alternative: In 2021 we still use C et al. for our backend server, and we get hacked every single day. If I am going to leave a wide open door to my house, I at least want confidence that the house is not made out of cardboard
Also pypy is fast, and the speed of php also heavily depends on version. Not that backend speed even makes a difference that much of the time. 3ms vs 8ms won't matter.