PHP Performance Benchmarks

This page allows you to view different processign speeds of various PHP functions, iterated for 10000 (or less in some cases). The info shows the relative speed of these functions on this server, runnin PHP version 8.4.12. The benchmarks are done live. Reload the page to get fresh numbers. This page was created by Thiemo Mättig, check his website for more awesome tools.

Please note that these are micro benchmarks. Micro benchmarks are stupid. I created this comparison to learn something about PHP and how the PHP compiler works. This can not be used to compare PHP versions or servers.

Check if a String is empty

Method Undefined Null False Empty string String '0' String '1' Long string Summary Index
if (!$var)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms563
if (empty($var))>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms100
if ($var == '')>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms545
if ('' == $var)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms542
if ($var === '')>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms446
if ('' === $var)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms14 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms14 ms10840
if (strcmp($var, '') == 0)1 ms1 ms>0 ms1 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms3 ms2429
if (strcmp('', $var) == 0)3 ms2 ms>0 ms3 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms9 ms6856
if (strlen($var) == 0)1 ms1 ms>0 ms1 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms2 ms1838
if (!strlen($var))1 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms2 ms1604

My conclusion: In most cases, Do not use empty() because it does not trigger a warning when used with undefined variables. Note that empty('0') returns true. Use strlen() if you want to detect '0'. Try to avoid == at all because it may cause strange behaviour (e.g. '9a' == 9 returns true). Prefer === over == and !== over != if possible because it does compare the variable types in addition to the contents.

Check if an Array is empty

Method Empty array 100 elements Summary Index
count($array) === 0 //by reference>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms145
count($array) === 0 //by value>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms253
$array === []>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms126
empty($array)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms100
(bool)$array>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms100

My conclusion: Why count if you don't care about the exact number?

Compare two Strings

Method Equal First character not equal Last character not equal Summary Index
$a == $b>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms100
$a === $b>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms116
!strcmp($a, $b)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms224
strcmp($a, $b) == 0>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms186
strcmp($a, $b) === 0>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms214
strcasecmp($a, $b) === 0>0 ms>0 ms1 ms1 ms301

My conclusion: Use what fits your needs.

Check if a String contains another String

Method Not found Found at the start Found in the middle Found at the end Summary Index
strstr($haystack, $needle)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms159
strpos($haystack, $needle) !== false>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms100
strstr($haystack, $needle) !== false>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms166
stristr($haystack, $needle)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms295
preg_match("/$needle/", $haystack)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms234
preg_match("/$needle/i", $haystack)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms363
preg_match("/$needle/S", $haystack)1 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms463
strpos( strtolower($haystack), $needle )1 ms>0 ms2 ms>0 ms3 ms1270
strpos( strtoupper($haystack), $needle )>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms546
strpos($haystack,"NEEDLE") || strpos($haystack,"needle") || strpos($haystack,"Needle")>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms479

My conclusion: It does not matter if you use strstr() or strpos(). Use the preg…() functions only if you need the power of regular expressions. Never use the ereg…() functions.

Check if a String starts with another String

Method Not found Found at the start Found in the middle Found at the end Summary Index
$haystack[0] === 'n'>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms100
strncmp($haystack, $needle, strlen($needle)) === 0>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms136
strncmp($haystack, 'needle', 6) === 0>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms118
strncasecmp($haystack, $needle, strlen($needle)) === 0>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms123
strpos($haystack, $needle) === 0>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms566
substr($haystack, 0, strlen($needle)) === $needle>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms133
strcmp(substr($haystack, 0, strlen($needle)), $needle) === 0>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms164
substr_compare($haystack, $needle, 0, strlen($needle))>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms148
substr_compare($haystack, $needle, 0)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms105
preg_match('/^' . preg_quote($needle, '/') . '/', $haystack)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms502

My conclusion: strpos() is very fast and can be used in almost all cases. strncmp() is good if you are looking for a constant length needle.

Check if a String ends with another String

Method Not found Found at the start Found in the middle Found at the end Summary Index
$haystack[strlen($haystack) - 1] === 'n'>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms100
substr($haystack, strlen($haystack) - strlen($needle)) === $needle>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms125
substr($haystack, -strlen($needle)) === $needle>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms116
substr($haystack, -1) === 'n'>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1086
strcmp(substr($haystack, -strlen($needle)), $needle) === 0>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms183
substr_compare($haystack, $needle, -strlen($needle), strlen($needle))>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms180
substr_compare($haystack, $needle, -strlen($needle))>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms130
preg_match('/' . preg_quote($needle, '/') . '$/', $haystack)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms2101

My conclusion: Using substr() with a negative position is a good trick.

