Today, several languages are available for web application design but the two most important in use are PHP and ASP dot NET. Both are popular and effective for creating dynamic web content, so it becomes difficult to judge, which one is better. Let us find out the difference between the two.

Development Cost

PHP being an open source language is available free of cost over internet. Also, almost every server does support PHP. So, it is easy for a PHP programmer to start working immediately without investing any money.
However, ASP dot NET being a Microsoft product needs Microsoft’s operating system and a product like Microsoft Visual Studio or Dreamweaver to run, making it a costly in comparison to PHP.

Performance

ASP dot NET is an optimized and compiled language. Since, most of the work is done at compile time; an improved performance can be visualized. However, PHP is an interpreted language where every code is first converted to machine code and then executed line by line.

Environment

PHP works on all platforms like windows, Linux, UNIX or Apache in comparison to ASP dot NET that works only on Microsoft Windows.

Database Connectivity

Everyone needs a database to maintain his/her customer records or other records. As such, it is important for a web developer to integrate a database effectively and easily. PHP supports MySQL, an open source database widely used by developers in comparison to ASP dot NET that uses MsSQL as the default for database connectivity. However, both can be configured to use other databases like Oracle, Microsoft Access, etc.

Conclusion:

For an individual, PHP is the best choice as it is available free of cost and learning and using the language is very easy. Developers working at enterprise level may use ASP dot NET, if their company is ready to purchase the products required to run ASP dot NET. Development flexibility should be given higher preference in initial stages after which you may look for speed.