Benchmark most popular PHP serializers.

benchmark_serializers.php

<?php
$_testStrings = array(
    'AK' => 'Alaska', 'AZ' => 'Arizona', 'VT' => 'Vermont',
    'VA' => 'Virginia', 'AZ' => 'West Virginia',
);
 
$_testIntegers = array(0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 84, 144,);

$_testBooleans = array(TRUE, TRUE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, TRUE, TRUE,);
 
$_testFloats = array(
    0, 1.1, 1.1, 2.22, 3.33, 5.55, 8.88, 13.13, 21.2121, 34.3434, 
    55.5555, 84.8484, 144.144,
);
 
$_testMixed = array(
    'one', 13 => 'two', 0 => 25.46, 'four' => 0.007, 
    'five' => TRUE, TRUE => 42,
);
 
$_objectOne            = new stdClass();
$_objectOne->firstname  = 'Leroy';
$_objectOne->lastname   = 'Jenkins';
$_objectOne->profession = 'Gamer';
$_objectOne->status     = 'Legend';
 
$_objectTwo        = new stdClass();
$_objectTwo->series = 'Fibonacci';
$_objectTwo->data   = $_testIntegers;
 
$_testObjects = array($_objectOne, $_objectTwo,);

$_maxLoop = 1000000;

$_templateEncode = '%s [%s]: Size: %s bytes, %s time to encode' . PHP_EOL;
$_templateDecode = '%s [%s]: %s time to decode' . PHP_EOL;

set_time_limit(0);

$_output = '';

/**
 * Set the source arrays
 */
$_allTestData = array(
    'str' => $_testStrings,
    'int' => $_testIntegers,
    'bln' => $_testBooleans,
    'flt' => $_testFloats,
    'mix' => $_testMixed,
    'obj' => $_testObjects,
);

$_testSources = array(
    'strings'  => $_testStrings,
    'integers' => $_testIntegers,
    'booleans' => $_testBooleans,
    'floats'   => $_testFloats,
    'mixed'    => $_testMixed,
    'objects'  => $_testObjects,
    'all'      => $_allTestData,
);
 
/**
 * ENCODE DATA
 */

/**
 * Start each test
 */
foreach ($_testSources as $_area => $_source)
{
    /**
     * Start the timer
     */
    $_serializeStart = microtime(true);

    for ($_counter = 0; $_counter < $_maxLoop; $_counter++)
    {
        serialize($_source);
    }

    $_serializeEnd = microtime(true);

    $_serializeOutput = serialize($_source);

    $_output .= sprintf(
        $_templateEncode,
        'serialize()', 
        $_area, 
        strlen($_serializeOutput), 
        $_serializeEnd - $_serializeStart
    );
 
    /**
     * JSON
     */
    $_jsonStart = microtime(TRUE);

    for ($_counter = 0; $_counter < $_maxLoop; $_counter++)
    {
        json_encode($_source);
    }

    $_jsonEnd = microtime(TRUE);

    $_jsonOutput = json_encode($_source);

    $_output .= sprintf(
        $_templateEncode,
        'json_encode()', 
        $_area, 
        strlen($_jsonOutput), 
        $_jsonEnd - $_jsonStart
    );
 
    /**
     * igbinary
     */
    $_igbinaryStart = microtime(TRUE);

    for ($_counter = 0; $_counter < $_maxLoop; $_counter++)
    {
        igbinary_serialize($_source);
    }

    $_igbinaryEnd = microtime(TRUE);

    $_igbinaryOutput = igbinary_serialize($_source);

    $_output .= sprintf(
        $_templateEncode,
        'igbinary_serialize()', 
        $_area, 
        strlen($_igbinaryOutput), 
        $_igbinaryEnd - $_igbinaryStart
    );

    $_output .= str_repeat('=', 20) . "\r\n";
}

$_output .= str_repeat('=:=', 20) . "\r\n";


/**
 * DECODE DATA
 */

/**
 * Start each test
 */
foreach ($_testSources as $_area => $_source)
{
    /**
     * Start the timer
     */
    $_data = serialize($_source);

    $_serializeStart = microtime(TRUE);

    for ($_counter = 0; $_counter < $_maxLoop; $_counter++)
    {
        unserialize($_data);
    }

    $_serializeEnd = microtime(TRUE);

    $_output .= sprintf(
        $_templateDecode,
        'unserialize()', 
        $_area, 
        $_serializeEnd - $_serializeStart
    );

    /**
     * JSON
     */
    $_data = json_encode($_source);

    $_jsonStart = microtime(TRUE);

    for ($_counter = 0; $_counter < $_maxLoop; $_counter++)
    {
        json_decode($_data, TRUE);
    }

    $_jsonEnd = microtime(TRUE);

    $_jsonOutput = json_encode($_source);

    $_output .= sprintf(
        $_templateDecode,
        'json_decode()', 
        $_area, 
        $_jsonEnd - $_jsonStart
    );

    /**
     * igbinary
     */
    $_data = igbinary_serialize($_source);

    $_igbinaryStart = microtime(TRUE);

    for ($_counter = 0; $_counter < $_maxLoop; $_counter++)
    {
        igbinary_unserialize($_data);
    }

    $_igbinaryEnd = microtime(TRUE);

    $_igbinaryOutput = igbinary_serialize($_source);

    $_output .= sprintf(
        $_templateDecode,
        'igbinary_unserialize()', 
        $_area, 
        $_igbinaryEnd - $_igbinaryStart
    );

    $_output .= str_repeat('=', 20) . "\r\n";
}
 
echo '<pre>', $_output, '</pre>';