Choosing a programming language for your web development project isn’t the hard part. Narrowing down your options to just one is where things get tricky. The language you choose affects everything: debugging, development speed, community support, and maintenance.
In the Ruby vs. PHP showdown, two of the most popular options, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Ruby powers Square and Shopify, probably because of its natural syntax and catalyst-like development speed. Flip that script, and Facebook and Wikipedia use PHP. The PHP community runs deep, and its massive ecosystem of tutorials, libraries, and third-party tools attracts many enterprise-level organizations.
In this article, we will compare the philosophy, design, history, use cases, and more for each language. By the end of the FAQs, you’ll know which language is right for your business – with certainty.
Ruby and PHP
What is Ruby?
Ruby is a high-level, object-oriented language with a simple mission: to make developers more productive and enjoy programming. Ruby emphasizes clean, readable code with a Convention Over Configuration approach.
Ruby’s most popular framework, Ruby on Rails, runs on multiple operating systems, from Linux to macOS. Ruby’s creator, Yukihiro “Matz” Matsumoto, publicly released it in 1995, and by the early 2000s, it was widely adopted.
In recent years, Ruby has gotten a “shrinking” tag on Stack Overflow. But it’s still popular and modern. Ruby released 3.4 in December 2024 to make it even more readable. Add that to the Ruby on Rails 8.0.1 drop and you’ve got a framework that’s as relevant as ever for modern web development.
Ruby’s community is dedicated and it’s a great choice for projects that need productivity without sacrificing clean, iterative code. If you’re ready to build something that runs like clockwork, it’s time to hire Ruby developers to turn what’s in your head into a web application.
What is PHP?
PHP is a server-side scripting language for web development. Saying its adoption is widespread is an understatement. It powers 75.2% of websites. Ubiquity is just one of the reasons for its success. PHP is compatible with almost every database, so it’s a natural choice for businesses looking for cost-effective yet scalable web development.
PHP’s first version in 1994 was tiny. Rasmus Lerdorf created it to track the number of visits to his resume. Its open-source nature made global collaboration easy and set it up for success with a large and active community of developers. By 1998, PHP 3.0 had been installed on 10% of web servers worldwide. Its compatibility with almost every database and large community makes it a good choice for businesses looking for cost-effective, scalable solutions. Its accessibility is one of its greatest strengths – and weaknesses.
Older, unsupported versions (e.g. PHP 7.1) are hacker magnets. You can still use its power while being secure. Staying up to date is of course, mandatory.
Whether you’re building an e-commerce application or a content-heavy website, PHP has the broad hosting compatibility you need. If you choose it, hire PHP developers with expertise in current frameworks like Laravel or Symfony so your project is secure and future-proofed.
Ruby vs PHP
Language design and philosophy
Ruby
Ruby’s design is based on one principle: developer happiness. Its beautiful, chatty syntax prioritizes readability and simplicity. Ruby is object-oriented and follows principles like DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) and Convention Over Configuration to reduce redundancy.
PHP
Unlike higher-level programming philosophies like Lisp, PHP is lean and mean and focused on function. PHP developers can get the job done with minimal setup. It’s utilitarian and supports procedural and object-oriented programming styles. It’s a go-to for quick and functional web development, especially in its early days.
Performance and speed
Ruby
The backend is where Ruby shines. Pair it with Ruby on Rails, and you’ll see the language really come alive. One drawback? Speed. Ruby’s developer-friendly features sometimes trade speed for simplicity. It’s not as competitive as high-performance alternatives like C++ or Go in resource-heavy applications.
PHP
PHP has a clear win in rendering web pages fast. Since PHP 7, its performance has improved exponentially. PHP’s JIT compiler, union types, and other modern features make it a strong contender for web apps with millions of concurrent users. Over 22% of the top 1,000 sites are built with it.
Web frameworks and ecosystem
Ruby
Ruby’s crown jewel is its web framework: Ruby on Rails. Choose Rails and trade the grind of complex web development for an efficient and enjoyable process. Rails developers have a plethora of Ruby gems (libraries) for rapid web development and customization. Whether it’s Active Record for database or Devise for authentication, Ruby’s ecosystem is all about productivity.
PHP
PHP developers get to choose the tools that best fit their project and style, which can’t be said for every ecosystem. PHP web frameworks include Laravel, which has multiple extensions like Jetstream, Sanctum and Breeze and an expressive syntax. Codelgniter is easy to learn and offers modular options for web development speed with a small footprint. Symfony for big and complicated applications, CakePHP for resource-conscious, and many other frameworks for PHP code.
Popularity and community support
Ruby
Ruby is not as popular as it used to be. However, the Ruby community is still active and passionate; the language and frameworks are still growing and improving. It has a smaller and more tight-knit community compared to PHP but Ruby is still a good choice for niche applications.
PHP
PHP’s widespread adoption means you’ll likely find more experienced PHP developers than Ruby developers. It has seen a 3% decline since 2021 but still has a lion’s share (75%) in the market for websites using server-side programming language. Because of this, its tutorials, libraries, and third-party tools availability is unmatched.
Use cases and applications
Ruby
Ruby development companies have all the expertise to use Ruby on Rails framework and Ruby’s features and tools to build responsive websites and web applications. Ruby applications like Airbnb, Shopify, Github, and Hulu use Ruby on Rails for their backends. Choose Ruby for flawless scalability without disruption. For startups and MVPs faster development than industry standard is a must and Ruby has worked wonders for some of the best.