Replace a (>1 Character) String inside another String

Method Not found Found at the start Found in the middle Found at the end Summary Index
str_replace($search, $replace, $subject)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms119
preg_replace("/$search/", $replace, $subject)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms186
preg_replace("/$search/S", $replace, $subject)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms193
strtr($subject, array($search => $replace))>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms100

My conclusion: Never use the ereg…() functions.

Replace a Character inside a String

Method Not found Found at the start Found in the middle Found at the end Summary Index
str_replace($fromChar, $toChar, $subject)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms3 ms4 ms507
strtr($subject, $fromChar, $toChar)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms100
strtr($subject, array($fromChar => $toChar))>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms163

My conclusion: Since PHP 7.0 strtr() can sometimes beat str_replace().

Trim Characters from the Beginning and End of a String

Method Not found Found at start Found at end Found at both sides Summary Index
trim($string, ',')>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms100
preg_replace('/^,*|,*$/', '', $string)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms5132
preg_replace('/^,*|,*$/m', '', $string)3 ms1 ms1 ms1 ms6 ms33705
preg_replace('/^,+|,+$/', '', $string)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms505
preg_replace('/^,+|,+$/m', '', $string)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms581
preg_replace('/^,+/', '', preg_replace('/,+$/', '', …))>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms629

My conclusion: Always benchmark your regular expressions! In this case, with .* you also replace nothing with nothing which takes time because there is a lot of “nothing” in every string.

Split a String into an Array

Method Empty string Single occurrence Multiple occurrences Summary Index
explode(',', $string)>0 ms>0 ms>0 ms1 ms100
preg_split('/,/', $string)>0 ms>0 ms4 ms4 ms740
preg_match_all('/[^,]+/', $string, $matches)>0 ms>0 ms1 ms2 ms284

My conclusion: Don't use split(). It got deprecated in PHP 5.3 and removed from PHP 7.0.

Loop a numerical indexed Array of Strings

Method Summary Index
for ($i = 0; $i < count($array); $i++) //by reference>0 ms169
for ($i = 0; $i < count($array); $i++) //by value>0 ms149
for ($i = 0, $count = count($array); $i < $count; $i++)>0 ms100
for ($i = count($array) - 1; $i >= 0; $i--)>0 ms106
for ($i = count($array) - 1; $i >= 0; --$i)>0 ms100
$i = count($array); while ($i--)>0 ms143

My conclusion: count() could have been horribly slow in PHP 5 and below when copy-on-write accidentally kicked in. Always precalculate it, if possible.

Get Elements from an Array

Method Summary Index
$array[0]3 ms106
$array['key']3 ms100

My conclusion: I like associative arrays.

Implode an Array

Method Summary Index
implode(' ', $array)1 ms100
"$array[0] $array[1] $array[2]"1 ms115
$array[0] . ' ' . $array[1] . ' ' . $array[2]1 ms171
sprintf('%s %s %s', $array[0], $array[1], $array[2])1 ms124
vsprintf('%s %s %s', $array)1 ms181

My conclusion: String concatenation is a cheap operation in PHP. Don't waste your time benchmarking this.

The single vs. double Quotes Myth

Method Summary Index
'contains no dollar signs'>0 ms101
"contains no dollar signs">0 ms100
'$variables $are $not $replaced'>0 ms101
"\$variables \$are \$not \$replaced">0 ms100
"$variables $are $replaced"1 ms2020
$variables . ' ' . $are . ' ' . $replaced8 ms10766
$variables . " " . $are . " " . $replaced3 ms3896

My conclusion: It does not matter if you use single or double quotes at all. The inclusion of variables has a measurable effect, but that's independent from the quotes.

© Thiemo Mättig, created in September 2008, updated in August 2017
Free sourcecode of this script is available
My current projects:

This page is for the more technical aspect of my life. Here I test new scripts and keep a relevant index of the tools I build or like. Sadly, my time is very limited, so I update this page only on rare occasions.
You can contact me for feedback, suggestions, and custom work requests at this address: max _at_ lumnar.com