Why PHP is better than Node.js - Dimitrios Filippou

Introduction

In the ever-evolving world of web development, choosing the right technology stack is crucial. Two heavyweight contenders, PHP and Node.js, have been battling it out for supremacy. While Node.js has gained popularity in recent years, we’re here to set the record straight: PHP is the true champion. Let's review the reasons why PHP is better than Node.js.

Legacy and maturity

PHP has been around since 1994, making it one of the oldest programming languages still in use today. It has stood the test of time and has been used to build some of the most popular websites on the internet. PHP is considered a mature language with a large community of developers who have been using it for years. Using something for years means that it has been tested and proven to work in the real world.

Pays the bills

Have you ever got hired to rewrite a PHP application in Node.js? I have.. multiple times. Until you ship your new application, PHP is paying your bills and while people are looking to replace it with something new, it's still working and providing business value.

In the end of the day your business is not interested in the technology you are using, they are interested in the value you are providing. PHP is providing value, so why replace it?

Simple mental model and ease of use

PHP is a simple language with a simple mental model. It is easy to learn and easy to use, making it a great choice for beginners. Here is an example of a simple PHP script that prints "Hello World!":

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <body>
    <?php
      echo "Hello World!";
    ?>
  </body>
</html>

Node.js, on the other hand, has a more complex mental model and can be difficult to learn for beginners. People get confused with the event loop, callbacks, promises, and async/await. Let alone the fact that you have to learn JavaScript, which is a whole other can of worms.

For example, here is a simple Node.js script that prints "Hello World!":

Install Node.js and npm

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash

Create a new directory and navigate to it

mkdir hello-world
cd hello-world

Create a new file called index.js and add the following code

console.log("Hello World!");

Run the script

node index.js

As you can see, the PHP script is much simpler and easier to understand than the Node.js script.

Performance

Nowadays, PHP is faster than Node.js. Did you know that PHP 8 is faster than Node.js? People think that Node.js is faster because it is asynchronous, but that is not always the case. PHP has made significant improvements in performance over the years and is now faster than ever. People from across the globe are building Node.js alternatives like Bun and Deno because node is so slow.

Features

PHP has a rich set of features that make it a powerful language for web development. It has built-in support for databases, sessions, cookies, and more. Node.js, on the other hand, requires you to install third-party modules to get the same functionality. This can be a hassle and can lead to compatibility issues down the road. Also, having so many options can be overwhelming for beginners, leading to decision paralysis.

A good friend of mine wrote this article Modern PHP and I highly recommend you to read it.

Community and libraries

PHP has a large and active community of developers who are constantly creating new libraries and frameworks. This makes it easy to find solutions to common problems and get help when you need it.

Node.js has node_modules and npm, which are great, but they can be overwhelming for beginners. PHP has a more organized ecosystem with clear standards and conventions.

I'm switching to Joomla

Joomla is a modern PHP CMS that is easy to learn and use. It has a clean and elegant syntax that makes it a pleasure to work with. Joomla has a large and active community of developers who are constantly creating new extensions and templates. It is a great choice for building websites of any size and complexity. I have found myself to be more productive with Joomla than with Node.js, so I'm switching to Joomla. In fact, I have already started rewriting all my Node.js applications in Joomla.

Conclusion

This article was an April Fools' joke. Obviously there is no such thing as a best programming language, it all depends on the context and the problem you are trying to solve. I'm still going to ship my Node.js applications and I'm not switching to Joomla. Also, it's way simpler to run a JavaScript file but I intentionally made it look more complex just for the sake of the joke.

One very important determining factor to choose a technology is the productivity the tooling provides. If you are more productive with PHP, then by all means use PHP. If you are more productive with Node.js, then use Node.js.

In the end of the day, the best programming language is the one that gets the job done.

Thanks for reading, happy April Fools' Day! 🎉