Test serialize function performance in PHP 7.1

Test

• Array with number
• Array with string
• Multi level array with number
• Multi level array with string
• Multi level array with number and string
• Object
• Multi level object

Test environment

• AWS t2.micro
• PHP 7.1

PHP 7.1.11 (cli) (built: Oct 25 2017 10:00:47) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) 1997-2017 The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.1.0, Copyright (c) 1998-2017 Zend Technologies
    with Zend OPcache v7.1.11, Copyright (c) 1999-2017, by Zend Technologies

Result

Array with number

define('ARRAY_SIZE', 300);
define('TEST_TIME', 100);

serialize time: 			0.0010788440704346
unserialize time: 			0.0027780532836914
json_encode time: 			0.00069093704223633
json_decode time: 			0.0027239322662354
igbinary_serialize time: 		0.00054502487182617
igbinary_unserialize time: 		0.00051093101501465

serialize: igbinary_serialize > json_encode > serialize

unserialize: igbinary_unserialize > json_decode > unserialize

Array with string

define('ARRAY_SIZE', 300);
define('STR_LENGTH', 100);
define('TEST_TIME', 100);

serialize time: 			0.0014660358428955
unserialize time: 			0.0031919479370117
json_encode time: 			0.02100396156311
json_decode time: 			0.019490003585815
igbinary_serialize time: 		0.0020298957824707
igbinary_unserialize time: 		0.001331090927124

serialize: serialize > igbinary_serialize > json_encode

unserialize: igbinary_unserialize > unserialize > json_decode

Multi level array with number

define('ARRAY_SIZE', 300);
define('ARRAY_DEEP', 30);
define('TEST_TIME', 10);

serialize time: 			0.0074031352996826
unserialize time: 			0.020796060562134
json_encode time: 			0.0040719509124756
json_decode time: 			0.021830081939697
igbinary_serialize time: 		0.0094568729400635
igbinary_unserialize time: 		0.0080678462982178

serialize: json_encode > serialize > igbinary_serialize

unserialize: igbinary_unserialize > json_decode > unserialize

Multi level array with string

define('ARRAY_SIZE', 300);
define('ARRAY_DEEP', 30);
define('STR_LENGTH', 100);
define('TEST_TIME', 10);

serialize time: 			0.011026859283447
unserialize time: 			0.023138999938965
json_encode time: 			0.069886922836304
json_decode time: 			0.076200008392334
igbinary_serialize time: 		0.019577980041504
igbinary_unserialize time: 		0.013104915618896

serialize: serialize > igbinary_serialize > json_encode

unserialize: igbinary_unserialize > unserialize > json_decode

Multi level array with number and string

define('ARRAY_SIZE', 300);
define('ARRAY_DEEP', 30);
define('STR_LENGTH', 100);
define('TEST_TIME', 10);

serialize time: 			0.013853073120117
unserialize time: 			0.033852100372314
json_encode time: 			0.072479009628296
json_decode time: 			0.086339950561523
igbinary_serialize time: 		0.025516033172607
igbinary_unserialize time: 		0.014665126800537

serialize: serialize > igbinary_serialize > json_encode

unserialize: igbinary_unserialize > unserialize > json_decode

Object

define('OBJ_PROP_SIZE', 300);
define('TEST_TIME', 100);

serialize time: 			0.0015609264373779
unserialize time: 			0.0032401084899902
json_encode time: 			0.022146940231323
json_decode time: 			0.022933006286621
igbinary_serialize time: 		0.0033202171325684
igbinary_unserialize time: 		0.0027999877929688

serialize: serialize > igbinary_serialize > json_encode

unserialize: igbinary_unserialize > unserialize > json_decode

Multi level object

define('OBJ_PROP_SIZE', 100);
define('OBJ_DEEP_SIZE', 30);
define('TEST_TIME', 100);

serialize time: 			0.015815019607544
unserialize time: 			0.036242008209229
json_encode time: 			0.22513890266418
json_decode time: 			0.23918008804321
igbinary_serialize time: 		0.056578159332275
igbinary_unserialize time: 		0.032699108123779

serialize: serialize > igbinary_serialize > json_encode

unserialize: igbinary_unserialize > unserialize > json_decode

Conclusion

Serialize function is php built-in serialize win.

Unserialize is igbinary win.