The short answer is no. But... Scaling an application isn't entirely about the language or framework you use. How you host, containerise and monitor the application will have a huge impact. You can have a shitty application written in an obscure language scale really well, and you can conversely have a beautifully crafted application scale awfully if it's deployed in a poor configuration. What I think your tech lead really meant to say is "I prefer PHP. Trust me, bro". Answer from ttamimi on reddit.com
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Kinsta®
kinsta.com › home › resource center › blog › web development languages › laravel vs node: a head-to-head comparison
Laravel vs Node: A Head-to-Head Comparison
August 28, 2025 - As PHP powers 78% of the web, Laravel get a substantial market share. Node.js — also called Node — is a JavaScript runtime constructed with JavaScript, C, and C++, and it provides all the tools a developer needs for full-stack development and fast performance.
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DEV Community
dev.to › yogeshgalav7 › why-laravel-is-better-then-nodejsexpress-19lo
Why Laravel is better then NodeJs/Express? - DEV Community
July 21, 2024 - For performing background task in Laravel, We have Jobs and Queues. Another major difference between both languages is PHP provides optional type checking, while JS doesn't provide any type checking or else you have to use strict type checking with TypeScript. ... Express provides mostly routing features. Both frameworks provide use of separate files with name, middleware and prefix. Laravel provide Route grouping and in node you have to use another package and learn it.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/laravel › is laravel nowdays faster than node?
r/laravel on Reddit: Is Laravel nowdays faster than Node?
March 23, 2022 -

So I know since this is the laravel subreddit answers might be slightly biased but I would really appreciate unbiased opinions. I switched to node js some time ago and before switching, I was a laravel user for a year. My main reason being the faster/better performance of node js.

I know that performance doesn't matter when your project is small but my whole mindest was "what if my website suddenly becomes popular and a lot of people visit it?". My budget most of times is limited so I want a server that is fast and can handle a lot of requests pretty well. Nodejs seemed to handle that scenario better but now that I checked out laravel again, some even say that laravel octane is faster than node js. Is that true? Can I have high performance REST APIs (since I build mostly build SPAs) using octane or node will still be my best bet? Thanks

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Laracasts
laracasts.com › discuss › channels › laravel › does-laravel-tend-to-be-much-more-slower-than-node-js
Does Laravel tend to be much more slower than Node JS?
With that approach you will find out PHP is faster than NodeJS. For me, I don't care about scaling HTTP layer since mostly the app will hit database limit before that, then team management, then amenability, etc. it's hard to hit HTTP limit even with PHP loads the app in memory for each request. ...
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
PHP Laravel vs NodeJS AdonisJS Performance Benchmark Comparison 🚀 - YouTube
In this video, we dive deep into the performance benchmarks of PHP (8.3) Laravel (v11), deployed using Laravel Octane Road Runner setup as more performant on...
Published   November 7, 2024
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Lightflows
lightflows.co.uk › home › blog › node.js vs laravel: which one to choose in 2024?
Node.js vs Laravel: Which one to choose in 2024? - Lightflows
January 23, 2025 - Node.js excels at real-time data ... architecture ensures efficient processing. Laravel provides balanced performance across many web apps, despite being slower than Node.js for some tasks....
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LogRocket
blog.logrocket.com › home › laravel octane vs. node.js: performance and features
Laravel Octane vs. Node.js: Performance and features - LogRocket Blog
June 4, 2024 - Node.js is a JavaScript runtime environment based on Google Chrome’s V8 engine designed to execute JavaScript code outside a web browser. It operates in a single-threaded event loop using non-blocking I/O, which aims to optimize throughput and scalability in web apps with many I/O operations, real-time features, and so much more. ... Octane is a Laravel package introduced in Laravel 8 that aims to enhance the performance of Laravel applications.
Find elsewhere
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TatvaSoft
tatvasoft.com › home › laravel vs node.js – which one to choose?
Laravel vs Node.js - Which One to Choose? - TatvaSoft blog
September 2, 2025 - Performance improvements can be achieved by using the OPCache extension, which caches precompiled PHP bytecode in memory. Additionally, PHP-FPM can be used to manage multiple PHP processes efficiently, helping Laravel handle high loads. Node.js: The non-blocking or asynchronous I/O and event-based architecture increases the speed of Node.js applications tremendously.
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Curotec
curotec.com › home › insights › laravel vs node.js: which framework suits your development needs?
Laravel vs Node.js - Choosing the right framewok l Curotec
April 2, 2024 - When it comes to performance, Node.js typically outshines Laravel due to its non-blocking I/O model, which is particularly efficient for handling multiple requests simultaneously.
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Simplilearn
simplilearn.com › home › resources › software development › laravel vs node.js: making the right choice
Laravel vs Node.js: Making the Right Choice
September 13, 2025 - Comparing Laravel and Node.js: A comprehensive guide to help you navigate the complexities. Choose the right framework for your web development journey. Explore now!
Address   5851 Legacy Circle, 6th Floor, Plano, TX 75024 United States
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Quora
quora.com › Is-Laravel-a-better-choice-over-NodeJs
Is Laravel a better choice over NodeJs? - Quora
Answer (1 of 8): I am going to make an assumption that by NodeJS you mean Node+Express as Node is a runtime and not a framework… Having worked with both Laravel and Node+Express in the past I personally feel that Laravel does more for you and comes with a lot of assumptions & patterns.
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StackShare
stackshare.io › stackups › laravel-vs-nodejs
Laravel vs Node.js | What are the differences? | StackShare
In Summary, Laravel and Node.js differ in terms of scalability and performance, language and ecosystem, concurrency and event-driven programming, ease of development, community and support, and hosting and deployment options.
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Simform
simform.com › home › the simform blog › laravel vs node.js: everything you should know before ratifying project backend
Laravel vs Node.js: Everything You Should Know Before Ratifying Project Backend
January 31, 2025 - Laravel, a PHP-based framework, emphasizes elegant syntax and a robust ecosystem for building web applications. On the other hand, Node.js, powered by JavaScript, enables developers to create high-performance, scalable applications with its event-driven architecture.
Top answer
1 of 2
1

