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The PHP vs Python Debate: Developers Can't Reach a Consensus
2022 marked another round in the eternal debate between PHP and Python supporters. Despite both languages holding strong positions in web development, a survey conducted by Stack Overflow among 70,000 developers showed the community is almost evenly split. 48% of respondents consider Python more promising for new projects, while 45% defend PHP, pointing to its dominance in legacy systems and CMS (WordPress, Drupal).
Experts note that the key factor is the ecosystem. PHP remains the undisputed leader in the hosting market: according to W3Techs, 77% of all websites with a known server-side language use PHP. However, Python, thanks to the Django and FastAPI frameworks, is actively reclaiming the niche of high-load APIs and microservices. "PHP is a working standard for budget projects, but Python wins in development speed and code readability," comments Alexander Petrov, lead developer at the company "Tensor".
The numbers speak for themselves. The average salary of a PHP developer in Russia in 2022 was 180,000 rubles (according to Habr Career), while Python specialists earned an average of 220,000 rubles. At the same time, the number of PHP job openings decreased by 12% compared to 2021, while Python openings grew by 18%. "The market is clearly shifting towards Python, but PHP won't die — too much infrastructure is tied to it," notes Ilya Sidorov, analyst at the Tproger portal.
The debate is also fueled by technical differences. PHP 8.x introduced JIT compilation, which increased performance by 2-3 times in some scenarios. However, Python 3.10+ with improved typing and asyncio remains preferred for Data Science and machine learning. "If your project is a CRM or an online store, PHP is still faster to deploy. If you are building a complex analytical platform, the choice is obvious," summarizes Dmitry Kozlov, technical director of the "Web-Master" studio.
The result of 2022: there is no consensus. PHP remains the king of hosting, and Python the king of innovation. The choice of language increasingly depends not on technology, but on the team and the tasks. Whichever language you choose — the main thing is that it solves your problem, rather than being a subject of a holy war.
