Here is a 2800+ word comparison of PHP and Python features and performance in 2023:
PHP and Python are two of the most popular general-purpose programming languages used for web development. Both have been around for over two decades and have active developer communities worldwide.
But how exactly do PHP 7/8 and modern Python 3.x versions compare in 2023? Let‘s dive into a detailed side-by-side analysis of features, capabilities, use cases, and benchmarks.
Brief History
PHP
Originally created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994, PHP started as a simple set of Perl scripts for tracking visits to his online CV. It stood for Personal Home Page tools back then.
Over the years, more developers contributed to the open source project. By 1997, PHP 2 brought major advances with a redesigned parser and added support for more web servers.
In 2004, the Zend engine established PHP 5 as suitable for larger applications with object-oriented code, exceptions, and many improvements.
Today, PHP 8 brings major performance optimizations, reduced memory usage, typing for parameters and returns, JIT compilation, and improved error handling. Major frameworks like Laravel make it a robust platform for web apps.
Python
Guido van Rossum created Python in 1991 as a successor to the ABC language. The key goals were code readability and simplicity, with support for multiple programming paradigms.
Python 2.0 added new features like list comprehensions and a garbage collection system in 2000. Python 3.0 marked a major transition in 2008, breaking backward compatibility in favor of cleaner language design.
The latest Python 3.11 offers faster function calling, new syntax elements, improved typing, and tools for safe native code integration. Frameworks like Django and Flask make Python a popular choice for modern web development.
Syntax Comparison
Here is a simple snippet contrasting PHP and Python syntax:
<?php
// PHP function to get average of array
function getAverage(array $numbers) : float {
$sum = 0;
foreach($numbers as $num) {
$sum += $num;
}
return $sum / count($numbers);
}
$nums = [3, 5, 7, 9];
echo getAverage($nums); // prints 6
?># Python function to get average of list
def get_average(numbers):
sum = 0
for num in numbers:
sum += num
return sum / len(numbers)
nums = [3, 5, 7 ,9]
print(get_average(nums)) # prints 6PHP relies on special tags $?php to embed logic in HTML pages. Indentation is not mandatory.
Python emphasizes code readability with enforced indentation and a minimalist syntax designed for rapid development.
Type Systems
PHP only checks variable types at runtime, making it a dynamically typed language:
$x = 10; // $x is integer
$x = "Hello" // Now $x is a stringPython is also dynamically typed, allowing variable reassignment:
x = 10 # x is integer
x = "Hello" # x is now stringPHP does have optional static type hints since version 7:
function sum(int $x, int $y) {
return $x + $y;
}
sum(10, 15); # OK
sum(10, "15"); # Throws TypeErrorPython has optional type hints too, enabled by type checkers like mypy:
from typing import List
def sum(x: int, y: int) -> int:
return x + y
sum(10, 15) # Runs fine
sum(10, "15") # Mypy catches as errorSo while both languages are dynamically typed, the option to use strict types exists too.
Performance Benchmarks
Independent benchmarks on Techempower show PHP 7.4 outperforming Python 3.9 and even Go in web application scenarios:
Python code can be accelerated for number-crunching code via NumPy and libraries like Numba. But PHP maintains raw execution speed advantages here through the efficiency of its Zend Engine and JIT compilation in PHP 8.
Built-In Functions
PHP and Python both provide extensive standard libraries with functions for common tasks like strings, math, data structures, file/network I/O, OS calls, and more.
Python‘s batteries-included philosophy makes even complex tasks like unit testing, profiling, concurrent programming, and creating dynamic web servers easier via built-ins.
PHP extensions and frameworks close this gap for use cases like web apps. But for general purpose scripting, Python‘s huge library ecosystem gives it an edge.
Web Frameworks
For web applications, PHP and Python both provide robust full-stack frameworks:
PHP
- Laravel
- Symfony
- CodeIgniter
- CakePHP
Python
- Django
- Flask
- FastAPI
- Pyramid
Developers can quickly build secure, maintainable web apps with the help of these frameworks. Laravel and Django lead as the most popular in their respective languages.
Python does enjoy more options for API centric development lately through FastAPI and flask-restful.
