laravel, CodeIgniter, Symfony, CakePHP, etc.
What is JavaScript?
JavaScript is a lightweight, interpreted or just-in-time-compiled, programming language used for client-side as well as server-side developments. Although JavaScript was initially used to build interactive web pages, today it’s also widely-used for building non-web projects like mobile apps, games, mobile apps, PDF and much more.
Some of the most popular JavaScript framework include ReactJS, AngularJS, NodeJS, etc. These frameworks significantly reduce the development time and effort for JavaScript-based applications and websites.
PHP vs JavaScript: Performance
PHP
First, PHP uses a slower, synchronous code implementation approach – a multi-threaded, blocking I/O execution model. If, for some reason, one query fails to perform, the following one won’t run until the previous one is completed. This makes it much slower than JavaScript.
JavaScript
JavaScript relies on an event-driven, single-threaded, non-blocking I/O execution model which is ensured by Node clustering and the event loop.
With the asynchronous nature of Node.js, it can run the entire code simultaneously (no need to wait for some queries to be executed). In addition, Node.js is sped up even further with the help of the constant server connection, the V8 engine, and callback functions. Because of these high performance drivers, JavaScript is considered to be a great solution for low latency applications (e.g. streaming platforms).
PHP vs JavaScript: Universality
Both JavaScript and PHP are cross-platforms that are primarily aimed at developing web applications, although both can be used for mobile app development as well.
PHP
It’s worth highlighting that PHP is a back-end development language only. It belongs to the LAMP stack that implies Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP/Perl/Python.
A software developer needs to know four distinct syntax systems to developer a wed application with stack, in addition to HTML and CSS. This complicates the learning journey as developers have to switch between different languages.
JavaScript
Compared with PHP, JavaScript’s greatest advantage lies in the fact that it is a full-stack development language. Software engineers can develop an entire web or mobile application using JavaScript, making it a whole lot easier and faster.
PHP vs JavaScript: Use Cases
PHP
Despite the fact that PHP is a general-purpose programming language, it’s commonly used in web development to create dynamic web pages and applications. In addition, PHP is considered one of the best solutions for blogs, e-commerce websites and learning management with available content management systems, such as WordPress and Moodle.
JavaScript
JavaScript is commonly used for building web-based applications and web browsers. It’s worth mentioning that since JavaScript has dedicated server hosting, it becomes a great option for large projects. However, the use of JavaScript goes beyond the Web, servers and hardware controls. Some of the things JavaScript is used for include:
- Interactive maps
- Virtual reality
- Game development
- Interactive and dynamic web content
- Mobile applications, and etc.
PHP vs JavaScript: Community
PHP
Developed and maintained by a large community, PHP, has established a good support base over the years. In addition, PHP is open-source, which makes it a more customizable and flexible technology.
Since PHP has been a backend-oriented programming language for decades, it gives support to more features, has a rich library, and provides better security than JavaScript.
PHP is used by companies, such as Lyft, Facebook, Wikipedia, Slack, Tumblr, and many more.
JavaScript
Some of the main reasons why software developers enjoy using JavaScript is relate to its universality (full-stack nature), extensibility (has a lot of great frameworks), and popularity (used for multiple purposes).
According to Statista, JavaScript has the largest developer community with 17.4 million users, with PHP having a community of 7.9 million developers in 2022.
JavaScript is used by companies, such as Uber, Netflix, LinkedIn, Instagram, eBay, Trello and many others.
PHP vs JavaScript: Learning Curve
PHP
When it comes to the learning journey, PHP is significantly easier to learn. Some tasks, such as setting up a server, are quite simple, and the frameworks can be easily learned without many prerequisites. Moreover, PHP peculiarities, such as return values, are easier to comprehend and master than the peculiarities of certain JavaScript frameworks.
JavaScript
Compared with PHP, JavaScript is more difficult to learn. With each JS framework offering a different syntax, it’d require considerable dedication and practice to master it. However, since JavaScript is more universal than PHP, the effort and time that goes into learning JavaScript pays off, bringing significant value.
Wrapping things up
Now that we’ve compared PHP and JavaScript across key parameters, you can choose one of them or both for your project depending on your application development needs.
Here’s the recap of the main differences between PHP and JavaScript we covered in this article:
| Parameters | PHP | JavaScript |
|---|---|---|
| Release Year | 1994 | 1995 |
| Performance | Slower | Faster |
| Scripting language | Server-side | Client-side/Server-side |
| Universality | Cross-platform
Back-end |
Cross-platform
Full-stack |
| Syntax | Simple and Compact | Simple and Compact |
| Best For | Blogs
E-commerce websites Learning management systems |
Any type of projects (especially large projects) |
| Community | Large | Large |
| Learning journey | Simpler | More difficult |
JavaScript is one of the most popular programming languages in the world with plenty of available resources and job opportunities into advance in your career. There are also several Javascript frameworks and libraries to choose from. Whereas PHP is still preferred by many companies for web development as it’s fast, easy, and flexible.
Therefore, to choose the most suitable technology for your project, you need to carefully evaluate the project scope, requirements and time constraints.
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