This document compares Node.js and PHP as server-side programming languages. It discusses the pros and cons of each, including Node.js' advantages of non-blocking code and faster performance, and PHP's advantages of simplicity and compatibility with SQL. It concludes that while both are good options, Node.js is the better overall choice due to its superior speed and security compared to PHP.

1. Node.JS Vs PHP: Which Is The Top
Server-Side Programming Language?
While there is no denying that PHP is an excellent choice as a server-side
programming language, Node.js has been increasing in popularity since its release
in 2009. Let's check out the battle of Node.JS vs PHP.
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by Varun Bhagat / September 18, 2021 / 3 Comments

2. Whatsapp
Talking about the server-side programming languages, Node, and PHP, both are tough
competitors. Both languages have been popular due to their high performance,
compatibility, and security. There is no doubt why these two languages are highly
recommended for server-side development. Node.JS vs PHP
But there always has to be a winner. Isn’t it?
We always want the best when investing our hard-earned money. So, in this blog, we
will do a fact check on Node.JS vs PHP, which is better for us.
Pointers:
Pros of Node.js and PHP‐ Individually
Comparison Overview: Node vs PHP
Who Wins Where
Limitations of Node.js and PHP
Final Winner
Node Vs PHP: Which is the Best Server-…
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3. Pros Of Using Node.js In An Application
1. Non-blocking Code:
Node.js is an event-driven language, and the majority of its code runs based on

4. callbacks. You must be wondering how this approach does any good. With this
approach, the application does not sleep or pause. Instead, it becomes available for
other requests.
2. Faster Performance of the Web Application:
As discussed above, Node has a zero-blocking, I/O driven model, making the request
processing part very fast.
3. Microservices Architecture & its Scalability Bene몭ts:
Since it is a lightweight scripting tool, it is highly recommended for microservices
architecture.
The question that may arise here is what microservice architecture is?
Well, microservices architecture is an approach to developing single applications.
These applications run in their process while communicating using a lightweight
mechanism, often an HTTP resource API.
Adding microservices is much easier than the existing ones to integrate additional
functions with the application’s basic functionality.
Additionally, each microservice communicates with the database directly through
flows. This architecture allows better performance and application speed.
A match made in heaven supports two widely used frameworks for microservices
architecture: Express and Restify.
Pros Of Using PHP In An Application

5. Pros Of Using PHP In An Application
1. Higher Page Load Speed:
The use of PHP has made website pages load faster in comparison to any other
server-side technology.
Did you know? PHP is currently three times faster than Python for many use case
scenarios.
Lesser loading time is also one of the best SEO practices. It helps a website rank
better and further promotes a website by bringing competitive advantages.
High page speed is a key factor in keeping customers satisfied, building and retaining
a client base.

6. 2. Allows Object-oriented Programming (OOP) Usage:
Based on the four holy principles, Encapsulation, Abstraction, Inheritance, and
Polymorphism, PHP allows PHP developers to manage the spaghetti code easily.
Encapsulation is a process of grouping variables, and similar functions into a single unit called an
object;
Abstraction is when you hide some parts of the object to facilitate its perception. In addition, it
allows to reduce the influence of changes;
The inheritance includes reducing redundant code. Instead of redefining all the methods and
properties from start to finish, you can define them once in the generic object and have other
objects adopt them.
Polymorphism is a process to reduce the occurrence of change and case statements.
Working with OOP helps you in keeping your code neat and clean. You can always hire
PHP developers for better use of the concept.
Also read: Top Full Stack Web App Development Companies
Overview: Node.JS vs PHP
PHP has made its place in the developing world as one of the most reliable server‐side scripting
languages. It got this fame under the name of biggies like Facebook and Tumblr.
PHP has existed since 1995, while Node came in 2009.
Even though Node was released late, it established itself quite quickly.
Biggies like Netflix and LinkedIn are now using Node.js.
PHP is synchronous and works well with any centralized server.
While PHP is a scripting language and Node.js is a runtime environment, both are the heartbeat
of backend development.

7.
Where PHP Wins: Mixing Code With Content
Do you wish to pour your thoughts into text for your website? Do you also want to add a
branch to the process? Or do you wish to mix in data from the database with text?
Are you wondering how it is possible?
With PHP, you can open up magic PHP tags and start writing code within seconds.
When it comes to PHP development, you don’t need extra efforts for templates.
Everything is a template!
Where Node.js Wins: Application Speed
In the digital world, who isn’t crazy for speed? We have so little time to wait for an
application to load fully for more than 3 seconds.
According to a development stat, a website loses 27% of its customers if its page load

8. speed is more than 3 seconds!
No wonder writing JavaScript codes is a bit complicated due to infinite parentheses,
but trust me, once done, your Node.js application can fly.
The callback mechanism in Node.js applications is amazing. It saves you from the
complications of the thread.
You just need to hire Node.js developers in India and get a super speedy web
application built.
Where PHP Wins: Simplicity
There are not many complications when it comes to code in PHP. Only a few variables
and basic functions for strings and numbers.
If we dive into technicality, a thin layer does not do much except moving a few data
from port 80 to the database and company vice versa.
Developers say that modern databases are like a magic tool. PHP offers the
appropriate amount of complexity for a job that does not need to be complicated.
Where Node Wins: Separating Concerns
Mixing code with text isn’t as fun as it sounds. No doubt it looks all cool initially, but in
no time, your codebase becomes a tangled mess of logic.
Any good programmer will work upon separating the code’s cosmetic layer from the
code’s logical layer.
This way, the code becomes cleaner for new programmers to understand and easily
maintain the code later on. The Node, js developers know life is better when you

