Execution Speed 

Speed and performance are critical issues for web-based applications and web pages, especially those that have heavy traffic and the ability to quickly process user requests is crucial to performance. Even a fraction of a second can mean the difference between a conversion and a bounced user unwilling to wait for a function to load or execute. 

Comparing Processing Speed of Python vs PHP

As with many programming languages, much of Python code’s processing speed issues can be mitigated through solid programming practices.

The language also was built to execute without having to perform a separate compilation process, which compared to previous versions of PHP made it faster and better able to handle certain projects.

However, with the introduction of PHP 7.x, previous issues in performance speed were addressed and the platform now outperforms Python for projects with significant workloads.

Python’s Speed	PHP’s Speed
Speed of processing is often a function of code structure and can be mitigated in Python through solid programming practices.	Programs written with new Version 7.x are roughly 3x faster than comparable programs written in Python.
Python does not require a compiler to run, and this practical approach and the simplicity of coding in it often outweighs speed and performance considerations.	Written inline with HTML and other languages, PHP operates server-side rather than client-side, allowing it to run much faster on backend resources and deliver results quickly to the user via the interface.
Prior to PHP 7.x, Python’s method did outperform PHP versions 5.x and below when it came to processing speeds.

Which Option is Better?

Overall, for large, complex options where speed of processing visitor requests is important to the user experience, PHP is the solid winner since the release of PHP 7.x. For smaller applications where speed is not a factor in the user experience or won’t be noticed, programmers should instead go with the tool that best supports the intended framework and functionality.

Library Support

The ability to extend functionality and methods for improving and enhancing the coding process in modern programming languages often relies on 3rd party maintained libraries.

These libraries have frameworks, codes, commands, and other functionality already built out, and through inclusion of the library, calls to those various elements are as simple as one line of code. This allows programmers to write extremely complex and diverse types of programs with extensive functionality quickly and efficiently. 

Comparing Python’s Libraries vs PHP Libraries

PHP has only recently started to integrate tools such as Composer with PHP 7.x to help with dependency management. Python’s PIP, on the other hand, has a long history acting as the language’s package control system, and the community of third-party libraries for Python is extremely extensive.

The Python community has also latched on to libraries and functionality that make Python a great tool for executing AI and machine learning-focused tasks. 

Python Library Support	PHP Library Support
Pip Installs Python (PIP) package control is a qualitatively more efficient and faster method for managing libraries in Python-based projects.	While previous PHP versions had little library support, PHP 7.x has introduced Composer, a dependency manager similar to PIP in Python.
Python’s machine learning and AI libraries are some of the most powerful and mature in the field and make Python a preferable platform for projects requiring these analytic tools.	Composer is still young, but used in conjunction with PHP’s package repository, Packagist, it can lead to efficient library management
Python libraries are built to integrate with web frameworks and can quickly be installed and put into use.

 

Which Option is Better?

Overall, Python’s library management and integration tools are much stronger and more established than those in use by PHP.

Python is also the go-to for the growing demand for AI-based and machine-learning projects, as the libraries for these types of projects that are available to Python developers are extremely robust, well-known, and well supported.

It will take time for PHP’s new relationship between Composer and Packagist to truly bear fruit for the programming language and community. 

Flexibility and Scalability

As organizations grow and evolve, their websites and web apps will need to be able to evolve and grow with the needs of the business. This pertains not only to functionality and the ability to quickly modify or add products and services or expand an eCommerce site but also applies to developers’ ability to modify and expand the traffic that web pages and applications can handle easily. 

Comparing the Flexibility and Scalability of Python vs PHP

Elements of library management combined with the support of various modern frameworks come into play when we talk about the ability of either of these languages to support increasing business demands quickly and efficiently.

Python’s extensive library support and access to frameworks such as Django and Flask set it beyond PHP, even with the latest improvements that allow PHP 7.x to operate at a much faster rate than Python for large-scale projects.

