Top 9 PHP Alternatives For Web Development: JavaScript, Python, and More

Are you looking for PHP Alternatives for Web Development?

But why?

Today, there are 1.8 billion websites and hundreds of new ones are going live every day.  With a base of 5.038 billion internet users in the world, websites are one of the most sought-after solutions.

In fact, Google, the largest search engine, gets over 3.5 billion searches each day. This means, over 1.2 trillion annually.

This is the reason websites are a must-have for businesses. Most businesses today have their own website. But in a world where every business has its own website, you need to do something unique to stand out from the competition and attract customers.

Web development for the most part was dominated by PHP for more than 2 decades. In fact, 77.7% of all websites use PHP as a server-side programming language.

But the world is changing. PHP alone no longer gives you that edge over the competition. And this is why, businesses, developers, clients, and everyone is looking for PHP alternatives.

This blog is all about that.

Here, we shall be going through everything related to PHP and its alternative, including the reason why you need them.

Therefore, with this being said, let’s get right into it:

All You Need To Know About PHP Web Development

PHP is the progenitor of the modern internet. Custom PHP Development services defined the boundaries of modern websites.

The programming language itself was developed back in the year 1995, by Rasmus Lerdorf. Being a server-side scripting language, its primary application is web development. And it’s safe to say, PHP is one of the best options for that (at least).

Even today, it is the sixth most popular programming language in the world.

In fact, most modern web platforms like WordPress are written on PHP. That shows the true capacity and scope of PHP.

Some of the features that make PHP stand out from the rest are, as mentioned below:

• It offers a low barrier to entry, meaning it is very easy to learn and master.
• Being an age-old, in fact, the oldest language has its benefits. It comes with huge community support which means there is a solution for every problem.
• From Laravel to CakePHP, there are many frameworks and libraries readily available.
• PHP is super compatible with HTML which makes web development a breeze.
• The programming language is very scalable which makes it a favorable option.

These are all the benefits, but there are some drawbacks to PHP. And with this, it is going out of favor. Let’s see the reason why you should look for alternatives to PHP in the section below:

Why Look For PHP Alternatives?

Despite all the benefits this programming language offers, there is no denying the fact that PHP will be 3 decades old in just 2 years. And within this spam new, more powerful, higher level, and much more capable languages, frameworks, etc have been developed.

So, when you build a website, you would want to use the best technologies. But why not PHP, after all, PHP is better than its alternatives Right? No.

There are certain shortcomings of the server-side programming language that makes it somewhat risky to work with. Let’s look at a few of these.

A Sea of Unskilled PHP Developers 

PHP is one of the easiest programming languages to learn for web development.

But instead of being a pro, it’s a con. Well, due to the ease of learning, everyone and anyone can get into PHP development. And this means a lot of unskilled developers, which is not good at all.

Security Gaps

Well, well, we live in an age of technology and information. Therefore, security and privacy are two things valued the most.

With increasing incidents of cyber crimes and data leaks, people are skeptical of using websites with low security. And sadly, PHP is known for its poor security and reliability

Dropping popularity

With languages like JavaScript and Python on the market, more and more developers are gravitating toward them.

PHP’s popularity is dropping. With time, it’s getting more and more difficult to Find An Expert Developer.

Forgiving language

PHP is a forgiving language. It let developers get away with silly mistakes. And with time, these errors pills up to create larger problems.

This is the reason why PHP is not preferred for larger projects anymore.

Slow performance.

The fastest wins the race and gets all the audience.

Statistics, pages that load within two seconds have an average bounce rate of 9%, while pages that load in five seconds see their bounce rates skyrocket to 38%. This means, with every extra second of load time, you lose 10% of users.

So, why go through all of this, when you can use PHP alternatives for web development and get much faster websites?  

Better PHP Alternatives

It is no secret that times are changing.

In the past 2 decades, we have seen some of the best web development frameworks and programming languages. In simple words, there are Alternatives of PHP in web development that are far better.

What are they?

Well, we shall be discussing just that in the next section of the blog.

Best PHP Alternatives For Web Development

Web Development Companies offer a range of PHP alternatives for web development.

Here,  we shall be going discussing the top 9 PHP alternative programming languages for web development that you should use in 2023.

Enough said, let’s start with the most popular one, which is, as mentioned below:

1) JavaScript – Best PHP Alternatives

JavaScript which is also called JS is one of the most popular programming languages when it comes to web development. However, that’s not its only application. It is used for a number of other tasks including app development.

Now, it is not one of the most modern languages either, but the results it offers are unmatched. This is one of the reasons why it is known as the most versatile development language.

With over 600,000 packages readily available and a huge community, JavaScript is the best PHP alternative for web development.

PHP vs JavaScript.

