PHP vs Python: Features & Comparison in 2023
Do you want to build digital solutions for your business but are confused about which one is the better option to build your digital product? Python and PHP are leading programming languages in the web development industry. When you are planning to develop any project, the first and most important task is to choose the right programming language.
It is very difficult to choose between Python and PHP. Although many great websites have been developed with PHP, Python has become very popular in the last decade. Let’s understand each one in brief and compare both features. First, we will discuss PHP and its features.
What Is PHP in Simple Words?
PHP is a great general-purpose scripting language to build dynamic & complex websites. It is best for open-source, server-side web development. PHP is very popular among developers. The best thing about PHP is that it can run on different operating systems like windows, Linux, macOS, and Unix. The latest versions of PHP support all operating systems and platforms.
Around 79% of websites use PHP. One of the main reasons behind the popularity of PHP is that it is extremely flexible and gives the developer many options. There are many libraries and frameworks available for PHP to use.
Features of PHP
- It is fast
- Secure
- Open Source
Most people say that PHP is dead and there is no future for PHP. But it is not true, PHP is still popular and it has a wide scope in the future as well.
Let’s take a look at some of the great examples of PHP-developed Products.
- WordPress
- Yahoo
- Wikipedia
- Tumbler
- MailChimp
Frameworks & Libraries
Frameworks are specialized software designed to support the development of web applications and websites. A library in a programming language is a collection of pre-written code that programmers use according to a task.
Some of the Popular Frameworks Use in PHP
- Laravel
- CodeIgniter
- Symfony
- CakePHP
- Yii
After understanding PHP, we will understand why PHP is still a popular choice among developers.
Features of PHP
- PHP is easier to compare with another Scripting language.
- Supports multiple Databases like Mysql, Oracle, etc, and also does database integration.
- More efficient compared to other programming languages.
- Cross Platform compatibility makes PHP better than others.
- Real-time monitoring helps to find out errors quickly.
- Efficient and fast performance makes it popular among developers.
The above features make PHP popular among developers and help them build more stunning websites and web applications.
Now, Let’s understand Python in detail and compare it with PHP.
What is Python
Python is an open-source programming language that is now very popular among developers. It is very easy to learn and builds better websites and applications. Python is one of the most loved programming languages by developers.
Famous Development in Python
- Netflix
- Youtube
These are some well-known Python websites and web applications. The Python scope has been increasing day by day. Now, most companies prefer to develop their products in Python due to various reasons, such as the fact that it is scalable and flexible in development.
Some of The Popular Frameworks Use in Python
- Django
- Flask
- Falcon
- Pyramid
- CherryPy
Features of Python
- It is easy to read, learn and maintain.
- Python offers a perfect structure for a large program.
- Easy to integrate with C, C++, and Java codes.
- It is an object-oriented language.
- Portable codes.
- Comprehensive Standard Library.
Above all features, makes python a more lovable programming language for developers.
Let us now compare both programming languages and draw a conclusion as to which one is best according to the circumstances.
Comparison Between PHP & Python
To determine which is best, we need to look at the advantages and disadvantages of both languages.
Pros & Cons of PHP:
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Extremely Scalable
- Free To Use
- Community Support
- Lighting Speed
Cons
- Limited Debugging Tools
- Not as Versatile
- Difficult to handle
Now know about the Pros & Cons of Python.
Pros of Python
- Support of large developer community
- Extensive library
- Easy to learn, read and write
- Portability of codes
Cons of Python
- Slow performance
- Not memory efficient
- Runtime errors
It is difficult to decide which is better, PHP or Python, as both are good programming languages. Both of them have advantages and disadvantages. In the end, it is up to you which language you prefer. However, Python is best for developing websites and software, task automation, data analytics, and data visualization. It is easy to learn and easy to understand. whereas PHP is best for developing projects such as eCommerce websites and web apps.
Winding Up
It all depends on your project requirements; if you need science-based web development such as AI, ML, and big data, then Phyton is the best choice. Simply choose the one that best meets your requirements; each language has advantages and disadvantages; you just need to decide what kind of project you want to create and which language will help you build it faster and more efficiently.