9. implement model, view, controller concept.
Where PHP Wins: SQL
PHP was built keeping in mind a language that will coexist with MySQL and its
variants. If you or the PHP web development company you are working with is not
comfortable with MySQL, then there are other great SQL databases from Oracle and
Microsoft.
All the power of SQL can be so easily integrated into a PHP project.
Where Node.js Wins: Solidarity
Are you willing to invest in two different code bases for one application? But what will
happen when your code runs on only one of the two codebases?
Competition is useless if you have to spend weeks or months rewriting your code.
While Node.js experienced its own fragmentation a few years ago, with the release of
io.js, the Node.js universe has since come together, giving it the kind of language
solidarity that PHP developers may soon want.
Limitations Of Node.js As A Server-Side
Language:

10. 1. Risk Of Callback Hell:
Since Node.js has an asynchronous nature, therefore, it relies heavily on callbacks.
Callbacks are functions that run after each task in the queue is finished to inform the
system about the response of the action.
Callback hell is a phenomenon that occurs when there are too many tasks queued up
in the background.
In simple terms, it is a situation where callbacks are nested amongst themselves,
making it difficult to understand and work on the code.
2. Can Be Quite Heavy:
A non-blocking I / O model means you answer the customer’s call to initiate a request.
It then processes the task for as long as the callback fires when the task is ready.
While processing tasks asynchronously, Node executes the JS code in its only thread
per event. This is called an event loop.
When you receive a CPU-bound task, the problem occurs: every time a heavy request
hits the event loop, all available CPUs are configured to process it first. Then it
responds to other queued requests, one by one.
This results in slow processing and an overall delay in the event loop. Therefore, it is

11. This results in slow processing and an overall delay in the event loop. Therefore, it is
not recommended for heavy calculations.
Limitations Of Using PHP As A Server-Side
Technology
1. Flexibility but at the Cost of Consistency:
The other side of PHP’s flexibility is its inconsistency. The lack of strict architecture
and structure allows developers to choose the form of encoding that is most
convenient for them. It means that the codes of different PHP developers may look
different.
Also, one of the problems with the code structure is something the IT community likes
to call Spaghetti code, which is a poorly structured application with code that is
difficult to understand and maintain.

12. 2. Security Vulnerabilities:
The reason PHP gets a bad rap for security is the low barrier to entry for novice
programmers. As a result, several websites and applications are developed by
inexperienced programmers, trainees, or even amateurs.
The poor results of your work contribute to rumors and facts regarding poor security
and the overall performance of PHP.
Winner of Node.JS vs PHP
Though PHP is lightweight and easy to code for enterprise-level applications, my
choice and suggestion would be Node.js. The two reasons being security and
application speed.
Node.js Wins!
Final Words
The right way of choosing any language for your project would be to first come up with
your project’s requirements and then find out which language is helping you the most
in fulfilling those requirements.
Say if you are a young startup with a tight budget and lesser traffic, you can give PHP a
try, and later when your business flourish, you can migrate to Node.js.
If you are still confused, you can seek a consultation or professional help and quickly
get in touch with India’s top software consulting company and get your job done.

13. Frequently Asked Questions
What is Node.js?
Node.js is a platform built on Chrome’s JavaScript runtime for quickly building fast,
scalable network applications. It uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model that
makes it lightweight and efficient, perfect for data-intensive real-time applications
that run across distributed devices.
What is PHP?
PHP is a server-side scripting language created for website development. However, it
is also used as a general-purpose programming language. When PHP code is
executed, it executes as a web server module that typically interprets and executes
PHP commands, strings of text without explicit variables.
Is PHP more popular than Node js?
Both languages are prevalent and in demand. However, according to the TIOBE index,
PHP is more popular than node js (Oct 2014). This means that if you’re a freelance

14. developer looking for client work, PHP would be your best bet today.
What is the difference between Node.js vs PHP?
PHP is a server-side programming language mainly used to generate dynamic web
pages. On the other hand, node.js is a platform built on Chrome’s JavaScript runtime
for quickly building fast, scalable network applications.
Is PHP faster than node js?
Yes, PHP is faster than node.js. That’s because PHP has a lower learning curve, and it
can be used without any knowledge of JavaScript or other similar languages that
Node.js uses.
Is PHP used in 2021?
According to Statista, the PHP community is growing from 40% of developers using it
in 2012 to 44% through 2021. So Node js still has some catching up if it wants to take
over as the most popular framework for web development.
What are some key features of Node.js?
Some key features include real-time apps support, scalability, asynchronous calls,
high performance.
How fast is Node.js?
Node.js is one of the fastest application platforms available today. Its unique
architecture allows it to leverage parallelism for handling multiple CPU-intensive
tasks with ease. According to an independent benchmarking study done by iWeb,
Node.js is nearly 8 times faster in-memory allocation/deallocation when compared to
PHP.
What are some key features of PHP?
The main features include platform independence, web friendliness, easy installation,

15. extensive community support.
Tags:node hs vs phpnode or phpnode vs phpnode.jsnode.js vs phpnodejsnodejs vs phpPHPphp or nodephp vs nodephp vs
node.jsprogramming languages
3 thoughts on “Node.JS Vs PHP: Which Is The Top Server-Side Programming
Language? ”
1.
Varun Bhagat June 14, 2021 at 8:31 am
Ofcourse. Please provide your email address and phone no.
2.
Michael Sampras June 14, 2021 at 8:27 am
Can you develop a web app for me using PHP?
3.
amitsharmacse3Amit September 3, 2019 at 6:44 am
nice blog
Leave a Reply

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