Ratchet vs Workerman
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A small set of HTML, CSS and JavaScript components for building mobile-style web apps.
Open source · MIT
A PHP framework for building fast, event-driven network servers over HTTP, WebSocket, and TCP.
The short answer
Choose Ratchet if you need…
- Developers prototyping a mobile-style web interface with plain HTML, CSS and JS
- Designers who want to see mobile UI components in a browser
- Teams maintaining an existing Ratchet 1.x or 2.x project
Choose Workerman if you need…
- PHP developers who need a long-running socket or WebSocket server
- Teams building real-time features such as chat or live notifications in PHP
- Developers who want to write custom TCP or binary protocols in PHP
- Projects that need high concurrency and can run PHP on a POSIX system
Side-by-side
| Ratchet | Workerman | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 14.7k | 11.5k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Download the app | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | CSS | PHP |
| Last code update | 20 months ago | 13 days ago |
What each one is
Ratchet
Ratchet is a front-end toolkit of ready-made HTML, CSS and JavaScript components meant for building mobile app interfaces. It ships as compiled CSS and JS files, with optional Android and iOS themes. Developers use it to prototype how a web app would look and feel on a phone.
Workerman
Workerman is a PHP framework for writing network servers that handle many connections at once without blocking. It supports HTTP, WebSocket (including secure wss via SSL), TCP, and custom protocols. Developers use it to build things like real-time chat, push messaging, or other services that need to keep many open connections.
Best for
Ratchet
- Developers prototyping a mobile-style web interface with plain HTML, CSS and JS
- Designers who want to see mobile UI components in a browser
- Teams maintaining an existing Ratchet 1.x or 2.x project
Workerman
- PHP developers who need a long-running socket or WebSocket server
- Teams building real-time features such as chat or live notifications in PHP
- Developers who want to write custom TCP or binary protocols in PHP
- Projects that need high concurrency and can run PHP on a POSIX system
Strengths
Ratchet
- Simple to start: download the bundled CSS and JS and link them in a page
- Includes both compiled and minified files plus optional Android and iOS themes
- MIT licensed, so it can be used in commercial and personal projects
Workerman
- Built for asynchronous, event-driven networking with multiple protocols in one framework
- Supports HTTP, WebSocket, SSL, and custom protocols as described in the README
- Installs with a single Composer command and is MIT licensed
Not ideal for
Ratchet
- Projects that need a framework-based setup such as React or Vue, since the README describes only plain HTML, CSS and JS files
- Anyone wanting a native iOS or Android app, since it builds web pages rather than native apps
- Projects needing active updates, because the README's latest push and release status should be checked before relying on it
Workerman
- People who only need a standard request-per-page PHP website, since Workerman runs as its own long-lived process
- Users on Windows, because the README says it requires a POSIX-compatible OS (Linux, OSX, BSD)
- Teams without PHP experience, since it requires understanding event-driven code
Trade-offs
Ratchet
- The README mentions the docs use Jekyll and a Ruby-based setup, which adds steps for local documentation
- Pages opened directly from the file system do not work; a local web server is required
- Touch behavior is tuned for phones, so desktop testing needs extra steps such as touch emulation
Workerman
- Requires the POSIX and PCNTL extensions, and Swoole, Swow, or Event is recommended for better performance
- Coroutine features depend on an optional extension or the Fiber event loop, adding setup choices
- The README is truncated, so details of the full API and production deployment are only available in the external manual
Getting started
Ratchet
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/twbs/ratchet.gitWorkerman
Install via Composer
composer require workerman/workermanFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Ratchet and Workerman?
Ratchet: A small set of HTML, CSS and JavaScript components for building mobile-style web apps. Workerman: A PHP framework for building fast, event-driven network servers over HTTP, WebSocket, and TCP. Ratchet suits developers prototyping a mobile-style web interface with plain html, css and js, while Workerman suits php developers who need a long-running socket or websocket server.
Are Ratchet and Workerman free?
Ratchet: Free and open source. Workerman: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Ratchet or Workerman?
Ratchet is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Workerman is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Ratchet or Workerman more popular?
Ratchet has more GitHub stars (14.7k) than Workerman (11.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Ratchet and Workerman?
Other options people compare them with include Framework7, Ionic, Bootstrap, Bulma, Layui.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.