Alternatives to PHP

A general-purpose scripting language and interpreter especially suited to web development. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as PHP.

  • Python

    A general-purpose programming language used for scripting, web backends, data analysis and machine learning.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    Python is a general-purpose language with a large standard library and data tooling, used for web backends too, with official Windows and source releases on a yearly schedule.

  • Ruby

    A dynamic, open-source programming language focused on simplicity and programmer productivity.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    Ruby is an open-source dynamic language with readable syntax suited to scripting and web development, though its interpreted runtime is slower for heavy computation.

  • Node.js

    The JavaScript runtime that server-side JavaScript is built on, with the npm ecosystem behind it.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    Node.js runs server-side JavaScript with the npm ecosystem and long-term support releases, but is single-threaded by default for CPU-heavy work.

Also worth comparing

These listings name PHP as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • Perl

    A mature general-purpose scripting language known for text processing, with the large CPAN module archive.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    PHP is a scripting language aimed at server-side web development with frequent bug fix releases. Its official Linux and macOS downloads are source releases, so binaries usually come from package managers.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.