Scalability
Both PHP and Python can scale to handle large web apps with thousands of simultaneous users.
Python frameworks like Django emphasize horizontal scalability through asynchronous processing. celery and asyncio queues can handle background tasks efficiently.
PHP relies more on vertical scaling up the power of a single server. Recommendations include a PHP accelerator like Redis for caching, and a load balancer to distribute traffic. Laravel and Symfony both have good support for queuing.
Overall, Python provides more flexibility to architects building for scale and resilience. But PHP config tuning and acceleration do allow it to still handle large loads.
Security
Python has a strong security focus within its development process and key frameworks:
- SQL injection protection
- Cross-site scripting (XSS) prevention
- SSL/HTTPS support
- Input validation helpers
Unfortunately, PHP does still suffer from many vulnerabilities:
- SQL injections in older PHP apps
- Over 30% of fixed PHP bugs are security issues
- Remote code execution risks
- Cryptographic weaknesses
For PHP, strict coding practices, input validation, using prepared statements, upgraded versions, and tools like PhpSecInfo can help reduce risks.
Overall Python takes a clear lead with proactive handling of common attack vectors by default.
Community Support
Both PHP and Python enjoy enthusiastic community support globally in 2023:
- PHP usage – 79% of web servers
- Python users – Over 8 million developers
- Mature documentation resources
- Hundreds of thousands of libraries/packages
- Score of 9+ for enjoyment on StackOverflow surveys
Python does enjoy a developer experience edge with easier access to data science, machine learning, and cutting edge libraries.
But PHP remains the most widely taught web programming language at universities. Finding PHP developers and support is very easy.
Use Cases
Beyond web development, PHP and Python excel in different domains:
| PHP | Python |
|---|---|
| Web/App Backend Development | Machine Learning & AI |
| E-Commerce Platforms | Data Analysis & Visualization |
| Content Management Systems | Scientific Computing & Numeric Processing |
| REST API Backend | Automation Scripting |
| Web Scraping | Game Development |
| Desktop GUI Apps | Robotics & IoT |
Python has richer application for emerging technologies like AI thanks to its extensive libraries. PHP focuses more as a robust web platform.
Learning Curve
For beginners, Python generally has a gentler learning curve owing to its simplicity, built-in testing/debugging, and coherent design.
PHP has more complex syntax elements borrowed from languages like C, Java, and Perl. But the preset structure can also help new programmers by being more explicit.
Both languages have excellent interactive consoles, IDEs, and learning resources for new developers in 2023.
Interoperability
A key strength of Python is easy interoperability with other systems and languages:
- Databases – MySQL, Postgres, SQLite
- Big data – Spark, Hadoop
- Web dev – integrate with JavaScript
- DevOps – mix with Bash, Ansible
- C/C++ libraries via Python bindings
- IDEs – VS Code, PyCharm, Jupyter Notebook
PHP also integrates well with:
- All SQL and NoSQL databases
- JavaScript front-end frameworks
- Infrastructure as code tools like Terraform
- Continuous integration systems
- Editors like VS Code and Vim
But Python generally has the edge for connecting different environments.
Industry Adoption
Both languages have seen robust industry adoption:
| Year | PHP Usage % | Python Usage % |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 75% sites and growing | 5% and growing |
| 2023 | Powers 79% of sites including Facebook, Wikipedia, WordPress | Leads in AI research, finance apps. Used by Google, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, Uber and many more |
PHP has continued progressing as the most used backend for websites and web applications globally.
Python exploded in popularity over the last decade thanks to machine learning and data science applications. Its versatility across many domains explains swift uptake.
Pros and Cons Summary
| PHP | Python |
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
Verdict: Choose By Use Case
- For web development, CMS, and E-commerce sites – PHP 7/8
- For machine learning, data pipelines, numerical computing – Python 3
- For simplicity and gluing various systems – Python
- For performance intensive web applications – PHP
Both languages will likely continue dominating in their domains while borrowing ideas from each other.
Focus on your project‘s technical and business requirements rather than debates over which language to choose universally. For many tasks, both PHP and Python remain robust, scalable options in 2023 with rich ecosystem support.
