PHP Vs Python: A Detailed Comparison for 2021

PHP and Python are two highly popular programming languages that dominate the world of web application development. Both of them are powerful programming languages that offer a plethora of features. Whether to use Python for web applications or PHP for web development - this is a recurring question that many developers struggle to answer.

TIOBE's latest index ranks Python programming language at the third position while PHP stands at eight. The intense competition between the two languages for web app development is more relevant in 2021. Advanced web apps require a programming language that is scalable, robust, and solves the complexities in web app development. So it's difficult to determine whether to hire Python web app developers or a PHP development company.

This article will answer all your questions about the programming language. It will compare both of them on certain aspects and deliver an objective view of their pros and cons. By the end of the article, we hope that you get clarity about what both the programming languages can do, and you can decide which one to use for your web app development project in 2021.

Checkout 10 real-world Python Use Cases and Applications

PHP vs Python for Web Applications: A detailed Comparison

When it comes to comparing PHP vs Python, there are several factors that come into play. Before we start, you must understand that both PHP and Python perform different functions and are excellent for separate features. It is difficult to say which one is better.

By comparing the following aspects, we will help you decide which programming language is better for your web application project in 2021 -

PHP vs Python complexity - Winner: Python
Both Python and PHP are highly powerful, object-oriented programming languages. They are compatible with multiple operating systems to develop interactive web apps.
PHP, as a programming language, is a general-purpose, scripting language for adding dynamic features into websites and web applications. Since the syntax is rigid, it might lead to some development complexity as developers may not be able to grasp it quickly.
On the other hand, Python-based solutions are less complex than PHP. The syntax is easy to understand and much more readable than PHP. Since the language can be read easily, it simplifies the process of debugging the code. Even ML and AI applications can easily be written using Python-based frameworks like Django, PyTorch, and more.
PHP vs Python web performance - Winner: PHP
Python for backend was the obvious choice for developers when it came to the performance of a programming language. Python uses sufficient memory, just like the average PHP application.
However, the launch of PHP 7 has turned the wheels in its favour. The version is much faster, reliable, and smoother than Python. It multiplies the speed in performance-critical systems and delivers results 3x faster than the average Python web application.
Since PHP 7 is faster than Python, developers can process massive amounts of data at a much faster pace. The increased speed would also enable the application to deliver requests much more quickly than Python. Even then, both Python programming language and PHP can be used for building scalable web applications.
PHP vs Python-based frameworks - Winner: Python
Web application frameworks are the stepping stone for building any app. PHP and Python both have some of the most powerful web app frameworks to build dynamic and interactive web apps.
PHP has frameworks like Laravel, Symfony, FuelPHP, CodeIgniter, and the decade-old framework - CakePHP. These frameworks are easy to learn and offer libraries that can help you build amazing PHP applications. Their main aim is to simplify the development process and reduce the efforts it takes to build a web application.
However, Python-based web frameworks are the clear winner when it comes to web application development. Frameworks like Django, PyTorch, Web2Py, Cherry2Py, are amazing for building Machine Learning applications. Data scientists now work with these frameworks for computational capabilities, statistics, and much more.
Flask and Angular are increasingly becoming popular for building dynamic web applications. They enable building rapid prototypes and single-page applications from scratch. PHP has limited capabilities for SPAs and progressive web apps.
PHP vs Python scalability - Winner: Python
As your traffic grows, you will require scalability in your web application. While PHP and Python offer some incredible scalable capabilities, both of them work for different purposes.
There are multiple libraries and frameworks for PHP web development through which you can build scalable web applications. Symfony and Laravel are popular options for scalable applications as they offer features for handling massive server requests. They can also assist in building flexible and adaptable web apps.
On the other hand, Python applications are known for their scalability. When you build back-end apps with Python, you are already incorporating scalable features in it. It has frameworks like Django and Flask that help in building robust apps.
The biggest advantage is that you can scale applications towards Machine Learning using Python for web development. So in terms of that, Python is the clear winner. Deploying ML models is much simpler in Python than PHP.
PHP vs Python community support - Winner: Both
PHP was launched in 1995, and thus has an excellent community of developers. They are willing to provide support for every aspect possible. Python was launched in 1991, earlier than PHP, and has a massive community as well.
The difference once can say is that Python's community has evolved much more rapidly than PHP. Due to the introduction of ML and AI, Python's community has seen more relative growth over the years than PHP.
Both the communities regularly add features and elements to the frameworks and the programming languages. They are growing each day as the demand for web app development increases. You can get all the help, instructions, and assistance for fixing any issue that you might face with PHP or Python programming language.

Conclusion: PHP vs Python - It's your Choice

The ultimate decision of choosing a programming language for your web application depends upon you. The article highlighted their comparison in terms of complexity, performance, scalability, frameworks, and the community. Both languages are growing and will offer more opportunities for companies for web development.

There are millions of companies building dynamic apps using PHP. But if you want rapid, scalable, and powerful web applications, you can trust BoTree Technologies. We are a leading Python web development company that develops progressive web applications, AI-based solutions, and dynamic apps using Python.