PHP vs ASP.NET - which do you prefer?

[Dynamo02]

Hi. I am trying to learn web development. As a newbie, which should I focus more on, PHP or ASP.net?

[djr33]

We can't answer that. They can accomplish roughly the same things, but:

1. They are used by different groups: PHP is open source, while ASP.net is owned by Microsoft. Therefore, certain companies prefer ASP.net, while the widest community uses (and supports) PHP.

2. ASP.net may not be free in all situations (it might come with your server or might not), while PHP is always free. This also means PHP has more support freely available.

3. PHP works well with MySQL databases (and a few others), while ASP.net works well with Access.

4. Your server will probably already have at least one of these installed. That might be a reason in itself to choose that one. (It's probably PHP unless you chose a non-basic plan, and even then it might still be PHP.)

5. ASP.net runs on Windows. It's not entirely impossible to get it to run on Linux (or Mac?) but it's not common.



Personally I like PHP and would fully recommend it. In fact, I see no reason at all to use ASP.net. However, those who use it seem to like it, and certain companies only use ASP.net, which might mean it would be useful for the job market if that matters to you.

[jscheuer1]

Mod's note:
This type of generic, open-ended question does not usually generate good discussions, either because there is no clear answer or the answers are too broad or subjective. It would probably be more productive for you to do some research (Google is your friend!), and then come back here and start a new thread if you find a specific question to ask.

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