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C# VS PHP

Compare C# VS PHP and see what are their differences

C# logo C#

Simple, general-purpose, object-oriented programming language for the .NET platform

PHP logo PHP

A popular general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited to web development
  • C# Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-28

We recommend LibHunt C# for discovery and comparisons of trending C# projects.

  • PHP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-21

We recommend LibHunt PHP for discovery and comparisons of trending PHP projects.

C# features and specs

  • Modern Language Features
    C# offers modern language constructs like async/await, Lambda expressions, LINQ, and pattern matching, which make it easier to write clear and concise code.
  • Large Standard Library
    C# comes with a comprehensive and well-documented standard library, which provides robust functionality out of the box and allows for rapid application development.
  • Cross-Platform
    With the introduction of .NET Core (now .NET 5/6), C# is fully cross-platform, enabling development for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Strong Community and Documentation
    C# benefits from a large, active community and excellent documentation, making it easier to find help, tutorials, and third-party libraries.
  • Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem
    C# integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products and services, such as Azure, Visual Studio, and Office, which can be beneficial for enterprise applications.

Possible disadvantages of C#

  • Windows-Centric History
    C# has a history of being Windows-centric, which might result in some legacy issues or libraries that are not fully optimized for cross-platform use.
  • Memory Management
    While C# abstracts away most of the memory management tasks with its garbage collector, this can lead to less efficient memory use compared to languages where developers have more control.
  • Learning Curve
    C# has a steeper learning curve compared to some other languages, especially for those who are new to object-oriented programming.
  • Performance Overhead
    Being managed code, C# might incur a performance overhead at runtime due to Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation, making it less suitable for low-latency or real-time systems.
  • Dependency on Microsoft Ecosystem
    Heavy integration with Microsoft products and services can be a double-edged sword, leading to dependencies that might be difficult to manage if trying to move away from Microsoft's ecosystem.

PHP features and specs

  • Cost-Effective
    PHP is an open-source language, meaning it is free to use. This helps reduce the overall cost of a project.
  • Large Community
    PHP has a large and active community. This means vast amounts of documentation, tutorials, and third-party resources are available.
  • Cross-Platform
    PHP is platform-independent and can run on various operating systems like Windows, Linux, and macOS.
  • Database Support
    PHP supports a wide range of databases including MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and more.
  • Speed
    PHP is generally fast, especially when used with built-in tools and extensions. It integrates easily with web servers like Apache.
  • Built-in Functions
    PHP comes with a vast range of built-in functions and libraries, which makes developing common functionalities easier and faster.
  • Server-Side Scripting
    PHP is designed specifically for server-side scripting, making it well-suited for web development.

Possible disadvantages of PHP

  • Security
    If not properly managed, PHP applications can be vulnerable to security threats like SQL injection, XSS, and others.
  • Inconsistency
    PHP's function naming and parameter ordering can be inconsistent, which can make the language difficult to learn and use efficiently.
  • Performance
    While fast for many tasks, PHP can struggle with performance for high-resource applications compared to other languages like Node.js or Python.
  • Error Handling
    Error handling in PHP is less efficient and more cumbersome compared to modern languages like Python or JavaScript.
  • Concurrency
    PHP lacks native support for multi-threading, which can be a limitation for applications requiring high concurrency.
  • Old Codebases
    Many older PHP applications use outdated coding practices, making maintaining and updating them more difficult and costly.
  • Type System
    PHP historically had a weak typing system, though recent versions have introduced better type support, it's still a drawback for older codebases.

C# videos

C# Review - The Basics

More videos:

  • Review - Is C# hard to learn?
  • Review - Learn C# BASICS in 10 MINUTES!

PHP videos

Is PHP a SCAM? Watch this VIDEO Before You Join!

More videos:

  • Review - For PHP Agents - Advice On Making The Most Of Your Insurance Sales Career

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to C# and PHP)
Programming Language
37 37%
63% 63
OOP
34 34%
66% 66
Generic Programming Language
Programming
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare C# and PHP

C# Reviews

Top 10 Rust Alternatives
C# is a modern computing language. It is also an object-centred language and offers users a safe and reliable platform. It belongs to the C languages and is quite similar to C, C ++, JavaScript, etc.
The 10 Best Programming Languages to Learn Today
If mobile app development or virtual reality is your thing, consider learning C#. Many mobile developers use C# to build cross-platform apps on the Xamarin platform. It's also a popular choice for building 3D and 2D video games using the Unity game engine.
Source: ict.gov.ge

PHP Reviews

Top 10 Rust Alternatives
PHP is another general purpose-based computing language. This language is mostly found in HTML. It is usually used for the management of content that is based on dynamic information.
Top 20 Javascript Libraries
As the name suggests, JsPHP is a Javascript library for PHP API to be available in the JS environment. It is open-source and provides a compelling interface for JS developers who work in PHP. JsPHP can work in tandem with other libraries in an application. JsPHP supports PHP functions, including regular expressions, date-time evaluations, JSON, error handling, object...
Source: hackr.io
The 10 Best Programming Languages to Learn Today
What kind of development projects do you want to work on? If career flexibility is a priority, learning Python or C++ will allow you to work across different types of programming. If your passion is web development, learning JavaScript or PHP is a smart choice.
Source: ict.gov.ge

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PHP seems to be a lot more popular than C#. While we know about 54 links to PHP, we've tracked only 1 mention of C#. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

C# mentions (1)

PHP mentions (54)

  • The Lost Art of Reading Documentation
    I remember being 15 (18 years ago 🥲) and learning PHP. Stack Overflow wasn’t as big yet, and finding answers often meant digging through forums filled with half-baked solutions, each dependent on specific hosting configurations. There was no universal standard, some hosts supported certain php.ini settings while others didn’t. The only reliable resource? The official PHP documentation: php.net. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Using named arguments in php8 and up
    That's the first I've heard of it, and I like it! I can't tell you the number of trips to php.net to look at argument order for a function. Is it haystack/needle, or needle/haystack? Of course it could turn into the same thing w/ argument names (is it whole_name or full_name?), but I'm going to use it. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • How to display results from multiple SQL queries in the same table cell?
    Prepare to spend a fair bit of time reading and going back to phptherightway.com and php.net. I've also found this Tutorial from Envato Tuts+ to be quite good. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Beginner searching for set up resources
    All I want to do with php is to have a recurring navbar on a website. I don't know what to do next. So far I've tried php.net's manual, w3scchool's tutorial and the set up part of first five recommended php tutorials on youtube. I have also spent hours on stackoverflow, which got me even more confused. The more I read, the less nothing makes sense to me and I don't know where the problem is. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • date_format crashing on NULL values after upgrade to PHP 8.x
    I tried looking at the upgrade from 7.4 to 8.0 docs on php.net but I don't see anything regarding any changes to this function. Any ideas? Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing C# and PHP, you can also consider the following products

Python - Python is a clear and powerful object-oriented programming language, comparable to Perl, Ruby, Scheme, or Java.

JavaScript - Lightweight, interpreted, object-oriented language with first-class functions

Java - A concurrent, class-based, object-oriented, language specifically designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible

Rust - A safe, concurrent, practical language

Ruby - A dynamic, interpreted, open source programming language with a focus on simplicity and productivity

C++ - Has imperative, object-oriented and generic programming features, while also providing the facilities for low level memory manipulation