Node.js or PhP? Determining the better website server backend scripting language

Most people interact with websites expecting them to perform quick results and provide quick responses to their requests and many do not realize the performance is due to server side or backend programming. There are several types of backend web framework/scripting technologies. Programmers and developers often debate over which is the technologies is the better solution. Most debates are based on various dimensions such as performance, scalability, and architecture. The most common factor for settling the debate or choosing the most appropriate frameworks tends to be the performance dimension. This study assesses the performance of both Node.js and PHP by implementing well-known algorithms of binary, bubble, and quick sort along with Heap’s algorithm for permutations. These algorithms were selected for their increasing time complexities which allows us to observe the performance differences between the backend framework/scripting. By comparing the performance of these two backend scripting technologies, one can gain a better understanding of the circumstances when migrating from PHP to Node.js would be beneficial. Our results showed that a significant difference occurs in the performance of PHP and Node.js and specifically, Node.js outperformed PHP in terms of latency and other performance metrics. This study provides valuable information for software engineers, developers, and managers who are seeking the best framework for their web applications.