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Nginx vs PHP

Based on 974 and 1030 real audits

View Nginx details | View PHP details
MetricNginxPHPWinner
Performance5246Nginx
Accessibility8689PHP
Best Practices8788PHP
SEO9191Tie
Security6765Nginx
TTFB480ms421msPHP
Composite7474Tie
Performance
Nginx
52
PHP
46
Accessibility
Nginx
86
PHP
89
Security
Nginx
67
PHP
65
SEO
Nginx
91
PHP
91
Composite
Nginx
74
PHP
74

PHP outperforms Nginx in 3 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (74 vs 74). Nginx leads in performance, security.

When to choose Nginx

Choose Nginx when your primary concern is performance and security. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

When to choose PHP

Choose PHP when your primary concern is server response time and accessibility. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 974 audited Nginx sites and 1030 audited PHP sites in the BeaverCheck database. Every audit runs the same 100+ checks — Lighthouse performance, security headers, accessibility, SEO, server response time — against a real URL. No vendor input, no sponsorship, no affiliate links. Read the full methodology →

FAQ

Which is faster, Nginx or PHP?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, Nginx sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (52 vs 46 on average).
Which has better security, Nginx or PHP?
Nginx sites score higher on security analysis (67 vs 65 on average).
Which has better accessibility, Nginx or PHP?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor PHP (89 vs 86). Both technologies can be made fully accessible with care — the difference reflects common patterns in the sampled sites, not inherent platform limits.
Which is better for SEO, Nginx or PHP?
Nginx sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (91 vs 91 on average), which cover meta tags, crawlability, mobile friendliness, and structured data. Content strategy and backlinks still matter more than platform choice for ranking.
Which has faster server response (TTFB), Nginx or PHP?
PHP sites show lower Time to First Byte (421 ms vs 480 ms on average). TTFB depends heavily on hosting and CDN setup rather than the technology itself, but the sampled sites suggest a meaningful difference in common deployment patterns.
Should I choose Nginx or PHP for my website?
Both platforms have trade-offs. Nginx scores higher on overall composite score while Nginx may excel in metrics you care about most. Run a free BeaverCheck audit on a real site using each to compare the metrics relevant to your use case.
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