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PHP vs Retina.js

Based on 1030 and 3 real audits

View PHP details | View Retina.js details
MetricPHPRetina.jsWinner
Performance4642PHP
Accessibility8983PHP
Best Practices8879PHP
SEO9186PHP
Security6558PHP
TTFB421ms423msPHP
Composite7472PHP
Performance
PHP
46
Retina.js
42
Accessibility
PHP
89
Retina.js
83
Security
PHP
65
Retina.js
58
SEO
PHP
91
Retina.js
86
Composite
PHP
74
Retina.js
72

PHP outperforms Retina.js in 7 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (74 vs 72). Retina.js leads in no categories.

When to choose PHP

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

When to choose Retina.js

Retina.js doesn't clearly lead PHP in any category on the sampled sites — pick it based on developer experience, ecosystem, or existing team skills rather than the audit scores.

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 1030 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 (46 vs 42 on average).
Which has better security, PHP or Retina.js?
PHP sites score higher on security analysis (65 vs 58 on average).
Which has better accessibility, PHP or Retina.js?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor PHP (89 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?
PHP sites show lower Time to First Byte (421 ms vs 423 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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