PHP
WooCommerce, Magneto, PrestaShop, and Drupal have two things in common: they’re popular e-commerce platforms, and they use PHP. But PHP powers more than e-commerce sites. Wikipedia and Tumblr use it for enterprise-level scaling. It’s a no-brainer for content-driven projects as well since it’s dominant in the CMS space.
Ruby and PHP pros and cons
Ruby pros and cons
One of Ruby’s biggest advantages is its elegant syntax and developer-friendly design. Matz created it to make developers happy, and that happiness factor is still part of the foundation. Because of its naturalistic language, rich gems, and CoC conventions, Ruby is a no-brainer for rapid web development.
No gem is perfect, though. Ruby has slower performance compared to some others like C++ and Java. Its “shrinking tag” means it has a smaller community and fewer developers than PHP. Hosting and deployment can be tricky too, as it requires specialized configuration with fewer platform options.
PHP pros and cons
PHP’s popularity is a plus. It has broad hosting support from shared hosting plans to database integration. It’s said to be easy for beginners to learn and deploy. Another advantage of working with PHP is its strong backward compatibility. Legacy apps run without a hitch on their newest versions.
But as Bjarne Stroustrup said, “There are only two kinds of languages: the ones people complain about and the ones nobody uses.” People have complained about PHP for its inconsistent syntax and security concerns. Best practices have to be followed for code quality otherwise, code readability will suffer and security will be compromised.
Cost and scalability considerations
Development costs
Hiring Ruby developers may cost more upfront, but fast and good is rarely cheap. Their premium comes with speed. Ruby’s syntax can cut down development time, especially for custom jobs. Over time, the upfront cost can be balanced out if you value rapid iterations and clean code.
PHP, on the other hand, is the “good and cheap” variety. Finding skilled developers is easy since the talent pool is deep enough to keep rates competitive. Plus, the low learning curve can shorten onboarding time.
Scalability
Ruby is the Swiss Army knife of scalability. It has great tools like Active Record for database management or gems like Sidekiq for background jobs. As seen in its flagship projects, like Github, it’s a great choice for projects where scalability has to be built in from day one.
PHP is the web’s workhorse. It is a go-to for enterprise-level applications and massive platforms like WordPress. It supports various database systems and hosting environments. You can handle surging traffic or spread the load across servers without disruption or lag. It can scale an application repeatedly with impressive results in horizontal and vertical scaling.
Security comparison
Rails has built-in protection against web vulnerabilities like SQL injection, XSS and CSRF. Database interactions are protected by Active Record ORM while HTML escaping reduces the chance of malicious scripts entering the database. RoR mitigates common threats before they can cause you trouble.
PHP has no comparable internal safeguards in a side-by-side comparison. It has a reputation for being shaky in security due to its history of inconsistent practices and vulnerabilities in older versions. The PHP community has been working hard to close up security holes for several versions. Modern frameworks like Laravel and Symfony added the security PHP needs. Features like CSRF protection, input validation, and encrypted data handling give PHP a more secure punch than its reputation suggests.
Future outlook for Ruby and PHP
PHP and Ruby are declining in adoption, but both are still relevant. There are newer competitors that may surpass them one day, but both have a niche and strong active communities that prove their staying power.
PHP is still a practical choice for large-scale projects. PHP frameworks like Laravel keep it modern, and updates like PHP 8.3 address today’s development needs. It’s even compatible with emerging tech like serverless architectures or microservices.
Ruby will be an option for prototyping and startups for many years to come. Ruby 3.4 and Rails 8.0.1 keep it competitive where speed and simplicity matter most. Low-code and no-code platforms can even make Ruby more attractive for rapid development.
Conclusion
Ruby and PHP have lost some popularity in recent years but are still top contenders for web development. The right one for you depends on your project’s success metrics. Consider your project requirements.
Are you looking for rapid development, complex applications, or budget efficiency? Then, weigh your budget after taking stock of your team’s expertise. Your team may prefer one code over the other and that can make all the difference in your decision.
If you need reliable, rapid prototyping and like to see a proven track record, Ruby code might be for you. PHP on the other hand might be better for extremely complex apps because of its wide adoption and mature PHP frameworks ecosystem.
FAQs
Is Ruby better than PHP for web development?
Neither is better for web development. In the case of Ruby vs PHP, your choice will depend on the project requirements. And each web development framework has its pros and cons.
Your top priorities should be budget, time to market, and scalability. The better choice will be in the details. For example, choose Ruby if speed is your top priority. Choose PHP if third-party integration is part of your vision.
Where to host Ruby and PHP applications?
Regarding hosting, PHP is compatible with almost every cloud platform, dedicated server, and shared hosting provider (including Bluehost and HostGator) you can think of. Ruby, on the other hand, needs a bit more nuance. It relies on platform-as-a-service providers like AWS Elastic Beanstalk and Heroku.
Roby’s hosting options are built for precision and performance for scaling and deployment. PHP is more off-the-shelf but just as reliable for most use cases.
How does developer familiarity and onboarding time compare between Ruby and PHP?
PHP is for a team that needs to onboard quickly with minimal training, while Ruby is for a team that prioritizes clean codebases and efficient workloads.
PHP’s clean syntax and huge global community makes it easy for new developers to pick up – so it has an edge in quick onboarding. Ruby’s elegant syntax and “developer happy” philosophy also lowers the learning curve but maybe feels too niche for teams with no prior experience.
More candidates means less time spent on recruitment and training for PHP. Ruby rewards those who invest in it with faster iterations. It’s a question of whether you want speed out of the gate or long-term satisfaction.
