PHP Inequality Operators: A Comparison of != and <>

M66 2025-10-31

PHP Inequality Operators: A Comparison of != and <>

In PHP, there are two primary inequality operators: != and <>. Both serve the same purpose of checking if two values are not equal. However, it's generally recommended to use != because it is more common and easier to understand. <> can be used when there's a need for better readability in certain contexts.

PHP Inequality Operators

!= - Not equal to
<> - Another form of not equal to

Difference Between != and <>

Functionally, != and <> are identical and can be used to compare if two values are unequal. However, != is more commonly used and more intuitive, so it is usually recommended to improve code readability.

PHP Code Examples

Here are examples of using both inequality operators in PHP:

$a = 5;
$b = 10;
if ($a != $b) {
    // $a and $b are not equal
}

$x = 'apple';
$y = 'banana';
if ($x <> $y) {
    // $x and $y are not equal
}

Performance Comparison

In terms of performance, there is no noticeable difference between != and <>. Therefore, the choice between these two operators usually comes down to code readability and personal preference.

Usage Guidelines

Prefer using !=, as it is more common and easier to understand.
Use <> if readability is a concern and you believe it makes the code clearer.
Avoid using == for inequality comparisons, as == treats strings as numbers, which can lead to unexpected results.

Conclusion

This article introduced the two common inequality operators in PHP: != and <>. We explained their usage with examples and discussed which one to use for better code clarity. In most cases, it's recommended to use != as it is more intuitive and widely adopted.