Which direction will be more promising?

Question

Programming languages

I choose between two directions - PHP (Symfony) and JavaScript (React + Node.js). I have some experience with Js and two small projects on Symfony and Phalcon. I've been suffering for two months now. For PHP, my main argument is the ease of finding a job, Js is the great popularity of the technology, the ability to work not only with the web (React, Angular, Ember, Vue, Polymer + Node.js), but also with mobile. applications (React Native, NativeScript), desktop (Electron).
I am suffering because I have not yet had time to "get bogged down" in some kind of stack and there is an opportunity to choose something really promising. Help advice.

Answer 1

I worked with PHP and Zend for more than three years, now there are fewer interesting projects, I had to go to the frontend. The PHP development market is based on the "three lame elephants": CMS development (you need cheap now), support for old projects, and new large and interesting Symfony / Laravel projects, which are becoming less and less (such projects, as a rule, start on Node.js, Python or ASP.NET Core). On PHP remains consumer goods.
And now JS is no longer just a trend or the future, it is the very present. Almost all web projects are now being developed using JS frameworks (React, Angular, Ember, Polymer, Vue). JS is already in mobile development. If earlier mob. developers laughed with React Native or NativeScript, but now it is already a mature technology (React Native for sure) and there are a lot of vacancies, these are excellent tools for prototypes or simple applications (applications that just pull something on api, and there are 90% of them). Even desktop clients do it with JS. I remember that earlier such monsters on Electron ate a lot of RAM and were very clumsy, but now the situation has changed (I use 5 applications on Electron, all use no more than 120 MB of RAM).
I am silent about server-side JS in the form of Node.js, which is becoming more and more popular every year.
Therefore, if I were you, I would move towards JavaScript.

Answer 2

nodejs is generally not necessary to know when developing front-end - the application may well interact with the php api.
javascript itself must be known, IMHO. and knowledge of React - it is quite simple, as the most common framework (ok, libraries), a component declarative approach to building ui, will be a huge plus.

Answer 3

Both directions are in demand and popular.
What market are you targeting? For example, if in the USA, then JS is better, in the CIS - PHP.

Answer 4

More promising will be the direction to the west.

Answer 5

Learn both languages ​​and look for work in both directions.
Your career will make the choice for you.
Yes, and full-stack developers (albeit with a bias towards the server- or front-side) are also always in demand.