Write sites and apps in any language and they’ll be versatile enough to fit the complicated requirements of most businesses. But for custom app builds, the extra effort’s time-consuming. So shorten deployment time of web services, apps, and APIs by using frameworks. You’ll be able to reuse code and simplify common tasks like database access and session management.
Rasmus Lerdorf, PHP creator, never would have thought in 1994 that his scripting language would go on to be the most widely used server-side worldwide. Same for David Heinemeier Hansson, author of the Ruby on Rails framework that began in 2005. Both languages have become well-known programmer options. But now the question arises: Ruby on Rails vs PHP, which wins?
Ruby on Rails vs PHP – What’s the difference?
PHP has evolved over the years, thanks to the ongoing input of an active community. This explains why it’s now become the most popular server-side language, having built over 80% of current websites. You can embed it straight into HTML code or execute it through different web frameworks as a time-saving measure.
Not to be confused with the Ruby language it’s in, Ruby on Rails is an equally popular web framework. So holding a Ruby on Rails vs PHP contest may seem like comparing chalk and cheese. But it’s important to explore their differences if you’re a serious web developer.
Back-end Programming Language
As of moment of writing, PHP reigns supreme as a server-side programming language. PHP applications are versatile enough to work on the most prominent platforms. Like Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.
You can directly embed PHP code into HTML markup, and clients can view this in their web browsers. The web server understands this too – thanks to an interpretation module. It’s now common for programmers to accelerate creating custom web apps by using PHP in various web frameworks.
Ruby On Rails or PHP – The Power of Frameworks
Web app development is a time-consuming task. And frameworks exist to give PHP programmers tools to speed it up. Many open-source web frameworks exist, with Laravel, Codeigniter, CakePHP, Yii, Symfony, Zend and Slim being amongst the most well-known. However, features vary from framework to framework.
Ruby on Rails is a widely-used web framework, owing its popularity to the fact that it’s written in the robust Ruby language.
PHP vs Ruby on Rails – Performance
PHP 7.0 has built-in web development capabilities and has been configured to perform better, without gobbling up more memory. But despite this, PHP frameworks still vary in the actual performance they deliver.
In contrast, Ruby on Rails is good at speeding through a great many requests each second. But at the expense of greater memory consumption – which effectively holds the brakes on web apps. Developers have to compensate for this slowdown by changing the runtimes.
So here, with pluses and minuses on both sides, the question of PHP vs Ruby on Rails seems unclear.
Ruby on Rails vs PHP – Development Speed
Programmers can embed PHP scripts directly into HTML, which means they can execute without the need of a web framework. Although, unfortunately, web developers can’t get their custom web applications up and running quick enough, without using PHP frameworks.
Customers often ask for demanding features that require longer lines of code. And on top of writing this code, programmers also need time to review and debug it.
You can develop web applications quicker when you write in Ruby. Ruby on Rails has handy gems and plug-ins to speed up the whole process and also simplify database operations. It offers robust ORM and allows for unit testing via PUnit integration.
PHP vs Ruby on Rails – Tools for Developers
Ruby on Rails may be a mature Ruby web framework that continually evolves with emerging trends in web app development. But its benefits are obviously limited to that language. Meanwhile, many web frameworks, CRMs, libraries, and tools exist for PHP.
These days, it’s names like WordPress, Joomla, and Magento that have become common knowledge. And they gained their considerable popularity because of their ease-of-use. Which drove it to be adopted worldwide, quite rapidly.
PHP also lets developers select from a broad palette of testing and development tools to fit the needs of each project. So, PHP is popular among web application programmers because it allows them to create custom web applications with ease.
Ruby on Rails vs PHP – Peer Support
Both PHP and Ruby on Rails enjoy strong ongoing support from their widespread and enthusiastic communities. But those who champion PHP are by far the more vocal and active group. Within that community, there are equally lively advocates and supporters of each discrete PHP framework too. Meaning, from a programmer’s perspective, there’s almost always someone ready to answer any technical questions you may have.
The importance of this extra informal layer of support cannot be overemphasized. Because it’s allowed PHP to become the more favorable server-side technology. Programmers know that they’ll never be stuck for long. Because there will be a horde of minds ready to help them overcome any problem. And that really is a blessing when time has left your side.
Regarding support, PHP vs Ruby on Rails has one winner – PHP.
PHP vs Ruby on Rails – Learning Curve
PHP is simple for beginners to pick up compared to other programming languages. Moreover, the web has plenty of free videos and step-by-step programs to help neophytes get up to speed. With Ruby on Rails it’s a different picture, because this language is much more complicated. So it’s considerably more difficult to become fluent in this one that PHP.
Both PHP and Ruby on Rails have their own strengths and weaknesses. Developers need to speed up the development of the web apps they produce, and they need a strong PHP framework to do it. Ruby on Rails developers code in Ruby, so Ruby on Rails vs PHP is not a straightforward comparison. But perhaps in terms of learning, PHP wins by way of its simplicity.
Ruby on Rails, PHP – and Plesk Onyx Hosting Platform
Ruby on Rails
Because it’s a popular programming language among web developers, Plesk Onyx fully supports Ruby on Rails as an extension. This lets users deploy Ruby apps on their domains quickly and easily. It supports both Ruby on Rails and Sinatra frameworks. This extension allows you to:
- Facilitate Ruby support on virtual hosts.
- Select which version of Ruby to use on a domain. Both UI and CLI calls use the rbenv utility to facilitate the highest level of conformity.
- Install gem file dependencies using the Bundler tool in the UI.
- Stipulate custom environment variables.
- Manage configuration files.
We strongly advise you to install the tools you need to build the Ruby gems component. This should significantly enhance the process of installing Ruby gem. This component handles most dependencies automatically. So it’s the pill to cure dependency headaches and to ensure mercifully swift gem file installation.
PHP
Plesk offers comprehensive, built-in, ready-to-go support for multiple PHP versions and handler types. Not to mention, it lets you select which versions you want to setup during installation. The usual PHP handler types for whichever PHP versions you install are automatically configured.
Plesk lets you choose which PHP version you want to combine with which PHP handler type, as customer preference dictates. Plus, you can individually configure settings for each PHP version.
The final verdict on PHP vs Ruby on Rails
The PHP vs Ruby On Rails comparison has a lot of subjective moments to take into consideration including the future scope of tasks to solve and initial professional experience.
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6 Comments
FYI – the author of ruby on rails has a first name too. He is David Heinemeier Hansson.
Php is Better
I started programming in PHP 15 years ago. The longer I coded in PHP the more I hated its shortcomings. This made me try out Ruby and Rails and I was blown away on the development speed you can achieve with Rails. I still have to code in PHP for older projects, but if I had to start a new one I would always go with Rails (or maybe Sinatra). Ruby and Rails are much more consistent, fully object-oriented and developer-friendly in contrast to PHP. However, if you are a beginner than Rails is probably too difficult to grasp. You will need some experience to understand its advantages…
Hey Martin,
So are you saying you prefer ROR in this case?
You can not compare ruby on rails with php. Have you tried PHPs Symfony framework? if yes compare Ruby on Rails with PHP Symfony
IMHO. Very tendencious analysis. Seem to me the author had already a formed option.
I believe the right comparassion would be between frameworks that generate CRUDs like RoR, or the comparission should be Ruby vs PHP in wich case just for que maturity and comunity PHP has wins.
But if the criteria are frameworks wich allow you to generate your app with little code needed, Rails has no concorrents.