Published on June 26, 2025 Last Updated on July 4, 2025
Written by
Morgan Frank - Specialist in Page Speed
Choosing the Right PHP Version: A Surprisingly Big Impact on Speed
PHP is the scripting language that powers many websites, including popular platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and Magento. While you might not write PHP code yourself, the version of PHP your website uses can have a significant impact on its performance, security, and compatibility. Choosing the right PHP version is a crucial, and often overlooked, aspect of server-side optimization.
Before we jump into the details, here’s a summary of the key takeaways:
Key Takeaways
Newer PHP Versions are Generally Much Faster: Significant performance improvements have been made in recent PHP versions (especially PHP 7.x and 8.x compared to older versions like 5.x).
Security is Paramount: Older, unsupported PHP versions are vulnerable to security exploits. Using a supported version is essential for protecting your website.
Compatibility Matters: Ensure that your website’s code, themes, and plugins are compatible with the PHP version you choose. Testing is crucial.
Your Hosting Provider Controls the Available Versions: You’ll choose from the PHP versions offered by your web hosting provider.
Updating PHP is Usually Straightforward (But Test First!): Most hosting providers offer a simple way to update your PHP version through their control panel. Always test on a staging environment before updating on your live site.
Regular Update: Keep your PHP version updated.
Why PHP Version Matters So Much
The PHP version affects your website in several key ways:
Performance: This is the biggest impact. Newer PHP versions have significantly optimized execution engines, resulting in much faster code execution. This translates directly to faster page load times. The jump from PHP 5.x to 7.x, for example, often resulted in a 2x or 3x performance improvement.
Security: Older PHP versions (especially those that are no longer supported) have known security vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit. Using an outdated PHP version is like leaving your website’s front door unlocked.
Compatibility: Your website’s code (including your CMS, themes, and plugins) needs to be compatible with the PHP version you’re using. Newer PHP versions may introduce changes that break older code.
Features: Newer PHP versions often introduce new features and improvements that developers can use to build more efficient and robust websites.
Memory Usage: Newer versions are good at memory management.
The Performance Difference: A Dramatic Example
The performance difference between older and newer PHP versions is not subtle. Consider these general (and simplified) comparisons:
PHP 5.6 (End-of-Life): Considered very slow by today’s standards.
PHP 7.0 7.4: A huge leap forward in performance compared to PHP 5.x. Often 2x-3x faster.
PHP 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3: Further performance improvements over PHP 7.x, with optimizations to the execution engine, Just-In-Time JIT compilation (in some versions), and other enhancements.
Choosing the Right Version: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Check Your Current Version:
Most hosting control panels (cPanel, Plesk, etc.) will show you your current PHP version.
You can also create a simple PHP file (e.g., phpinfo.php) with the following code and upload it to your website:
<?php
phpinfo();
?>
content_copy download Use code with caution.PHP Accessing this file in your browser (e.g., your website.com/phpinfo.php) will display detailed information about your PHP configuration, including the version.
Important: Delete this file after you’re done, as it can expose sensitive information.
2. Check Compatibility:
CMS: If you’re using a Content Management System (like WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla), check the CMS’s official documentation for its recommended and supported PHP versions.
Themes and Plugins: Check the documentation for your themes and plugins to ensure they are compatible with the PHP version you’re considering. Reputable developers will usually list compatibility information.
Custom Code: If you have any custom code on your website, you’ll need to ensure it’s compatible with the new PHP version.
3. Test on a Staging Environment:
Never update PHP directly on your live website! Always test on a staging environment first. A staging environment is a copy of your website where you can make changes without affecting your live site.
Most good hosting providers offer a staging feature.
After updating PHP on your staging site, thoroughly test all aspects of your website:
Frontend functionality (pages, forms, etc.)
Backend functionality (admin area)
Any custom features or integrations
4. Update on Your Live Site (After Successful Testing):
Once you’ve thoroughly tested on your staging environment and confirmed that everything is working correctly, you can update the PHP version on your live site.
The process for updating PHP varies depending on your hosting provider. Most providers offer a simple way to do this through their control panel (usually with a dropdown menu to select the desired version).
Back up your website before making any changes!
5. Monitor
After completing the upgrade process monitor it’s performance.
PHP Version Support Lifecycle
It’s crucial to understand the PHP support lifecycle. Each PHP version has a period of active support and security support:
Active Support: The version receives bug fixes and new features.
Security Support: The version receives security patches, but no new features or bug fixes (except for security-related issues).
End-of-Life (EOL): The version is no longer supported at all. Using an EOL version is extremely risky.
Choosing the right PHP version is a critical aspect of server-side optimization. Using a supported, up-to date PHP version is essential for performance, security, and compatibility. While updating PHP is usually straightforward, always test thoroughly on a staging environment before making changes to your live site. By keeping your PHP version current, you’re laying a strong foundation for a fast, secure, and reliable website.
Determined to change that, he built RapidLoad — a smart, AI-driven tool that empowers site owners to dramatically improve speed scores, enhance user experience, and meet Google’s Core Web Vitals without needing to touch a single line of code.
