PHP benchmarks

It is a collection of PHP benchmarks. Those benchmarks are aimed to be executed in most machines without any special installation or configuration. It only requires a single library (to draw the table) and nothing else much. It doesn't require composer or any other extra component. Just download (or copy and paste) and run.

It is tested under PHP 7.4 + 64bits + Windows 64 bits but you could download it and test it by yourself (it is the idea).

• PHP benchmarks * Benchmark 1, Reference vs No Reference + Result (smaller is better) * Bechmark 2 Hash speed + Result (short time is better) * JSON vs Serialize + Result (less is better) * DEFINE / CONST / ENV + Result (less is better) * array_map vs foreach + Result (less is better)

Benchmark 1, Reference vs No Reference

Is it fast to use a reference argument or return a value?

reference_vs_no_reference.php

function reference(&$array) {
    $array['a1']=2;
    $array['a2']='bbbb';
    $array['a4']=55555;
}
function noReference($array) {
    $array['a1']=2;
    $array['a2']='bbbb';
    $array['a4']=55555;
    return $array;
}

Result (smaller is better)

| Reference | No Reference | Speed of Reference % | | :--------------- | :--------------- | :------------------- | | 0.06107497215271 | 0.10248017311096 | 40.403133309913 |

Bechmark 2 Hash speed

We test the benchmark of the generation of hash.

benchmark_hash.php

HEX means that the result is resulted in HEXADECIMAL.

RAW means the result is binary. Sometimes HEX=RAW.

Result (short time is better)

