As an addendum, most Apache users link mod_php4/5 into their Apache, so you should compare apples to apples. My experience has been that php programs are leaner; however, php has less power. For web-only or web+db-only apps, PHP is great, but for gluey things that wander all over your system capapbilities map, Perl is king. It's more a matter of capabilities you need (and prefer) than speed. In general, the Apache module of anything webified will be much faster.