C# vs PHP
If you are interested in web development and you want to work on web applications of any kind, you learn PHP.
PHP is a popular general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited to web development.
It is fast, flexible, and pragmatic, PHP powers everything from your blog to the most popular websites in the world.
On the other hand, C# is a modern, multiparadigm, object-oriented, and type-safe programming language.
C# enables developers to build many types of secure and robust applications that run in .NET.
If you want to work on video games, web applications, desktop applications, and augmented and virtual reality applications, you should learn C#.
Comparing programming languages and choosing which one to learn can be tricky, there are many factors to consider in order to choose the right programming language for the job you want to do.
Popularity, opportunities, types of projects, salaries, resources, learning curve, etc. are some of the factors that many people consider when comparing programming languages and choosing which one to learn.
Here are some of the comparisons and considerations you should make when choosing to learn a new programming language.
C# VS PHP POPULARITY
Comparing the popularity of programming languages is not an easy task because each programming language is different and they all seek to solve different problems.
Plus, other programming languages have been around for a longer time than others, giving them more time to be tried and tested, so, bear that in mind.
If you want to learn a programming language solely for its popularity among developers, you should learn C# over PHP.
Generally, C# is more popular than PHP. As of May 2023, The TIOBE index ranks C# as the 5th most popular programming language while PHP is ranked as the 8th most popular programming language.
Further, according to a Stack Overflow survey of 2022, C# is the 7th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 29.72% of professional developers.
On the other hand, PHP is the 9th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 21.42% of professional developers according to the same survey.
It is worth noting that as far as web development is concerned, PHP is the King.
PHP powers more websites on the internet than the rest of the server-side programming languages put together.
According to statistics from w3techs.com, “PHP is used by 77.5% of all the websites whose server-side programming language we know.”
PHP website usage has been decreasing over the years, but it will take more than 25 years to decrease to 50% at the rate at which it is decreasing.
Ultimately, if your choice of which programming language to learn depends on general popularity, you should learn C#.
Also check Can PHP be used for Mobile Apps?
C# VS PHP SALARY
Another popular criterion that many people use to compare programming languages and as an incentive to learn a new programming language is salary.
Salaries for developers differ from one company to the other and from one country to the other.
Experience is another factor that comes into play as far as salaries are concerned.
The more experience you have with a certain technology or programming language, the more likely you are of getting a higher salary.
Glassdoor reported that in the United States, C# .NET developers with 1 – 3 years of experience earn an average total salary of $106,315 per year.
On the other hand, PHP developers with 1 – 3 years of experience get a total salary of $84,694 per year, about $21,600 less than C# developers.
Further, according to a Stack Overflow survey of top-paying programming languages, C# developers get an average salary of $69,516 per year
On the other hand, PHP developers get an average salary of $50,496 per year.
So, if the salary is your major incentive for learning a language, you should learn C# over PHP, because you are more likely to get a higher salary as a C# developer than as a PHP developer.
C# VS PHP WHICH ONE IS EASIER
PHP is very easy to learn and work with than C#. PHP is also a more relaxed language, with a more informal syntax.
As a result, PHP is often seen as a good choice for beginners who are new to programming.
PHP is a more forgiving language, with fewer rules and restrictions. However, it is these fewer rules and restrictions that makes it very easy to write spaghetti code.
If you are coming from a Java, Scala, or Kotlin background, you will find and C# very easy to work with.
If you are a complete beginner, PHP will be easier than C# to get started with.
The good news is that there are plenty of helpful resources for both PHP and C# to help you learn the languages.
The PHP and C# communities are very big, active, and helpful, in case you get stuck with something.
C# VS PHP FEATURES AND APPLICATIONS
C#
C# runs on the .NET, which gives C# a lot of features and functionality. The .NET also includes extensive libraries, these libraries support many different workloads.
C# code compiles to CLR (Common Language Runtime) which provides a lot of advantages to .NET developers.
C# has many amazing features that make it suitable for game development, full-stack web development, desktop app development, machine learning, and Augmented and Virtual Reality app development.
C# has the ability to utilize Language Integrated Query (LINQ) through the .NET Framework. This allows a developer to work with data from any source.
It also has asynchronous operations that provide syntax for building distributed systems.
Other popular C# features that make C# applications secure and robust include Nullable Types, Garbage Collection, Lambda Expressions, Exception Handling, etc.
C# is used by many companies such as Stack Overflow, Forza Horizon, Microsoft, UPS, Tencent, Alaska Airlines, BBC, Just Giving, FreshDirect, BBVA, LightSail, Astro Reality, VQ Communications, GoDaddy, Raygun, and many others.
Also check What is C# used for?
PHP
PHP is a popular server-side scripting language that is used to create dynamic web pages. It is known for its simplicity, flexibility, and power.
PHP code is usually processed on a web server by a PHP interpreter implemented as a module, a daemon or as a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) executable.
PHP version 8 added Just-in-time (JIT) compilation, this can provide substantial performance improvements for some use cases.
Another advantage of PHP is how easy it is to embed PHP code in HTML documents. All you need are php opening and closing tags and you are good to go.
PHP is used by a lot of companies such as Facebook, WordPress, Mailchimp, Yahoo, Tumblr, Slack, Etsy, Wikipedia, Flickr, Fotolia, Baidu, Lift, and many others.
SHOULD I LEARN C# OR PHP
Once you have compared the languages and evaluated all the factors, you can choose which programming language to learn depending on the factors that are on your side and what you want to build.
If you want to work on games, web applications, desktop applications, and augmented and virtual reality apps, machine learning, you should learn C# over PHP.
If you want a popular server-side scripting language that you can use for building many types of web applications, you should learn PHP over C#.
