PHP vs ASP.NET : 20+ Top Reasons to Choose
PHP over ASP.NET in 2021

1. PHP vs ASP.NET – Costs

One of the best benefits of PHP is that it is an open source web programming language which makes it completely free. This is where it scores higher than ASP.NET. It’s not only inexpensive but also a completely secured platform.

ASP.NET being a Microsoft product comes naturally with licensing charges. ASP .NET works on windows operating system so its upkeep is also resource intensive. All the third-party tools of ASP.NET have license cost attached to it.

On the other hand, the upgrades and updates are absolutely free with PHP and there is no licensing cost involved. This is why most web agencies and freelancers – check out some of them on DesignRush – prefer to work on PHP because its cost-free with no license fee or third-party charges making it a better choice for most programmers.

2. PHP or ASP.NET – Flexibility

Another PHP advantage is that it’s highly flexible so it lets you develop anything you want. The solutions are completely open sourced and can be configured according to your programming needs in an array of contexts. It runs on almost all popular web servers and supports most languages.

On the other hand, ASP.NET is very corporate in nature and why not, it’s backed by Microsoft. It has some limitations and it can’t be used as freely as a PHP framework.

If you like to work on a web application with a little inventive approach, then PHP is your ideal choice.

3. Cross-platform Integration

PHP works on LAMP stack model which is a secure software bundle that includes Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. The LAMP is again an open source platform where no cost is involved and the web developers keep updating & upgrading the application which further benefits the coded solution.

On the other hand, ASP.NET works on CLR and .NET framework. It only runs on platforms that the .NET framework runs on. This offers limited working space, i.e. you won’t have ‘convenient access to machine intrinsic functions.’

ASP.NET mostly works on Windows platforms and to make it work on Linux you need to get ASP-Apache installed on your server. Mono is seen resolving this issue but it still has a long way to come as an established, well-supported technology.

PHP’s cross-platform integration is excellent as it can work on different platforms such as Linux, UNIX, Solaris, and Windows.

4. Programming Language

As a mix of web framework and programming, the uses of PHP are many. As a scripting language, PHP is more useful in creating websites than programming languages. It can be used in many web applications and websites with very fewer limitations.

Most web programmers choose PHP because of its flexibility and simple technical aspect in comparison to ASP.NET.

ASP.NET is just a simple and straight web framework.

5. PHP and ASP.NET – Best Suited For

ASP.NET program is mostly used in large organizations. It is also used by medium-sized business organizations and websites.

PHP is largely used by small to medium-sized solutions as we can see by this data provided by Enlyft.

PHP is also used for large-scale applications and the biggest example of which is the Facebook application.

So many new web applications are using PHP for web programming which includes Flickr, Wikipedia, Craigslist, and Zynga.

PHP has a greater reach in comparison to ASP.NET with more than 7500 verified companies already using it.

6. PHP vs ASP.NET – Scalability Comparison

It is a known fact that PHP framework is more scalable as compared to ASP.NET.

PHP framework scores high on overall programmers experience, solid programming framework, overall guidelines, standards and use of best programming practices.

The best part about PHP language/framework is that you can customize it according to your need. The high scalability factor of PHP makes developing any new program or app easier with PHP language.

7. Types of Framework Offered

One of the major reasons why PHP is used worldwide is because it offers unlimited frameworks for all kinds of web applications and web support.

From eCommerce development to blogging, web apps and custom development, it supports all the popular applications.

Some most popular frameworks of PHP are Symphony, Falcon, Zend, Yii, and Laravel.

ASP.NET only supports .NET framework and CLR (Common Language Runtime), so there is a limitation with ASP.NET.

The PHP framework community is not only large but with new updates, the community is also on a hike, which is great.

8. Compatibility With Varied Platforms

Again, PHP scores higher on compatibility as compared to ASP.NET.

PHP works on many different platforms like Unix, Solaris, Windows, and Linux.

ASP.NET is Windows-based and works only on platforms like LINUX and other Windows-based applications.

PHP works on different kinds of web servers and various database systems, unlike ASP.NET.

9. PHP or ASP.NET – Which is more Popular?

According to W3techs.com, PHP framework is used by 78.2% of all the websites because of its wide outreach and easy integration. It works on a large number of database management systems.

Most small web developing companies rely on PHP, as it’s the number one server-side language. In fact, most popular CMS platforms also make use of PHP frameworks.

Almost all top websites use PHP language so it is widely accepted as compared to ASP.NET.

PHP language is so popular that you can get active support in almost all the tech forums and active coder’s ecosystem.

10. PHP vs ASP.NET – Inbuilt Features

PHP has many built-in features that can help web developers. Variables, real-time access monitoring, error reporting, extended regular expression, magic method, email from a particular web page, FTP and encryption mechanism.