Python’s Flexibility and Scalability	PHP’s Flexibility and Scalability
The improved access to AI and machine learning assets allow Python-built tools to learn and adapt to trends in usage and have built-in responses to allow programs to automatically respond.	Takes advantage of frameworks such as Symfony and Laravel that support the development and management of projects over time
The depth of library support and frameworks in use by Python developers such as Django and Flask ensure Python-built projects are scalable, secure, and responsive.	Struggles to be as responsive to new trends despite improvements to the code brought with the 7.x version.

 

Which Option is Better?

Python is the designated machine-learning and AI language. Modern websites and applications built with the language are able to access these crucial adaptive tools, ensuring developers can quickly adapt websites and applications to changing demands on the applications.

While PHP might retain a performance speed advantage, the ability to quickly adapt and respond to changing traffic demands sets Python applications apart from competitors. 

Python vs. PHP Expert Reviews

To further compare Python vs. PHP, we corresponded directly with the industry experts themselves. We asked them which programming language and development method they prefer to use and why. In these responses, we find a very distinct advantage that PHP has over Python when it comes to strictly comparing the two tools for web development.

Users Who Prefer Python

“We develop web applications that need some sort of machine language abilities that Python offers. That is the only reason we choose to develop some of our clients’ web applications with a Python back end instead of PHP.”

—Tim Strawbridge, Business Owner and Software Engineer, SW Development Services

“It’s convenience features like destructuring feel easier to use than PHP’s. Plus, the lack of $’s everywhere makes typing and copying variable names slightly faster.” —Erin Dachtler, Full-Stack Developer, Propaganda Creative

Users Who Prefer PHP

“Our clientele are small business owners, and they rarely want to spend the amount of time or money on a web application using Python. PHP is easier to use, has more options, and is user-friendly when we give the website back to the owner. PHP is our favorite programming language by far, between these two choices.”

—Stephen Gagnon, SEO, Code Web

“So, two of the main reasons why I think PHP is a better web tool are first how much simpler the digital adoption process is, and second the resources available. While Python is a tremendously powerful language, it ideally is not meant for handling and building websites, but instead should be used for tasks that it excels at, such as processing of data, data-binding, and visualization.”

—William Chin, Agile Consultant and Founder, YourDigitalAid.com

“PHP is more widely supported and was designed with the web in mind. This is important because, on the web, speed really matters. PHP is almost always supported in any hosting environment by default, without needing to install custom set-ups or extra features. It is the most common language still used all around the web for CMS platforms such as WordPress by a long shot!”

—Christopher Mendes, CEO, 2Leaf

“As a small business specializing in WordPress website design, we prefer PHP for a couple of reasons. First, it is widely used and supported on Linux hosting environments. Second, since we focus on WordPress development, PHP is the core programming language and we have built our team around it. However, if we ever expanded into custom development projects again I would definitely consider exploring Python as an option. The community support seems to have grown quite a bit and it is definitely a solid programming language.”

—Kevin McNally, Owner, Interactive Palette

The Overall Winner

As we reach the point where we have to choose the winning software language in this discussion, there’s an important aspect of this narrative that we have to take into account: the sheer dominance of content management systems such as WordPress in web development.

It’s absolutely vital to understand that with WordPress powering 40% of websites across the Internet, which means many agencies and freelancers in web development operating today must-have skill in using PHP to properly build and support websites for their clients, whereas Python’s increasing popularity hasn’t quite reached a fever pitch that can compete with the demand for PHP.

Purely based on the speed and demand from the community for PHP, it might be easy to give the win to PHP. 

However, understanding trends in website and application development and how they align with the growing demand for big data analytics, AI-capable and machine-learning driven tools, and platforms with extensive flexibility and responsiveness to changing business needs, developers that want to future-proof the tools they create must consider utilizing Python.

The language has stronger ties with the tools that are already driving innovation in the web development landscape, and as libraries continue to improve and expand the functionality of Python, the language will continue to outperform and exceed the functionality of sites built with WordPress and PHP.

	Python	PHP
Performance Speed		✅
Library Support	✅
Flexibility and Scalability	✅
Community Feedback		✅
The Overall Winner	✅

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