It’s been always a tough task for the developer to choose between two leading technologies PHP and ASP NET. These two technologies have been very popular for their performance for many years.
The most common question among the developers and entrepreneurs is “Which one is better? – PHP or ASP.NET” The answer to these questions is based on the knowledge you have regarding these technologies, and your project requirements. For some projects “PHP is better “ while for some “ASP.NET is better”.
So, if you are one of those who are confused between PHP and ASP.NET, this article is a one-stop solution as it addresses PHP vs ASP.NET comparison in every aspect. Keep reading you will surely end up with a clear view and an appropriate choice of technology.
Contents of the article:
- Overview
- Features Comparison
- Suitable Project Type
- Top Websites
- Advantages and Disadvantages Of PHP
- Advantages and Disadvantages Of ASP.NET
- Stats And Market Share Of PHP vs. ASP.NET
1. PHP vs ASP.NET: Overview
What is PHP?
PHP is one of the most used Open-source scripting languages.
PHP full form: PHP: Hypertext preprocessor (Recursive acronym)
Introduced in: 1994
Purpose: To provide dynamic ability to page content.
Execution Platform: Various OS. Ex: Linux, Mac, Windows, etc.
Approximate website count: 4,956,798 (Data reference: SimilarTech)
Features of PHP:
Performance:
PHP uses its own memory. The scripts are executed faster in comparison to different languages like ASP and JSP.
Open-source:
This can be considered the most important aspect because PHP source code is easily available on the internet. Every component of PHP is free to access. Development can be carried out in all the versions without any cost.
Friendly Syntax:
The syntax of any programming language can give developers a hard time, but with PHP most of the developers find it easy and user-friendly.
Database support:
PHP supports all the available database systems. Ex: MYsqli, MYSQL, SQLite, etc.
Error warning:
PHP has predefined error reporting constants to display warnings at runtime.
Server support:
PHP provides good support with all the local servers like Apache, you can use Wamp and Xamp as your local development server.
Code optimization:
PHP has very little code compared to other programming languages. Changes to your code can be done at your convenience due to full website control.
Security
PHP provides different layers of security to avoid any malicious attacks and is thereby considered secured for developing websites.
Also Read: Top 15 Tips for Cracking a Job Interview
What is ASP.NET?
ASP.NET is a server-side web application framework. It is an extension to the .NET platform with more tools and libraries dedicated to building a web application.
ASP.NET full form: Active Server WebPages Network Enabled Technology
Introduced by: Microsoft (2002)
Purpose: To create Dynamic websites.
Execution platform: OS like Windows, Linux, Mac, and Docker
Approximate website count: 1,913,085 (Data Reference: SimilarTech )
Features of ASP.NET:
.NET framework
The framework includes Basic programming languages (C#, F# ). Provides base libraries for working with strings, dates, files I/O, and more.
High performance:
ASP.NET is considered one of the fastest web application frameworks available in the market.
Execution is based on CLR (common runtime language) in the server.
Asynchronous programming :
One of the reasons why ASP.NET is so fast is the asynchronous programming feature. It increases the speed of execution meaning that CPU cycles, I/O operations, and database queries are processed quickly.
Unified MVC and Web API :
Before the availability of the unified features, developers were using Web API for RESTful services by using JSON or XML. Now with the unification of MVC and WebAPI, the overlapping issue between frameworks is sorted.
Developing Environment :
The environment feature is easily bifurcating various parts of code. It is perfect for JavaScript and CSS files.
Complexity :
ASP.NET code complexity ranges from moderate to difficult.
Security :
The heart of any development process especially in web applications. ASP.NET security features: Authentication, Authorization, Confidentiality, and Integrity.
ASP.NET performs Authentication via authentication providers.
2. PHP vs ASP.NET: Features comparison
Here from the table, you can get clarity regarding the features of both technologies.
Yet, if there is still some confusion let’s sort it out with other aspects and detailed comparison.
Performance and speed
When it comes to speed and performance ASP.NET has an edge over PHP. It also comes down to the code of your project it makes a large impact on Performance and Speed.
