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PHP vs Retina.js

Based on 1250 and 3 real audits

View PHP details | View Retina.js details
MetricPHPRetina.jsWinner
Performance4942PHP
Accessibility8883PHP
Best Practices8879PHP
SEO9186PHP
Security6858PHP
TTFB510ms423msRetina.js
Composite7572PHP
Performance
PHP
49
Retina.js
42
Accessibility
PHP
88
Retina.js
83
Security
PHP
68
Retina.js
58
SEO
PHP
91
Retina.js
86
Composite
PHP
75
Retina.js
72

PHP outperforms Retina.js in 6 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (75 vs 72). Retina.js leads in TTFB.

When to choose PHP

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

When to choose Retina.js

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

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 1250 audited PHP sites and 3 audited Retina.js 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 →

Small sample: one or both technologies have fewer than 10 audited sites. Treat these numbers as directional — medians stabilize around 20–30 audits per side.

FAQ

Which is faster, PHP or Retina.js?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, PHP sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (49 vs 42 on average).
Which has better security, PHP or Retina.js?
PHP sites score higher on security analysis (68 vs 58 on average).
Which has better accessibility, PHP or Retina.js?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor PHP (88 vs 83). 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, PHP or Retina.js?
PHP sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (91 vs 86 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), PHP or Retina.js?
Retina.js sites show lower Time to First Byte (423 ms vs 510 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 PHP or Retina.js for my website?
Both platforms have trade-offs. PHP scores higher on overall composite score while PHP 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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