This is a debate that has been going on for a long time. In fact, there are a lot of people who ask if is PHP similar to JavaScript. The answer is yes, it is.

So, how do these two programming languages compare? Well, let’s look at just that below:

These are the major differences between these two platforms.

2) Python

Python is one of the most popular programming languages and also the best one.  And boy, if it’s not versatile. It has applications from web development to analytics.

Coming back to the point, this programming language is a good PHP alternative.  When used with the Django framework, Python can open doors to a whole new level of possibility.

This programming language is proven and so good that it is replacing PHP as the preferred back-end development language. But is not limited to that, since it is a full-stack language. This is what makes it a go-to choice for custom web development.

Just like PHP vs JavaScript, people also usually compare PHP vs Python.

This begs the question, which one is better, and what are the differences between PHP and Python, Let’s look at them below:

3) Ruby

Ruby is a programming language that is excellent for someone who is looking to get started. And the reason is simple enough, it’s very easy to learn.

In addition to this, it allows the developer to experiment and stays forgiving. But not to a level that it becomes a problem.

Despite being easy to learn, Ruby remains one of the most powerful languages that you can get your hands on today. With its ability to build dynamic web pages, it’s one of the best Alternatives to PHP.

Therefore, this is one programming language that you should definitely try.

4) Golang

Golang which is often also denoted as Go is an interesting one. While the other language on the list is alternative PHP, this one is a parallel programming option.

Developed and maintained by none other than Google themselves.

So, it goes without saying that, it has some best features and offers an amazing development experience. When it comes to scalability and developer friendliness, there is nothing that matches Golang.

To seal the deal, it is also very easy to work with. Therefore, this is something that you should definitely consider in place of PHP or laravel development.

5) Java

When someone mentions object-oriented web development, Java is the first thing that comes to mind, and rightfully so. It is one of the top PHP alternative languages that you can use.

The scope of PHP alternative Java goes far beyond object-oriented development structure. It brings development features that make work much easier and helps developers create much better apps.  Server-end performance can be taken to next level with the right use of Java.

Moreover, it also matches the affordability of PHP development cost. Therefore, this is a good option that you should definitely consider.

6) Elixir

It’s stable, it’s scalable, and bring much-required peace of mind with it’s amazing reliability. We are talking about none other than, Elixir.

It may not have the largest community to back it, but it does come with a lot of offers. For instance, the range of features and flexibility that it brings to web development is unmatched. And it’s much better to hire an Elixir developer than hire laravel developers for web app development.

Today, millions of new developers have adapted to Elixir. It is a top PHP alternative today. Plus, it is going to be one of the top development languages of the future. So, keep an eye out for it.

7) C#

If you have ever planned to hire dedicated web developer or are one yourself, you must have heard the name of the programming language C#. This programming language was developed by the tech giant Microsoft.

While it is not as popular as C++ or just C, it is definitely among the top. It gives developers amazing control over the development process along with amazing features and unmatched performance.

Another point that makes it a good alternative to PHP is the reliability it offers. In addition to this, it has amazing community support that newer languages don’t.

8) TypeScript

While technically it’s a superset of JavaScript in terms of Syntax, it is good enough to term as a programming language. It is used with a lot of backend frameworks for web app development including NodeJS frameworks.

Just like our previous pick, it comes to Microsoft as well.  It is a good option for creating large web apps. And it offers similar benefits to JavaScript which makes it one of the great PHP Alternatives for web development.

9) Erlang – A Promising PHP Alternatives

Some websites need powerful web pages, but PHP just can’t deliver them. So a good PHP alternative is Erlang.

This programming language is known for its robust solutions and capacity.  For instance, web apps and websites made with Erlang drive good user engagement while handling high traffic.

Moreover, it is compatible with REST APIs which makes this option that much better. Therefore, this is an option you should definitely explore.

What is the Best Replacement for PHP? Choose The Right PHP Alternative

Want to hire web developers

But don’t know why the right one is.

Well, choosing PHP alternatives for web development can confuse, to say the least. There are lots of options.

So, which is the best alternative to PHP for web development? Well, the answer usually depends on your use case, tech stack, as well as the type of website you are developing.

But in any case, JavaScript is one of the best PHP alternatives. You can hire NodeJS developers angularJS developers, and much more.

 Conclusion

When it comes to PHP alternatives for web development, JavaScript is the best option. Nevertheless, you should consult a web development company that will be able to give you better insight into the same.

Niketan Sharma

Niketan Sharma is the CTO of Nimble AppGenie, a prominent website and mobile app development company in the USA that is delivering excellence with a commitment to boosting business growth & maximizing customer satisfaction. He is a highly motivated individual who helps SMEs and startups grow in this dynamic market with the latest technology and innovation.