small benchmark between curl, multicurl and file_get_contents. Results: CURL: 7.37 s // MULTI CURL: 1.93 s // FILE GET CONTENTS: 25.94 s

gistfile1.php

<?php
 
$data = array(
  'http://www.marca.com',
  'http://www.wowebook.be',
  'http://www.meneame.net',
  'http://www.google.com',
  'http://www.elpais.es',
  'http://www.reddit.com',
  'http://www.digg.com',
  'http://www.elmundo.es',
  'http://www.itbooks.com',
  'http://www.as.com',
  'http://www.sport.es',
  'http://www.elmundodeportivo.es'
);

/*******************************************************/
/************************* CURL ************************/
/*******************************************************/
$first = microtime(true);
foreach ($data as $url) {
  $ch = curl_init($url);
	curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
	$content[] = curl_exec($ch);
	curl_close($ch);
}
$total = microtime(true) - $first;
echo "CURL: total " . $total . " s";



/*******************************************************/
/********************** MULTI CURL *********************/
/*******************************************************/
$first = microtime(true);

// array of curl handles
$curly = array();
// data to be returned
$result = array();
// multi handle
$mh = curl_multi_init();

foreach ($data as $id => $d) {

	$curly[$id] = curl_init();

	curl_setopt($curly[$id], CURLOPT_URL,            $url);
	curl_setopt($curly[$id], CURLOPT_HEADER,         0);
	curl_setopt($curly[$id], CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);

	if (is_array($d)) {
	  if (!empty($d['post'])) {
	    curl_setopt($curly[$id], CURLOPT_POST,       1);
	    curl_setopt($curly[$id], CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $d['post']);
	  }
	}

	curl_multi_add_handle($mh, $curly[$id]);
}

// execute the handles
$running = null;
do {
	curl_multi_exec($mh, $running);
} while($running > 0);


// get content and remove handles
foreach($curly as $id => $c) {
	$result[$id] = curl_multi_getcontent($c);
	curl_multi_remove_handle($mh, $c);
}

curl_multi_close($mh);

$total = microtime(true) - $first;
echo "MULTI CURL: total " . $total . ' s';



/*******************************************************/
/****************** FILE GET CONTENTS ******************/
/*******************************************************/
$first = microtime(true);
foreach ($data as $url) {
	$content[] = file_get_contents($url);
}
$total = microtime(true) - $first;
echo "FILE GET CONTENTS: total " . $total . " s";




 
?>

file_get_contents is very fast for use in localhost/document root.

Results are shocking, never thought multicurl is that much quicker.

BTW, at line 49, I think $d should be used, not $url. Overall benchmark won't be changed that much though.

you made a mistake at line 49!