Both PHP and Node.js are widely used for the back end in web development, with the former being quite dated. Both of these backend technologies come with distinct features altogether. Both languages are typically executed server-side, running things outside of the user's view.
PHP was started in the year 1995 by Rasmus Lerdorf. PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor and was exclusively created for web development.
It can easily be embedded within HTML or ran independently as it's own file. You will commonly see it within the tags:
"".
Node.js was created by Ryan Dahl in the year 2009. It is a backend environment that makes use of JavaScript for its application development.
It's quite revolutionary since Javascript itself wasn't designed to create server-side code, so it gives the language a new dynamic, and it's one of the reasons why it's now a dominating language in the industry.
A major difference between PHP and Node.js is the way they implement code. PHP is known for implementing code in sequential order. The user cannot move to the next code until the code is executed.
It is completely opposite in the case of Node.js. It does not work in a synchronous manner. If a code cannot be completed on time, the user can move to the next code. This can be quite forgiving for developers in comparison to most other languages.
The next difference is within the frameworks between the PHP and Node.js.
Frameworks enable developers to write codes that are well-planned and structured; they play an important role to speed up the development process.
PHP frameworks include Symphony, Phalcon, Laravel, FuelPHP, and Codeigniter and so on. These frameworks are very well established that it is easy to find a developer who is an expert in a particular niche.
On the other hand, if you compare with Node.js, you will see their frameworks are growing but they are limited when compared with PHP. Some of the popular frameworks are Express, Sails.js, Meteor.js, and Derby.js.