With basic get/set DB operations there isn't going to be significant time in whichever language you choose.

Choose a language based on non-performance criteria and solve specific performance problems as they arise.

As you've tag load-balancing I assume you application is already horizontally scaleable.

2 of 2
-2

I built myself sql script writer like this, it's pretty fast for my project since my previous PHP Backend is too slow (in my case)

const mysqlLib = require('mysql');
const ENV = require('../configs/env').ENV;
const database = ENV.database;
const mysql = mysqlLib.createPool(database);

function executeQuery(query) {
    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
        mysql.query(query, (err, result, fields) => {
            if (err) {
                console.log(query);
                return reject(err);
            }

            resolve(result);
        });
    });
}

function executeQueryGetFirst(query) {
    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
        mysql.query(query, (err, result, fields) => {
            if (err) {
                console.log(query);
                return reject(err);
            }

            result = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(result));

            if (result.length == 0) {
                resolve(null);
            } else {
                resolve(result[0]);
            }
        });
    });
}

var Database = {
    getById(table, id) {
        var query = '';
        query += 'SELECT * FROM ' + table + ' ';
        query += 'WHERE Id = ' + id;
        query += ' LIMIT 1';

        return executeQueryGetFirst(query);
    },
    getAllById(table, id) {
        var query = '';
        query += 'SELECT * FROM ' + table + ' ';
        query += 'WHERE Id = ' + id;

        return executeQuery(query);
    },
    getByAttributes(table, attributes) {
        var query = 'SELECT * FROM ' + table;
        var whereQuery = '';

        for (prop in attributes) {
            if (whereQuery != '') {
                whereQuery += ' AND ';
            }

            if (attributes[prop] == null) {
                whereQuery += prop + ' IS NULL';
            } else {
                whereQuery += prop + ' = "' + attributes[prop] + '"';
            }
        }

        query += ' WHERE ' + whereQuery;
        query += ' LIMIT 1';

        return executeQueryGetFirst(query);
    },
    getAllByAttributes(table, attributes) {
        var query = 'SELECT * FROM ' + table;
        var whereQuery = '';

        for (prop in attributes) {
            if (whereQuery != '') {
                whereQuery += ' AND ';
            }

            if (attributes[prop] == null) {
                whereQuery += prop + ' IS NULL';
            } else {
                whereQuery += prop + ' = "' + attributes[prop] + '"';
            }
        }

        query += ' WHERE ' + whereQuery;

        return executeQuery(query);
    },
    getAll(table) {
        var query = 'SELECT * FROM ' + table;

        return executeQuery(query);
    },
    add(table, attributes) {
        var insertName = '(Id';
        var insertData = '(NULL';