On the other hand, ASP.NET doesn’t have many inbuilt features. If you need added components in ASP.NET, then you must pay added charges for those components.

PHP contains many unique inbuilt features to help a new web programmer.

11. Coding Expertise Required

In the ASP.NET vs PHP debate, this is another reason why PHP is used worldwide and so popular.

For a beginner developing a web application, learning to code and understanding the language is an impediment. If the coding is simple, developing the web app or program also becomes simple.

ASP.NET uses #C language, which is not only difficult to understand but also complicated to work on. You need to be a pro to understand #C if you are working with ASP.NET.

In hindsight, when talking about PHP language, you’ll notice that there is no such problem. PHP framework is not only simple to understand but it lets you work on few lines of coding. Most websites and freelancers stick to PHP language as it lets you create a web application without any difficulty.

12. Limitations and Restrictions

Since PHP is an open source platform, most components and programs are also free to use. There are no added licenses in PHP as there are in ASP.NET.

PHP language works on “Write once to use anywhere” principle and that makes it highly flexible.

ASP.NET has many limitations and restrictions so that makes it less popular.

13. Speed and Performance

Just like no blog/website owner would like a slow website page-speed, likewise, no web programmer would like to work on a slow web platform.

If you compare PHP vs. ASP.NET for speed, then PHP is the winner.

PHP program runs on its own memory space, unlike ASP.NET that is a bit slow as it is built on the COM-based system.

PHP does not use system resources and does not create many hosts while developing a program. It works with an utmost speed which saves a lot of time.

14. Hosting Requirements

PHP language mostly works on Unix and Linux server, which is quite popular in hosting.

But, ASP.NET language work on ASP apache that is required for hosting. This acts as a limitation for ASP.NET.

Also, PHP is effective in accessing various database types across the web. It is perfect for content management systems and different web-based scripts.

PHP is inferred to the server, so if there is a change in the functionality of a website, there are no added steps required for the change.

ASP.NET works on modified codes, so change is required.

15. Base Language Used

The base language of PHP is C++ and that makes developing a program an easier task for a new web developer. Many programmers prefer C++ language because of its ease-of-use.

ASP.NET mainly uses visual basic syntax language that is used by most Microsoft products. The syntax language is usually difficult to interpret, as it is a bit complicated.

PHP language is not only easier to learn but also work on and that makes it universally accepted by web programmers.

16. PHP or ASP.NET – Total Market Share

PHP is more popular than ASP.NET and its market share is about 73%.

According to BuiltWith data source, PHP scores better than ASP.NET as a popular web language.

As per their September 2018 data, ASP.NET has a total share of 23%. PHP also has a leading market share of 58% in top 100k websites, whereas, in top 10K websites, the market shares of PHP is 52%.

PHP also ranks as the most popular web framework online when compared to ASP.NET.

PHP is also the most popular scripting language on the internet and it is the most favourite amongst millions of web programmers.

17. Availability of Essential Tools

Most ASP.NET frameworks rely on Microsoft visual studio editor and .NET applications. So, there is a dependency on tools.

On the other hand, the PHP framework works as an independent editor. PHP programmers can access a wide number of editors’ like VIM, notepad++, VI, EMACS, Bluefish, and JEDIT.

There is limited freedom of tools with ASP.NET as compared to PHP, so PHP language is a clear winner in this case too.

18. PHP vs ASP.NET – Security Comparison

As PHP has a built-in database and components, it’s tangibly secured as compared to ASP.NET. Also, CMS platforms like WordPress relies on PHP language so security wise there are no issues.

Actually, both PHP language and ASP.NET are secured, based on a web programmer’s way of using them. If the programs are used in a secured way, there will not be an issue with the web development part.

19. Community Support

The learning support is great in PHP framework as compared to ASP.NET.

As a beginner, it may be difficult for you to get hold of #C language of ASP.NET as it’s not only complex but also difficult to understand.

On the technical front, PHP fairs better than ASP.NET. There are many dedicated PHP learning support groups too for your convenience.

20. Developers and Coders

The workforce availability for PHP developer and coder is great. As the market share of PHP is higher than ASP.NET, there are many expert web programmers working specifically in PHP language.

Besides, the dedicated communities on PHP are large and the interaction and communication are massive.

PHP supports a large community of programmers as compared to ASP.NET. The number of freelance PHP programmers out there is also high so you won’t be short of finding experts.

The Wrap

In the PHP vs ASP.NET debate, after comparing these points, PHP definitely scores better than ASP.NET. PHP is so feature-rich while costing nothing.

Unlike prevalent myth, PHP framework is highly secure, reliable and fast while being user-friendly. On the other hand, ASP.NET costs you at every step and comes with its steadfast limitations.

We are eager to hear your point of difference as well, so do share with us in the comment below.