There are many instances where the code and execution are so good that PHP takes over in terms of performance and even with high scale performance for ASP.NET the code if not optimized will eventually affect performance and speed.
Scalability
Both the technologies are scalable but again it comes down to type of the project and requirements. The more complex the application more the constraints involved, so choice needs to be made accordingly.
ASP.NET does have better scalability than PHP.
Cost
If you are worried about the cost then you can certainly get the decision clarity because PHP is absolutely free. ASP.NET has free features as well but a paid version is required for a certain feature like web hosting.
Tools
PHP Tools:
Tools like wamp and xamp come in handy for localhost purposes.
Editors that can be used for PHP are Sublime, Notepad ++. If you want to use IDE then Eclipse will come in useful.
The scope of tools is vast in PHP you will never run out of options while choosing tools.
ASP.NET Tools:
Tools compatible with ASP.NET are costly as they are specific to the Microsoft environment.
Most of the execution of any application needs to be carried out through visual studio, this is positive because .NET IDE provides various flexible features which can be helpful for the development process.
Learning perspective
ASP.NET is a tricky customer when it comes to learning because of its relation with the C# language whereas PHP is quite easy to grasp and this can be understood by the fact that a large number of PHP developers are self-trained.
Developer flexibility
The tools and editors mentioned earlier in PHP reflect on the fact that it has no issues whatsoever regarding the tool setup chosen by the developer. Even notepad can be used as one of the editors with no restrictions at all.
On the other end, ASP.NET is to be used along with Microsoft Visual Studio only.
Support
Both PHP and ASP.NET have excellent support for the Developer’s community. PHP being older than ASP.NET does have more users but that does not imply that you will not get solutions for your issues in ASP.NET. Both the forums will be useful for anyone looking to sort out their queries.
3. PHP vs ASP NET: Suitable Project type
4. PHP vs ASP NET: Top websites
Till now in the entire article section, we came across various benefits and limitations of both technologies. Let’s take a step further and understand the Advantages and Disadvantages of both technologies.
5. Advantages and Disadvantages Of PHP
Advantages Of PHP:
- Free of cost
- Easy for learning
- Useful as both programming language and framework
- Hiring skillful developers is easy
- Various functions available
- Good performance
Disadvantages Of PHP:
- Although it is secured the Scripted Nature of PHP does leave a slight chance for a security breach
- It is not useful for desktop applications
- Runs slow compared to ASP.NET
6. Advantages and Disadvantages Of ASP.NET
Advantages Of ASP.NET:
- Better than PHP in terms of scalability
- Easy customization of features
- Compatible with other .NET frameworks.
- Preloaded with a variety of tools and features.
- Speedy development
Disadvantages Of ASP.NET:
- Quite difficult to learn
- Need certified developers for any project
- Runs on Microsoft server only
- Quite costly in comparison with PHP
7. PHP vs ASP.NET: Stats and Market Share
According to W3Techs, all the websites with a known server-side programming language, 78.1% are powered by PHP while 8.0% are by ASP.NET. ASP.NET is not even close in competition. PHP holds strong ground as the majority of the website still prefers using PHP.
The popularity of PHP vs ASP.NET
However, when we talk about the entire web, 8.335% of websites are powered by PHP while 2.733% websites by ASP.NET.
Let’s take a look at another survey conducted by SimilarTech based on the entire web and what it found out.
Market share by top websites
As per SimilarTech, there are 1,681,045 websites supported by ASP.NET and 4,956,798 by PHP.
In all probability, ASP.NET seems to be lagging, especially when we see these findings. We can easily assume that we should go with PHP, but that is not the case, nor the only selecting factor. That means there are various factors that come into play when it is to selecting a programming language or a web development framework.
Wrapping up the comparison: PHP vs ASP NET
So moving towards the end we hope you have a clear vision regarding which technology to choose. Definitely, it’s up to your project complexity and individual skillset but, if you feel like having a deep discussion regarding the technologies feel free to hit up your queries to our expert and get yourself a concrete assurance.
