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Node.js vs PHP – Which Is Better for Backend Development?

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    Without a doubt, the choice of technology plays a crucial role in your project's success. Any web app is fueled by a technology stack that comprises a couple of virtual layers, including backend and frontend. If you make a wrong choice, everything can fizzle.

    The frontend comprises everything that a user sees and associates with (like UI, sliders, buttons, panels, and so forth) whereas the backend is a bunch of systems that run in the background of a project and are not seen to users, for example, events and databases.

    This blog will help you choose between Node.js and PHP for your website development project.

    Node.js - An Overview

    • Developed - In 2009 by Ryan Dahl.
    • Software - Google's V8 JavaScript engine
    • Platform - It has built-in libraries for dealing with requests; consequently, you do not have to utilize a third-party web server.
    • Popular apps based on Node.js - Linkedin, Netflix, eBay, PayPal, Uber, etc.

    PHP - An Overview

    • Developed - In 1994 by Rasmus Lerdorf.
    • Platform - He made a shell program and introduced it as a module for Apache.
    • Popular apps based on PHP - Yahoo, Facebook, Tumblr, Wikipedia, WordPress, etc.

    Note: PHP initially evolved as a preprocessor for hypertext pages; thus, it can be effectively integrated into HTML code.

    Node.js vs PHP: The Comparison

    • Coding

    Node.js needs more lines of code to execute similar functions as PHP. Fortunately, you do not have to remember the syntax of various languages while coding because the whole development architecture is programmed with Javascript.

    It can be simpler to code in Node.js if you are familiar with JavaScript as it has been built on JavaScript engine.

    PHP needs fewer lines of code to do a function and is more straightforward than Node.js. However, you must know how operators and generators work in MySQL, Apache HTTP Server, Linux, and PHP (typically called LAMP).

    • Speed

    Node.js has asynchronous development environments. Being asynchronous implies that it does not have to wait for a module to execute. Such execution decreases the time for the web application and makes for an incredible user experience.

    PHP website development works on synchronicity. That implies each module and function executes in the code-determined order. If one process or module isn't completed, the following will not begin until the first one ends.

    • Database

    Node.js has developed with the appearance of a NoSQL database; it is all synchronized with all types of databases. Node.js can work wonderfully with NoSQL databases like MongoDB and CouchDB.

    PHP intends to work with relational and customary databases such as MySQL and MariaDB. While importing libraries to work with the NoSQL database is feasible, the process is tiresome and gobbles up an enormous amount of time.

    • Performance

    The asynchronous character of Node.js with JavaScript V8 Engine gives it an astonishing execution speed alongside fast startup time. Since Node.js is event-driven, it does not hinder requests to complete the process of existing ones.

    PHP was created first, and it shows how it performs on page-load time effectiveness. It blocks a process until calculated, which converts into a slow loading page. 

    Wrapping Up


    Rather than attempting to assess which technology outperforms the other, it would work well for you to list out your project needs and then select the technology that suits your business goals. To ensure that everything works accurately and causes no disappointment, consider taking the help of a top node js development company.