In the rush to adopt the latest JavaScript frameworks, we’ve lost sight of a fundamental truth: not every website needs to be a web application. The recent surge in frameworks like Astro – which essentially recreate PHP’s native server-side rendering capabilities with additional complexity – highlights a concerning trend in web development. So here we discuss PHP vs JavaScript.
There are a lot of languages out there and many frameworks. But choosing the right language for your project is crucial. Maybe you only need HTML and CSS!
The Problem with Modern Web Development
Today’s typical content website stack often includes:
- React/Vue/Svelte for components
- Next.js/Gatsby/Astro for rendering
- Tailwind for styling
- TypeScript for type safety
- ESLint/Prettier for formatting
- Webpack/Vite for bundling
- Jest for testing
- Numerous dependencies for basic functionality
All this to achieve what PHP does out of the box: render HTML and handle user interactions.
The Hidden Costs
Development Overhead
- Complex build processes
- Dependency management
- Version conflicts
- Framework-specific knowledge
- Build-time errors
- Runtime debugging complexity
Performance Impact
- JavaScript bundle sizes
- Hydration delays
- Client-side processing
- Memory usage
- Multiple HTTP requests
Maintenance Burden
- Security updates for many packages
- Breaking changes in dependencies
- Framework upgrades
- Build tool configuration
- Development environment setup
Modern PHP Frameworks vs JavaScript Stacks
Framework Efficiency
Modern PHP frameworks like Symfony, Laravel, or custom frameworks offer:
- Faster initial page loads
- Lower memory usage
- Simpler deployment processes
- Fewer points of failure
- Direct database integration
- Built-in security features
Even with a full PHP framework stack, you’re typically dealing with:
- One language (PHP)
- One runtime environment
- Direct template-to-HTML compilation
- Native session handling
- Built-in caching mechanisms
Compare this to a typical JavaScript stack requiring:
- Node.js runtime
- Package manager (npm/yarn)
- Bundler (webpack/vite)
- Transpiler (Babel)
- Type checker (TypeScript)
- Framework (React/Vue)
- State management
- Build process
- Deployment pipeline
- Client-side routing
The PHP Alternative
A modern PHP setup offers:
- Direct HTML rendering
- Component-based architecture
- Built-in template processing
- Native form handling
- Session management
- Database integration
- File operations
All without:
- Build steps
- Client-side JavaScript frameworks
- Complex deployment processes
- Hydration concerns
- Large dependency trees
When JavaScript Makes Sense
JavaScript frameworks are valuable for:
- Complex user interfaces
- Real-time applications
- Heavy client-side processing
- Offline functionality
- Mobile-first applications
But for content-driven sites, they’re often unnecessary.
The Component Myth
Modern PHP supports:
- Reusable components
- Middleware
- Plugins
- Template inheritance
- Modular architecture
These features provide the same benefits as JavaScript components without the overhead.
Looking Forward
The web development community needs to:
- Evaluate actual project needs
- Consider simpler solutions first
- Understand the cost of complexity
- Value maintainability
- Question trending technologies
- Does it need to be JavaScript or PHP at all?
Conclusion
While JavaScript frameworks have their place, we must stop treating every website as a web application. PHP’s simplicity, reliability, and direct approach to content delivery remains relevant and often superior for content-focused sites. Many sites only need to be HTML and CSS!
Sometimes, the old way is the right way – not because it’s familiar, but because it’s fundamentally better suited to the task.
I am a Senior Software Engineer with 18+ years of programming experience, including 6 years in InsurTech, my unique skill set combines technical expertise with practical knowledge of the tech industry.