If PHP is run inside a web server request there is an important difference between the __DIR__ constant and $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'].
Where __DIR__ of a PHP script contained within a sub-folder will include the complete server path $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] will contain a server path up to the _root_ of the application. This can be helpful when for instance an auto-loader is defined in an include file sitting inside a sub-folder and where the classes are located in another folder at the root of the application.