Python 3 versus PHP

How the programs are written matters! Always look at the source code.

If the fastest programs are flagged * possible hand-written vector instructions or "unsafe" or naked ffi, does the host language matter? You might be more interested in the less optimised programs — more seconds, less gz source code.

fannkuch-redux
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
PHP #2	464.80	463.62	16,339	447
PHP #4	130.83	514.56	19,780	1168
PHP #3	133.01	525.32	19,767	1166
PHP	592.64	591.45	16,400	488
PHP #8	847.77	849.92—863.13	16,364	458
Python 3 #6	943.88	942.63	11,874	391	3.58
Python 3 #4	311.18	1,221.85	28,701	960	5.27
Python 3 #8	2,457.09	2,455.59	11,874	414	5.65
n-body
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
PHP #3	204.10	204.15—204.79	16,425	1088
PHP #8	242.35	242.50—244.36	16,507	1245
Python 3	372.41	371.23	12,198	1201	5.23
Python 3 #2	442.06	440.87	12,554	1247	5.24
Python 3 #8	529.38	528.16	12,497	1172	4.94
spectral-norm
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
PHP	18.29	72.34—72.52	24,682	1157
PHP #2	132.84	132.71—133.29	16,810	403
PHP #8	135.79	136.38—136.78	16,601	357
PHP #3	35.62	141.27—141.39	26,657	1214
Python 3 #6	349.68	348.48	13,660	334	5.44
Python 3 #4	90.37	352.91	34,693	415	5.41
Python 3 #8	386.45	385.07	12,833	334	5.08
Python 3 #7	109.91	421.84	34,578	425	5.30
mandelbrot
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
PHP	258.19	257.96—264.71	16,437	452
PHP #3	68.29	273.64—275.67	53,531	881
PHP #8	424.00	422.73	49,336	419
Python 3 #7	182.94	723.28	62,173	698	5.52
Python 3 #3	879.41	877.96	45,085	319	5.26
Python 3 #2	237.64	937.87	230,973	790	5.42
Python 3 #5	260.63	1,033.16	61,620	463	5.48
Python 3 #8	1,577.29	1,575.80	45,031	379	4.84
fasta
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
PHP #3	31.10	31.07—31.17	16,433	1065
Python 3 #3	39.03	38.30—47.80	12,218	1007	5.32
Python 3 #2	39.06	38.61—46.82	12,415	1126	5.21
PHP #2	47.59	47.60—47.80	16,388	1054
PHP #8	49.83	49.85—49.96	16,388	760
Python 3 #5	27.95	54.20—54.96	1,190,347	1951	5.52
Python 3	57.39	56.94—65.76	12,100	823	5.06
Python 3 #8	153.17	153.78—158.43	11,915	738	5.04
k-nucleotide
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
PHP #8	79.70	80.05—80.48	649,593	571
PHP #4	25.77	89.39—89.89	270,369	1290
Python 3 #3	46.55	182.32—187.37	674,185	1970	5.68
Python 3 #4	76.67	233.00—239.32	523,751	663	4.89
Python 3 #8	234.08	235.36—236.89	642,265	525	5.15
Python 3	234.20	235.10—237.16	515,047	499	5.34
Python 3 #9	66.67	236.43—238.45	392,184	614	4.09
reverse-complement
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Python 3 #3	4.96	4.95	523,801	803	5.28
Python 3 #5	4.18	7.46—7.50	2,418,156	960	5.36
Python 3 #2	10.09	10.13—10.24	1,837,285	440	5.32
PHP	10.35	10.35	1,531,154	323
Python 3	10.43	10.43—10.59	2,040,713	484	5.28
Python 3 #6	7.59	11.07—11.11	2,795,930	821	5.37
PHP #2	12.31	12.31—12.35	1,836,716	288
PHP #3	8.29	12.59	1,821,659	452
Python 3 #4	13.47	13.44—13.88	4,109,324	343	5.05
binary-trees [ Contentious. Different approaches. ]
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
PHP #3	69.00	69.05—69.23	948,552	434
PHP #7	22.24	81.49—81.93	1,316,532	767
PHP #4	24.74	81.31—81.61	1,280,827	786
PHP	90.45	90.68—90.99	771,105	457
PHP #2	93.90	93.86—94.42	771,146	429
Python 3 #2	100.49	100.69—101.09	281,829	344	5.08
Python 3 #4	33.37	121.32—121.68	460,771	481	5.57
Python 3	34.85	123.08—123.98	445,649	597	5.16
PHP #5	47.09	124.17—125.36	1,745,932	1048
Python 3 #5	35.37	125.71—126.12	806,117	669	5.30
PHP #6	38.32	130.46—131.16	2,379,801	877
Python 3 #3	51.88	148.91—149.87	819,077	1247	5.39
pidigits [ Contentious. Different libraries. ]
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
PHP #5	1.01	1.00	17,302	405
PHP #4	1.02	1.01	17,355	396
PHP #3	1.03	1.02	17,367	510
* Python 3 #3	1.35	1.28—1.32	20,009	573	5.34
Python 3 #5	1.40	1.36	15,606	369	7.20
PHP #2	1.51	1.50	17,756	552
Python 3 #4	4.63	4.60	12,718	348	4.88
PHP	102.79	102.76—102.81	18,395	756
regex-redux [ Contentious. Different libraries. ]
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
* Python 3 #2	1.41	2.65	191,300	1411	5.48
PHP	1.88	3.67	203,751	822
Python 3	8.96	16.47—16.75	459,624	515	5.47
Python 3	Python 3.13.0
PHP	PHP 8.4.1 (cli) (built: Nov 22 2024 14:22:47) (NTS) Copyright (c) The PHP Group Zend Engine v4.4.1, with Zend OPcache v8.4.1, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies