Which method, enumeration or using classes, provides faster performance in PHP?

In PHP, enumerations (enums), introduced in version 8.1, provide stricter typing and ease of working with a set of fixed values. In terms of performance, using enums can be slightly slower compared to simple constants or classes with constants, as enums are full-fledged objects with methods.

Classes with constants usually operate faster, as they are simply access to static values without additional logic.

Example of enum in PHP 8.1:

enum Status: string {
    case Active = 'active';
    case Inactive = 'inactive';
}

echo Status::Active->value; // active

Example of a class with constants:

class Status {
    public const Active = 'active';
    public const Inactive = 'inactive';
}

echo Status::Active; // active

If maximum performance is important, it is better to use classes with constants. If type safety and convenience are more important, enums are preferable.