Node.js was introduced in 2009, extending the range of JavaScript to the frontend language. Even both PHP and Node.js can manage apps of any complexity, they are built around different concepts and architectures. But before Node.js, the scene was entirely different. PHP was the undisputed ruler of the server-side of the web and it has been immensely successful.
The field of web development is vast and it’s ever-changing. New technologies are coming up every day. For this reason, developers are facing a wide range of dilemmas. Today, developers around the globe are using both of these technologies for different projects. If you are an app owner choosing between these two environments, you should be aware of their major advantages and limitations. Many advocate Node.js is the future of web development while some of them try to clarify server-side is the unspoken domain PHP. So, in this post, we are going to make a brief comparison between PHP and Node.js and which one is better for your project that can reap you maximum benefit.

What is Node.js?

An open-source, server-side JavaScript runtime environment, Node.js is built on top of Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine. Nodejs follows an event-driven architecture with a non-blocking I/O capability, making it suitable for developing fast and highly scalable applications. It is characterized by a programming paradigm that allows the user to create asynchronous processing. The coding style may be a bit complicated for those who worked with PHP. The main advantage of Node.js is the package manager that is based on NPM. The usage of this model reduces software development time, as it focuses on development and backend functionality.
The Node.js is built on the V8 engine so that it will ease to build fast apps without much effort. For these issues, the standard functions are used from the repository. The best thing about Node.JS is that it can be used to create APIs using a variety of tools such as – Angular.Js, MongoDB, and Express.Js. Node.js came into the limelight when the engineers of Javascript broadened from running in the program to keeping something running on your machine as a self-supporting application.

What is PHP?

PHP is an open-source programming language, known for developing web apps. It was originally considered the best platform to develop web apps. Today, mobile app developers are using it to create dynamic and user-friendly apps. With the help of creating scalable apps is easy and cost-effective. It is characterized by its unique style of writing code. There is no restriction on the order of code structures – making it easier for developers. That’s the reason why beginners use PHP over other scripting languages. Also, the support of the community to solve thousands of problems made it the first choice for developers.
Today number of websites are running on PHP, because of the popularity of choice of language for content management systems(CMS) like Drupal, WordPress, and Joomla and also for modern development frameworks like Symfony, Laravel, and CakePHP which has accelerated the development with PHP.

When to use PHP or Node.js?

Node.js provides the benefit of working on a javascript stack for both the front and back-end. Both Node.js and PHP are server-side technologies. If you are trying to choose between these two server-side technologies. Here are mentioned below for the same.
When to use PHP:

• For software stacks like WAMP, MAMP, and LAMP.
• For CMS like Drupal, WordPress, Joomla, etc.
• For servers like SQL, MySQL, Oracle, etc.
• Ease of deployment and integration

When to use Node.js:

• You need to build a dynamic single page application (SPAs).
• Using software with stacks like MEAN stack.
• Real-Time Applications such as instant messengers
• Using server-side technologies like Node.JS, MongoDB, etc.
• Using front-end technologies like Angular.JS, jQuery, React.JS, etc.

Before you choose any technology, your question should not be limited to just the pros and cons. Instead, it should be about using technology to suit your project requirements in a better way. Understanding the business and project logic can give you a clear idea for selecting the right technology platform for a web development project.

Which One Is Better For Your Project — PHP or Node.js?

Now, the question is how to select the right solution for your project. If you want to develop an app and are confused between PHP and Node.JS, you must be familiar with the advantages and limitations.
In particular, the asynchronous and event-based architecture of Node.js makes it a great fit for RTA (Real-Time Applications) such as instant messaging and drawing and video conferencing apps in which many requests are occurring concurrently and data is frequently shuffled back and forth from the server to the client.
Node.js support of server-side events and WebSockets makes it easy to implement publish-subscribe architectures used in RTAs and quickly update the view on the client-side. The same features make Node.js suitable for applications that process data from the Internet of Things and Single Page Applications (SPAs) that include highly flexible, dynamic, and heavy client-side functionality. If you are using frontend technology it will be suitable for Angular and React or software stacks like MEAN.
PHP is ideal when building a blog or an eCommerce website with CMS. It can go perfectly with the LAMP stack. In its turn, PHP is a good choice for a standardized solution such as a blog, news site, landing page, and web portal. With such CMS (Content Management System) as WordPress written in PHP, you can create stable and customizable blogs without too much coding. If you need more customization, WordPress provides a well-documented API to change the application’s structure, presentation, plugins, etc.
As a bonus, the WordPress community has created thousands of customizable themes that open infinite opportunities for web designers. Whenever time is a consideration, you can develop almost any application ranging from a blog to an e-commerce site with CMS and other tools written in PHP. PHP is also a better choice if hosting support is the issue. If your client wants a shared hosting service instead of a full-fledged virtual cloud instance, PHP provides more flexibility in integration and deployment.
So, when choosing between Node.js and PHP, you should consider what type of application you are going to build, what are the hosting requirements of your client, and what is the speed of development. If your client is looking for a standardized solution with extensive hosting support, you should consider using PHP. Both Node.JS and PHP serve as a great server-side language. Both backend technologies have some similarities and dissimilarities. So choosing among them would be based on the requirements. Understanding the project would help developers to come up with a decision to choose a technology. If you are planning to develop real-time applications such as video conferencing, IM, etc – Node.JS is a great fit. Node.JS is ideal for server-side events – making it easy to implement publish and subscribe architectures used in real-time apps. This feature of Node.JS makes it suitable for IoT apps with heavy and flexible client-side functionality.

Conclusion

On the contrary, PHP is a great choice for blogs, web portals, news sites, and landing pages. You can create blogs and e-commerce sites without much coding. Additionally, many customized themes give new opportunities for web developers. If hosting support is an issue, PHP is a better choice. Bhadani Technologies builds digital products that let people do things differently. Share your challenge with our team and we’ll work with you to deliver a revolutionary digital product. Create a product with Bhadani Technologies.