What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the date() function in PHP to calculate date differences from Unix timestamps?

When calculating date differences from Unix timestamps in PHP, using the date() function can be advantageous because it allows for easy formatting of the resulting date difference. However, it may be less precise than other methods, as it relies on the server's timezone settings. Additionally, the date() function may not be the most efficient way to calculate date differences for large datasets.

$timestamp1 = 1598918400; // Unix timestamp 1
$timestamp2 = 1600828800; // Unix timestamp 2

$date1 = date("Y-m-d H:i:s", $timestamp1);
$date2 = date("Y-m-d H:i:s", $timestamp2);

$diff = strtotime($date2) - strtotime($date1);

echo "The date difference between $date1 and $date2 is: " . date("Y-m-d H:i:s", $diff);