PHP if vs match vs switch: Which One Should You Use?

You now have four ways to make a decision: if, the ternary operator, match and switch. Here is how to choose.

Quick guide

Situation	Best choice
One condition, run some code	`if`
Two outcomes, one value	Ternary `? :`
One value against many fixed options, returning a result	`match`
Ranges or complex conditions	`if / elseif` or `match (true)`
Many statements per option	`if` chain, or call a function from `match`
Legacy code on PHP 7	`switch`

Same problem, three solutions

Convert a status code to text.

index.php

PHP

<?php
$status = 3;

// 1. if / elseif
if ($status === 1) {
    $text = "Pending";
} elseif ($status === 2) {
    $text = "Shipped";
} elseif ($status === 3) {
    $text = "Delivered";
} else {
    $text = "Unknown";
}

// 2. switch
switch ($status) {
    case 1: $text2 = "Pending"; break;
    case 2: $text2 = "Shipped"; break;
    case 3: $text2 = "Delivered"; break;
    default: $text2 = "Unknown";
}

// 3. match
$text3 = match ($status) {
    1 => "Pending",
    2 => "Shipped",
    3 => "Delivered",
    default => "Unknown",
};

echo "$text, $text2, $text3";

Output

OUTPUT

Delivered, Delivered, Delivered

The match version is the shortest, and it cannot fall through by accident.

When if is better

Use if when conditions compare different things, not one value.

index.php

PHP

<?php
$age = 30;
$isMember = true;

if ($isMember && $age >= 60) {
    $price = 50;
} elseif ($isMember) {
    $price = 80;
} else {
    $price = 100;
}

echo $price;

Output

OUTPUT

Forcing this into match (true) would work, but it would not read any better.

When an array lookup beats both

If you only map one value to another, a plain array is the simplest tool.

index.php

PHP

<?php
$labels = [1 => "Pending", 2 => "Shipped", 3 => "Delivered"];
$status = 2;

echo $labels[$status] ?? "Unknown";

Output

OUTPUT

Shipped

A short rule

Start with if.
If you are comparing one value against several constants and want a result, switch to match.
If it is just a lookup, use an array.

lightbulb

Do not over-think it

All of these are valid. Readable beats clever. If a colleague would need to pause to read it, pick a simpler form.