| format | algo | length | time | | :----- | :---------- | :----- | :-------------- | | HEX | adler32 | 8 | 4.6730041503906 | | RAW | adler32 | 4 | 4.7018527984619 | | RAW | fnv164 | 8 | 6.2000751495361 | | HEX | fnv1a32 | 8 | 6.2048435211182 | | HEX | fnv132 | 8 | 6.2098503112793 | | RAW | fnv132 | 4 | 6.2119960784912 | | HEX | fnv164 | 16 | 6.2189102172852 | | HEX | fnv1a64 | 16 | 6.2229633331299 | | RAW | fnv1a32 | 4 | 6.227970123291 | | RAW | tiger192,3 | 24 | 8.040189743042 | | RAW | tiger160,3 | 20 | 8.0409049987793 | | HEX | tiger160,3 | 40 | 8.0428123474121 | | HEX | tiger192,3 | 48 | 8.0468654632568 | | HEX | tiger128,3 | 32 | 8.0511569976807 | | RAW | tiger128,3 | 16 | 8.2709789276123 | | RAW | md4 | 16 | 8.6510181427002 | | HEX | md4 | 32 | 8.6619853973389 | | RAW | joaat | 4 | 9.3100070953369 | | HEX | joaat | 8 | 9.3538761138916 | | RAW | md5 | 16 | 10.200977325439 | | HEX | md5 | 32 | 10.215997695923 | | RAW | tiger128,4 | 16 | 10.791063308716 | | HEX | tiger160,4 | 40 | 10.793924331665 | | RAW | tiger160,4 | 20 | 10.806083679199 | | RAW | tiger192,4 | 24 | 10.81109046936 | | HEX | tiger128,4 | 32 | 10.812044143677 | | HEX | tiger192,4 | 48 | 10.833978652954 | | HEX | sha1 | 40 | 11.46388053894 | | RAW | sha1 | 20 | 11.497020721436 | | HEX | crc32c | 8 | 16.038179397583 | | RAW | crc32c | 4 | 16.067028045654 | | HEX | sha3-224 | 56 | 16.110181808472 | | RAW | sha3-224 | 28 | 16.110897064209 | | HEX | crc32b | 8 | 16.125917434692 | | RAW | crc32b | 4 | 16.162872314453 | | HEX | sha512/224 | 56 | 17.075777053833 | | HEX | sha512 | 128 | 17.086982727051 | | RAW | sha512/224 | 28 | 17.08984375 | | HEX | sha3-256 | 64 | 17.097949981689 | | RAW | sha384 | 48 | 17.104864120483 | | RAW | sha512 | 64 | 17.114877700806 | | RAW | crc32 | 4 | 17.119884490967 | | HEX | sha512/256 | 64 | 17.130136489868 | | RAW | sha512/256 | 32 | 17.167806625366 | | HEX | crc32 | 8 | 17.171859741211 | | HEX | sha384 | 96 | 17.177820205688 | | HEX | haval160,3 | 40 | 17.213106155396 | | RAW | haval160,3 | 20 | 17.232179641724 | | HEX | haval128,3 | 32 | 17.246961593628 | | HEX | haval192,3 | 48 | 17.338037490845 | | RAW | haval128,3 | 16 | 17.502069473267 | | RAW | haval256,3 | 32 | 17.529964447021 | | RAW | haval224,3 | 28 | 17.548799514771 | | RAW | haval192,3 | 24 | 17.639875411987 | | HEX | haval224,3 | 56 | 17.678022384644 | | HEX | haval256,3 | 64 | 17.735958099365 | | HEX | ripemd256 | 64 | 20.03002166748 | | RAW | ripemd256 | 32 | 20.137071609497 | | RAW | ripemd128 | 16 | 20.437002182007 | | HEX | ripemd128 | 32 | 20.43890953064 | | HEX | sha3-384 | 96 | 22.219181060791 | | RAW | sha3-384 | 48 | 22.259950637817 | | RAW | haval256,4 | 32 | 24.071931838989 | | HEX | haval256,4 | 64 | 24.100065231323 | | RAW | haval224,4 | 28 | 24.12486076355 | | HEX | haval224,4 | 56 | 24.132966995239 | | RAW | haval192,4 | 24 | 24.198055267334 | | HEX | haval160,4 | 40 | 24.597883224487 | | HEX | haval192,4 | 48 | 24.653911590576 | | RAW | haval160,4 | 20 | 24.665832519531 | | HEX | haval128,4 | 32 | 24.919033050537 | | RAW | haval128,4 | 16 | 25.200128555298 | | RAW | sha224 | 28 | 25.952100753784 | | RAW | sha256 | 32 | 25.97713470459 | | HEX | sha224 | 56 | 26.051044464111 | | HEX | sha256 | 64 | 26.114940643311 | | HEX | ripemd320 | 80 | 28.150081634521 | | HEX | ripemd160 | 40 | 28.232097625732 | | RAW | ripemd160 | 20 | 28.304100036621 | | RAW | ripemd320 | 40 | 28.388977050781 | | HEX | haval224,5 | 56 | 29.100894927979 | | RAW | haval256,5 | 32 | 29.104948043823 | | HEX | haval160,5 | 40 | 29.134035110474 | | HEX | haval256,5 | 64 | 29.13498878479 | | RAW | haval224,5 | 28 | 29.138088226318 | | RAW | haval160,5 | 20 | 29.186964035034 | | RAW | haval192,5 | 24 | 29.205083847046 | | RAW | haval128,5 | 16 | 29.221057891846 | | HEX | haval128,5 | 32 | 29.263973236084 | | HEX | haval192,5 | 48 | 29.27303314209 | | HEX | sha3-512 | 128 | 32.00101852417 | | RAW | sha3-512 | 64 | 32.001972198486 | | RAW | whirlpool | 64 | 50.601005554199 | | HEX | whirlpool | 128 | 50.703048706055 | | HEX | gost | 64 | 95.890998840332 | | RAW | gost | 32 | 95.905780792236 | | RAW | gost-crypto | 32 | 95.912933349609 | | HEX | gost-crypto | 64 | 95.93391418457 | | HEX | snefru | 64 | 195.09100914001 | | HEX | snefru256 | 64 | 195.57094573975 | | RAW | snefru256 | 32 | 195.965051651 | | RAW | snefru | 32 | 197.18909263611 | | RAW | md2 | 16 | 830.39283752441 | | HEX | md2 | 32 | 838.06991577148 |

JSON vs Serialize

It benchmark to serialize and de-serialize variables

json_vs_serialize.php

array

$data=['field1'=>"hello",'field2'=>450,'field3'=>['field4'=>'hello','field5'=>450]];

object StdClass

$data=new stdClass();
$data->field1="hello";
$data->field2=450;
$data->field3=new stdClass();
$data->field3->field4="hello";
$data->field3->field5=450;

object (defined by a class)

$data=new MyClass();
$data->field1="hello";
$data->field2=450;
$data->field3=new MyClass2();
$data->field3->field4="hello";
$data->field3->field5=450;

Result (less is better)

| type | time | | :-------------------------- | :--------------------------- | | json_encode array | 23.508071899414 | | serialize array | 20.003318786621 (better) | | json_decode array | 120.9020614624 | | unserialize array | 39.196014404297 | | json_encode object stdclass | 24.199485778809 | | serialize object stdclass | 32.901763916016 | | json_decode object stdclass | 127.10094451904 | | unserialize object stdclass | 102.61535644531 | | json_encode object | 24.39022064209 | | serialize object | 32.877922058105 | | json_decode object | 126.21879577637 | | unserialize object | 129.1036605835 (worst) |

DEFINE / CONST / ENV

We test the performance between to read an environment variable or to use a constant.

