Starting server-side coding to develop a website, but not sure about the programming language which suits the best? Not able to decide between Node.Js and PHP? We have got you covered!
Both Node.Js and PHP are very tough competitors of each other. They are renowned because they offer great performance, are compatible, and keep the code secure. That is the reason these two languages are highly recommended for the backend development of the website. Both Node.js and PHP excel at managing the complexity of the application. They are built using non-identical architectures and concepts. In case you’re an owner of or a business or an app. Then selecting between these two can be a difficult choice. Let us dig deep and learn more about each of them and the difference as well.
Outline of PHP and Node .js
PHP
It is an open-source backend scripting language. It was developed by Rasmus Lerdorf in the year 1994 after that coders passionately started using this language. Many content management systems like Drupal, WordPress, Shopify, and WooCommerce show how seamlessly PHP has covered the backend of those systems.
Node.js
Node.js provides an environment to run all the programs that are written in Javascript. When engineers of JavaScript wanted to run it on machines so they invented Node.js. Now one can do way more edits using JavaScript than just simply making it an interactive website. It has got the power to do things the same as Python can do.
Perks of using Node.js and PHP for developing an application
Node.js
- It is an event-driven language so almost every code that runs is based on callbacks. The advantage of using this approach is that the application never sleeps or pauses.
- The web application runs very quickly. The reason behind this is that Node.js has a zero-blocking, input-output-driven model. This makes the request process very efficient.
- It is a lightweight coding tool so it is highly beneficial for micro services.
PHP
- Fast speed of page loading as compared to any other server-side technology. Currently, in many scenarios, it is three times faster than Python. The fast-loading process contributes to bringing the rank of the website above. It helps one to stay in the competition and amplifies the sales. It also keeps the customers happy and retains them for the long term.
- It allows the use of object-oriented programming. This type of programming is based on 4 major principles named encapsulation, abstraction, inheritance, and polymorphism. It allows the PHP developer to handle the codes in an easier manner.
Difference between Node.js and PHP
- Development – The experience of coders working on the backend makes using PHP easier. It is significantly quicker and simpler as compared to Node.js as one doesn’t have to include any compiler or converter. The language setup is very easy, as a connection is made to the SQL database thus no hosting limitations. Whereas, Node.js is kind of complicated. The deployment and framework are difficult thus making it complex to prepare and infrastructure.
- Database – PHP and MySQL databases work smoothly together. Thus shares a range of database forms such as Maria DB and PostgreSQL. It works flawlessly with databases and is independent of the engines used. On the other hand, Node.js has got many libraries for SQL. It uses JSON to connect with the Nosql database. One can configure PHP data by using JSON but using Javascript is more beneficial in this case. As one gets code for both the browser and the server.
- Hosting – PHP gets support from a good number of hosting services as compared to Node.js. As Node.js doesn’t have many hosting options. Thus the integration of PHP becomes way easier than Node.
- Performance – As compared to Java, PHP is said to be stable and reliable for the development of the website. But if we compare PHP with Node.js, here Node.js is way faster than PHP. Node.js has a speed-friendly V8 engine, continuously connected to the server, and the callback function that accepts the requests efficiently.
- Application – Node.js is used in a lot of places such as web applications, multithreaded applications, game servers, browsers, etc.
- Evolution – PHP is always tracked for all the new updates and development. The developer that uses PHP language keeps on coming with new features and knows the ways to execute them with speed. Whereas, Node.js is very constant when it comes to its graph of development. It has all the modern functions in one distribution with no such fragmentations. So, it is a great advantage for programmers who don’t want to spend time reworking the code.
Uses of Node.js and PHP
Node.js
- It is used to make dynamic single-page applications
- Cope up with frontend technologies like Angular, JQuery, React, etc.
- Used along with software stacks such as MEAN stack, MongoDB, etc
PHP
- Used for a blog or any e-commerce website
- It is perfect for LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)
- The deployment and integration is very smooth
Conclusion
There are several factors to decide whether PHP is better than Node.js or not! One more important point to keep in mind while choosing the programming language is the skills of the programmers. It depends on the programmer that you’ve hired. It depends on him, how he will make the best use out of the language for the specific project. I hope this article gave you an insight into the overview, pros, differences, and usage of PHP and Node.js.Every person has their own set of expectations and uses them for different activities. So, somewhere it depends on you which one will work best for your firm
