Python or PHP
PHP is the most popular server language. It runs on 78% of all sites. It is the backend language of popular CMS – WordPress, Joomla and Drupal. A set of LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) is preinstalled on almost all web hosting.

How is PHP better than Python

A lot of ready-made solutions – CMS and plugins. For example, simple sites or applications with template logic is better to do in PHP and WordPress. This is faster and cheaper than developing from scratch.
In PHP 7 developers have achieved a significant increase in speed;
PHP is easier to install on MacOS X and Windows.

How is PHP worse than Python

The number of PHP developers is decreasing. If this trend continues, soon it will be difficult to find a team of qualified PHP-programmers. Python is not facing such a prospect.
Less comfortable working with libraries;
More known vulnerabilities;
Not as convenient to work in isolated environments on the same computer;
Documentation with a commenting system that is easy to get confused;
Lots of technical inconsistencies;
Narrow scope – only simple projects for the web.
Frameworks: Django vs Laravel

Python or Java
Java and Python have a lot in common. Both languages are object-oriented, general-purpose, cross-platform, with many libraries.

How Java is better than Python

A long history of use in long-term, large-scale corporate projects.
On-the-fly compilation (JIT) speeds up programs;
Official Android development language, along with Kotlin.

How Java is worse than Python

Development speed. With the same requirements, Java projects last longer;
Cost of projects. You have to pay for more programmer hours;
JIT compilation slows down the launch of applications;
More cumbersome code is more difficult to maintain;
More difficult to learn.
Frameworks: Spring vs Django

Spring is a more flexible framework. But it implies more micromanagement in development. Django, on the other hand, is a more standardized framework with many out-of-the-box solutions.

Python or JavaScript / Node.js

JavaScript can run not only in the browser, but also on the server. The Node.js environment is used for this, often in combination with the Express backend framework. That’s why we consider the entire stack – JavaScript / Node / Express – when making the comparison.

How is JavaScript better than Python

Node.js is built on Chrome’s engine, Google V8. V8 speeds up applications by JIT-compiling JavaScript into machine code.

There’s a perception that it’s easy to find fullstack developers for a project where both front-end and back-end are written in the same language. But the reality is that JavaScript frameworks are quite different. An Angular developer and a Node developer are two different professions. And it’s harder to find a programmer with experience in a particular JavaScript framework than a Python specialist.
How is JavaScript worse than Python

JavaScript has gone through many update cycles, which often leads to documentation and compatibility issues.
Many developers dislike JavaScript because of internal inconsistencies and heterogeneous language design.
Frameworks: Express vs Django
Django is a much more advanced framework, surpassing Express for a number of reasons.

Express provides only basic tools. The developer will have to write much of the code from scratch in pure JavaScript.

Django, on the other hand, provides out-of-the-box optimized solutions, protection, and a template system.

What to choose
“Noda is often recommended for real-time applications such as messengers and video chats. Python is a versatile language that is suitable for almost any task.