Summary – If you’re thinking about app development, choosing the ideal language to develop your product is a critical step. Both Java and PHP have their advantages and drawbacks and there are many libraries which can reduce the cost of work. Therefore, the question of which language to choose is a tough one. Let the debate be decisive on choosing a language for enterprise app development. PHP and Java are renowned programming languages ​​for web app development at the enterprise level. You must choose the one suitable for your projects.

Java is a general-purpose, class-based, cross-platform programming language. This language is employed by leading tech giants such as Google, eBay, Amazon, Uber, Netflix and Instagram among others.

PHP is a hypertext pre-processor and an open-source, server-side, general-purpose scripting language in HTML. It was instrumental in creating content management systems and is used by WordPress, Facebook, Slack, Wikipedia, Tumblr, and Etsy.

Consulting a PHP web development company can help you decide what is best for you and your project. There are several factors that you must consider before making your decision.

• Performance and speed: PHP vs. Java

Developers need to build mobile enterprise applications to address complex business processes and operations. Similarly, businesses require programmers to write complex enterprise applications that can be accessed by multiple employees.

Java implements various threads to manage and process multiple instruction sequences quickly and efficiently. So it is quite fast and efficient to write enterprise applications with Java.

PHP is still a winner when it comes to quick coding as its latest version has significantly accelerated the process while reducing memory consumption.

• Types and purpose: PHP vs. Java

Java and PHP are open-source and object-oriented languages.

PHP is a back-end scripting language designed for web application development. It can also be used for other purposes and can make websites dynamic. Interpreted language PHP runs on any code that is sent to the interpreter, translated into machine language and executed. 

Java web application development powers dynamic web applications. However, it is a general-purpose and collective programming language.

The main purpose of Java is to allow code to be written only once and to use it on different platforms. This code runs on any device with the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installation.

Java is a compiled language and works by source code that is converted into a binary language so that the JVM can recognize it and adapt to the operating system of the current device. 

• Development time and cost: PHP vs. Java

For any business, the goal is to launch a quality product as fast as possible while maintaining affordable expenses. Software development using PHP takes less time and costs less as well. The average cost of hiring PHP developers is lower than that of Java, and the development process is much simpler and faster.

Certain business responsibilities are adequately met with the use of Java. Therefore, development speed and cost should be one of the primary factors to consider when choosing a programming language. However, it’s smart not to give up on quality to save time and money.

• A secure platform: PHP vs. Java

Security is important for any web application. With digitization, applications are more susceptible to malware attacks and application security is a concern.

Studies show that PHP and Java are popular for web application development.

Although PHP is popular, it lacks some built-in security features as compared to programming languages ​​like Java.

However, programmers can take advantage of the security features and mechanisms provided by other PHP frameworks to enhance the security of the application. Still, PHP lags on the security front as developers have to use external frameworks for a secure platform. 

In comparison, the latest Java version is loaded with robust security features that provide high-level security to your enterprise applications. Due to its robust nature, Java meets all the security standards.

Choose an application development firm that provides the right solution for your needs. 

• Better stability: PHP vs. Java

The world of technology is always changing. As a business owner, you don’t want to be offered an unstable app. Sustainability should be a concern for business owners during and after development.

Of the two, Java is considered to be more stable than PHP. This requires a long code which takes time. Together, a well-written long code becomes a more stable application with fewer crashes.

Java is a technology which requires time to develop well-written and lengthy code. Fast and short codes offered by PHP are prone to crashes.

That’s why banks and fintech brands choose Java without any hesitation.

• Popularity: PHP vs. Java

The popularity of the choice between Java vs. PHP has a simple answer. It depends on the data. Java is in high demand and is preferred by most developers.

According to Google Trends, more programmers want to learn Java than PHP while learning the language. 

According to research to find the most in-demand language, it was found that Java ranks first as the most in-demand language and receives more rental requests as compared to PHP.

In a survey on the languages ​​developers prefer to work with, 44% of professionals prefer to work with Java, while only 37% were willing to work with PHP.

• Ease of learning: PHP vs. Java

Learning a new programming language in a short amount of time is not easy. Especially if it’s a strong language with a steep learning curve. If you’ve written programs before and went through their initial hurdles, you’ll find it easier to write enterprise applications in Java.

Compared to PHP, Java is the language that uses a simpler syntax closer to the English language with minimal symbols. This makes it more manageable for developers to read and write code as compared to PHP.

• Language tools:  PHP vs. Java

When it comes to writing any level of application, Eclipse and Netbeans are the most popular IDEs that are used. But Java also supports Notepad++, DOS editors and other text editors which increase the efficiency of developers to write an application without much hassle. PHP has a plugin for Eclipse and Netbeans.

When it comes to debugging capabilities, Java applications can be debugged using all editors and make Java development much faster, more comfortable and fluent, whereas PHP only debugs print statements.

In packaging tools, PHP only uses packaging files, so it has no packaging concept. In comparison, Java supports various packaging tools including ANT, Maven, Editors, Web Start and more to ensure real-time web development.

Java is the programming language with the best editing, debugging and packing tools.

• Future: PHP vs. Java

The future is bright for both languages.

Every language comes with strengths and weaknesses. These two programming languages, Java and PHP, have many benefits and also support some of the world’s top companies and websites.

Java and PHP are known as the most powerful programming languages and are earmarked for stiff competition in the tech world.

Every business has different goals. The technology that supports most of the features and functionalities during development may win the battle in the future.

All things considered

It’s hard to determine the winner in the PHP vs. Java debate. Both Java and PHP meet different purposes. If the developer you choose is talented enough, they will be successful in any project.

When you are not sure what language to use for your project, contact a professional firm. The experts in a top Java development company can provide consultation on the programming language & framework that fits your specific product.