Result (less is better)

| DEFINE CONST | CONST | getEnv() | function | | :------------------ | :------------------ | :---------------- | ------------------- | | 0.00066995620727539 | 0.00067687034606934 | 0.056761026382446 | 0.00053286552429199 |

Conclusion, define() and const have practically the same performance (at least in PHP 7.4), while getEnv() is considerably bad. However,getEnv() is acceptable even when it is 10000% slower (50000 getEnv() took 50ms.).

We also tested to call a function and it is way fast than getEnv()

> Conclusion: getEnv() is not cached neither it is loaded into PHP. Instead, it is calculated each time when it is called.

array_map vs foreach

benchmark_arraymap_foreach.php

It tests the performance between foreach and array_map

Result (less is better)

| foreach | array_map | array_map (static) | array_map (calling a function) | | :---------------------------- | :--------------- | :----------------- | :----------------------------- | | 0.10213899612427 (better) | 0.18259811401367 | 0.18230390548706 | 0.17731499671936 |

Conclusion: Foreach is still faster. Between array_map and array_map (static), there is not a big difference. And using array_map with a function is slightly fast.

isset vs @ at

benchmark_isset_vs_at.php

This test could be a bit misleading but the goal is to benchmark the speed even when both ways returns different values.

$r=isset($var); // isset (it returns true if the variable exists)
$r=@$var // at
$r= $var ?? null; // nullcol php >7.0
$r= @$var ? $exist : null; // ternary
$r=isset($var) ?? $var; // issetnull7 php>7.0
$r=isset($var) ? $var : null; // issetnull5 php>7.0
!isset($var) and $var=null; // hacky but it works (however it doesn't assigns value if the value does not exists)

| isset | at | nullcol | ternary | issetnull7 | issetnull5 | hacky | | :------------------ | :----------------- | :----------------- | :------------------ | :------------------- | :------------------ | :------------------- | | 0.01783585548400879 | 0.3733489513397217 | 0.0551450252532959 | 0.38265109062194824 | 0.024428129196166992 | 0.02412700653076172 | 0.014414072036743164 |

Smaller is better.

Conclusion: @ is between 1 and 2 order of magnitude slower.

Type hinting

How type hinting affects the performance?

benchmark_types_arguments.php

Let's say the next code

/
 * @param DummyClass $arg1
 * @param DummyClass $arg2
 *
 * @return DummyClass
 */
function php5($arg1,$arg2){
    return new DummyClass();
}
function php7(DummyClass $arg1,DummyClass $arg2): DummyClass {
    return new DummyClass();
}

| php5 | php7 | | :-------------------- | :-------------------- | | 0.0006339550018310547 | 0.0007991790771484375 |

Smaller is better.

Conclusion: In general, type hinting is around 10% slower but both methods are enough fast to made any difference.

While it could be useful but if you are using a proper IDE, then you could rely on PHPDoc, it's verbose but it is more complete and without affecting the performance.

Benchmark eval

benchmark_eval.php

$r=ping("pong"); // no eval
eval('$r=ping("pong");'); // eval 
$r=eval('return ping("pong");'); // eval 2

$fnname='ping';
$r=$fnname("pong"); // dynamic_function (calling a function using a variable)

| no_eval | eval | eval2 | dynamic_function | | :------------------- | :------------------ | :-------------- | :------------------ | | 0.003139972686767578 | 0.14499497413635254 | 0.1302490234375 | 0.00487518310546875 |

Conclusion: Eval is considerably slow and it should be avoided if possible

benchmark count vs is_array_count

benchmark_count_isarray

$r=@count($array1);
$r=is_array($array1)? count($array1) : null;
is_array($noarray) and $r=count($noarray);

| count | is_array count | is_array count 2 | | :------------------ | :------------------- | :-------------------- | | 0.05631399154663086 | 0.003616809844970703 | 0.0020818710327148438 |

Conclusion: @ is consistently bad in an order of magnitude. We could gain a bit of performance using a logic operator (it only assigns the value if the value is an array)