        for (prop in attributes) {
            var value = attributes[prop];
            if (value != null) {
                value = '"' + value + '"';
            }

            insertName += ', ' + prop;
            insertData += ', ' + value;
        }

        insertName += ')';
        insertData += ')';

        var query = 'INSERT INTO ' + table + ' ' + insertName + ' VALUES ' + insertData;

        return executeQuery(query);
    },
    updateByID(table, id, attributes) {
        var query = 'UPDATE ' + table;
        var setQuery = '';

        for (prop in attributes) {
            if (setQuery != '') {
                setQuery += ', ';
            }

            setQuery += prop + ' = "' + attributes[prop] + '"';
        }

        query += ' SET ' + setQuery + ' WHERE Id = ' + id;

        return executeQuery(query);
    },
    updateByAttributes(table, findAttributes, attributes) {
        var query = 'UPDATE ' + table;
        var setQuery = '';
        var whereQuery = '';

        for (prop in attributes) {
            if (setQuery != '') {
                setQuery += ', ';
            }

            setQuery += prop + ' = "' + attributes[prop] + '"';
        }

        for (prop in findAttributes) {
            if (whereQuery != '') {
                whereQuery += ', ';
            }

            whereQuery += prop + ' = "' + findAttributes[prop] + '"';
        }

        query += ' SET ' + setQuery + ' WHERE ' + whereQuery;

        return executeQuery(query);
    },
    deleteById(table, id) {
        var query = 'DELETE FROM ' + table + ' WHERE Id = ' + id;

        return executeQuery(query);
    },
    deleteByAttributes(table, attributes) {
        var query = 'DELETE FROM ' + table;
        var whereQuery = '';

        for (prop in attributes) {
            if (whereQuery != '') {
                whereQuery += ' AND ';
            }

            whereQuery += prop + ' = "' + attributes[prop] + '"';
        }

        query += ' WHERE ' + whereQuery;

        return executeQuery(query);
    }
}

Database.executeQuery = executeQuery;
Database.executeQueryGetFirst = executeQueryGetFirst;

exports.Database = Database;

Env config

var ENV = {
    isDev: true,
    database: {
        connectionLimit: 10,
        host: 'localhost',
        user: 'root',
        password: '',
        database: 'your_database'
    }
}

exports.ENV = ENV;
exports.ENV.port = ENV.isDev ? 15001 : 8887;
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Medium
medium.com › @savvyraytechnologies › laravel-vs-node-js-best-backend-framework-2025-4ff1ad139408
Laravel vs Node.js: Best Backend Framework 2025 | by Savvy Ray Technologies | Medium
December 9, 2025 - Performance Overhead: Laravel has some performance loss when compared to Node.js in handling event-driven or high-concurrency tasks.
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LinkedIn
linkedin.com › pulse › nodejs-vs-laravel-battle-speed-scalability-kevin-maina
Node.js vs Laravel: A Battle for Speed, Scalability, and Future-proofing
June 22, 2023 - This lightweight architecture optimizes resource utilization and boosts performance. c) Real-time Applications: Node.js is well-suited for real-time applications that require instant data updates and high concurrency, such as chat platforms, collaborative tools, and streaming applications. Laravel: Powerful PHP Framework with Job Processing.
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BINUS UNIVERSITY
binus.ac.id › malang › computer-science › 2023 › 11 › 20 › laravel-vs-node-js-a-comparison-of-two-popular-web-development-technologies
Laravel vs Node.js: A Comparison of Two Popular Web Development Technologies – BINUS SOCS MALANG
November 20, 2023 - However, performance is not only dependent on the framework itself, but also on the application logic, the server configuration, the network latency, and many other factors. In general, Node.js is faster than Laravel, as it uses JavaScript as ...
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Quora
quora.com › Should-I-learn-Laravel-or-Node-js
Should I learn Laravel or Node.js? - Quora
Both are two different technologies, One is PHP and the other is Javascript., In Security concern both are secure., node js is completely asynchronous. The thing is if you are interested in JavaScript then go with Nodejs else with Laravel.
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Okoone
okoone.com › home › laravel or node.js? picking the right tech for your web app
Laravel or Node.js? Picking the right tech for your web app | Okoone
February 6, 2025 - If your application needs to handle a massive number of simultaneous users, Node.js wins. Its non-blocking architecture means requests are processed in parallel, making it the best choice for apps that require real-time data exchange.