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When it comes to web development, PHP and Python are considered to be quite popular programming languages among developer communities and businesses. However, to go ahead with web development, it is crucial for web developers and business owners to choose one between Python vs PHP. Choosing a programming language can only be done when you have a clear idea about both technologies and know what both of them are capable of delivering.

In this Python vs PHP post, we will try to understand both web development programming languages separately in detail.

What Is Python?

Python, created in 1990, is an object-oriented programming language that is used to build standalone programs for various domains. It enjoys the support of a huge library which makes it easy to script algorithms for various niches.

What Is PHP?

PHP or Hypertext Preprocessor is a server-side scripting language invented in the year 1995. PHP is generally used for writing dynamic HTML content for the web. It is used for Flash animations, XML documents, PDF files, graphics, and much more.

Why Choose Python?

Python offers a number of benefits for web development and they are:

  • Python is a programming language that is not limited to the use of a particular OS. 
  • Compared to other languages, coding and debugging is simpler.
  • Before product deployment, Python offers unit testing
  • Python is used for creating GUI applications
  • For DBMS systems, Python provides an interface that can store large amounts of data

Why Choose PHP?

PHP offers a number of benefits for web development and they are:

  • It applies to most of IIS and Apache’s servers.
  • PHP scripting language can run on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Unix, etc.
  • You can find it for free from the official PHP website www.php.net.
  • It can run efficiently on the server-side and is simple to work on.

Also read: 7 Reasons Why PHP Is Great for Web Development

When to Select Python?

You can choose Python programming language for your project –

  • When you are looking for deep data analytics
  • In the scenario when you are working in the areas of robotics and data science
  • In the scenario when you need to use the Django framework for creating websites

When to Select PHP?

You can choose PHP programming language for your project –

  • When you need to make less investment
  • When you need to create blogs, web apps, or websites
  • To focus more on server-side

Features of Python

Key features of Python are:

  • Highly scalable
  • Resilient and quick
  • Comes with the standard library
  • You can work with low-level modules using a PHP interpreter
  • Offers support for data science and big data
  • Let’s have test-driven advancements
  • Comes with computerized garbage collection
  • Runs in a combination of C, C++, and Java languages
  • Offers dynamic type checking and high-level changing data types
  • Works on different appliances having the same interface

Features of PHP

Key features of PHP are:

  • PHP is open-source and comes with free downloads
  • Quicker and easier as compared to other scripting languages
  • Has database integration with MySQL, Oracle, etc.
  • Comes up with a report with all the latest user logins
  • Produces error notification using error reporting constant

Also read: Why Choose PHP For Your Business Projects

Pros of Python

Pros of choosing Python are:

  • WORA functionality ensures portable nature
  • Is a cross-platform and object-oriented programming language.
  • It is easily accessible due to its open-source nature
  • Is suitable even for amateurs as being highly graphic

Pros of PHP

Pros of choosing PHP are:

  • Has a huge ecosystem
  • Has a large community that is open-source and object-oriented
  • Supports first-class debugging
  • Has pluggable frameworks encouraging interoperability

Cons of Python

Cons of choosing Python are:

  • Run-time errors due to duck-type leads
  • Smartphone computing and browsers cannot gain much
  • Certain tasks are very simple
  • Web applications face delayed testing

Cons of PHP

Cons of choosing PHP are:

  • No alliance with IoT
  • Performance is wired and impeded
  • Dependency on external factors
  • Limitations in terms of direction and perception

Python vs PHP Comparison

The main difference between PHP and Python are:

Parameter PHP Python
Frameworks Mature frameworks can be accessed by PHP There are a smaller number of frameworks for Python
Popularity The right choice for web development Majorly used for data science, AI, and scientific community
Database connectivity You get to access more than 20 databases Like PHP, does not support database connectivity to a greater extent
Community support Wider community support Community s growing steadily at a faster pace.
Readability It follows the classic approach and is highly documented It is more readable as it makes use of strict indentation enforcements.
Learning curve It comes with a low learning curve It is good for long-term projects
Type of language It is a programming language for web development It is a general-purpose programming language.
Github stars 30 K 30.4 K
Key features Easy deployment and open source Dynamic typing, rapid development, and beautiful code.
Syntax As compared to Python syntax is a little uncommon. It comes with many naming conventions. Syntax of codes is clear and concise
Best frameworks Laravel, Slim, Fast-free framework Django, Flask, jam.py
TIOBE rating 7th position 4th position
Top companies using the technology Viber, Hootsuite, Appcelerator Pinterest, Mozilla, Uber.

 

Conclusion

Whether to choose Python or PHP programming language for your business project can be determined by looking into a number of factors. In short, you cannot have a clear-cut answer to the question. However, if you are looking for web development with server-side scripting then quality PHP web development services with the right skill and expertise can be chosen for your business project.

Frequently Asked Questions on Python vs PHP

Which Is Faster: Python or PHP?

In the majority of cases, PHP is better than Python when it comes to speed. To maintain speed, core PHP has done good work.

Which Is Best: Python or PHP?

It is not possible to give a clear answer to this question. Depending on the type of application you want to develop and the requirements you want to meet you can choose to go for PHP or Python. They both have different strengths and so develop different solutions.

Which is more secure, PHP or Python?

Python is more secure than PHP as it is a modern programming language. However, it has to be noted that PHP is not much way back from Python in this matter.

Which big companies use PHP?

Hootsuite, Appcelerator, Viber, etc. use PHP.