When it comes to server-side scripting, programmers generally get confused over the language they should use to solve the problem in front of them. They mainly debate upon whether to use PHP or ASP.NET. Well, each of these languages has its own plus point, or down point as some people might think and here I am to describe it in front of you so that you can make the best decision for your programming problem.
Well, when it comes to choosing programming languages, no one can make a certain or accurate suggestion on what programming language will be best suited for your application or problem. It always depends upon programmer to programmer, which includes the time the programmer can dedicate to that project, or the expertise that the programmer might have in that particular programming language, or the experience a programmer has in solving a certain type of problem. Let’s get started with discussing various points-to-be-noted for each, PHP and ASP.NET.
PHP
PHP stands for Hypertext Pre-Processor and has various features that might drive you to use this server-side programming language.
- PHP is Open Source – Since PHP is Open Source, working with it costs you no money. You do not need to purchase any tools required to develop in PHP and the investment is pretty low.
- PHP is widely supported by web hosts as it runs on Linux operating systems, and installation of Linux on systems is cheaper than Windows Systems.
- Easy to Set up the Development Machine, low requirements for the workstation and hence cheaper.
ASP.NET
ASP.NET is a framework that is used to develop websites using HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Server Scripting(obviously!). Here are the few features that define ASP.NET.
- ASP.NET is developed by Microsoft, which means that it is reliable and is expected to receive frequent updates.
- ASP.NET requires Visual Studio development environment.
- ASP.NET is not widely supported by all web hosts as it requires setting up of Windows Servers, which is costlier than setting up of Linux Servers. Though you can run ASP.NET on Linux using Mono, it has its own problems.
- Web hosting is costlier than the one for PHP.
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I just listed out the various points under PHP and ASP.NET, and all these are my personal opinion. Now, let me compare the various aspects of PHP and ASP.NET, side by side.
Comparison Aspects
- Features and Extend-ability: PHP and ASP.NET have more or less the same features and what can be done in PHP can be done in ASP.NET as well.
- Security: Both the languages provide more or less the same level of security. It all depends upon the programmer to which extent the security is implemented.
- Development Time: Development time is something that depends upon the expertise of the programmer. If the programmer is efficient in PHP, obviously the development time in PHP would be less as compared to the time in ASP.NET. Though, for small projects, it is recommended that PHP be used so that the total cost incurred is less.
- Framework: The number of frameworks available for PHP are a lot more than the ones available for ASP.NET. The frameworks for ASP.NET are developed by Microsoft, while for PHP, anyone can develop a framework.
- Cost: Ultimately, in most cases, cost is the deciding factor. Now here, the cost refers to the development cost and the maintenance cost. Clearly, the development and running cost for PHP is less than the cost for ASP.NET.
I tried to list out the various points in favor of both the programming languages and now the decision rests in your hands. If you want Microsoft Support, reliability, then ASP.NET is the thing for you. But if you prefer using Open Source Programming Language, and are comfortable using Linux, then PHP is the thing for you. Personally, I am a PHP guy. I find using PHP easier as compared to ASP.NET.
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