About PHP
What is it?
A general purpose scripting language.
"PHP is a server-side scripting language designed primarily for web development but also used as a general-purpose programming language. PHP originally stood for Personal Home Page, but it now stands for the recursive acronym PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor". Source: Wikipedia.
PHP powers your website.
PHP Requirements of the Joomla! CMS
The Joomla! Project publish the minimum PHP requirements for hosting a Joomla! CMS website on a server at the following link.
Read more: What are the technical requirements for hosting a Joomla! website?
Check whether latest PHP release is a Security Fix
Here's how you can discover whether the PHP version and release used by the server hosting your website is a Bug Fix or a Security Fix.
First, replace the Xs shown in the following example URL with the version and release reference of the PHP used by the server:
- php.net/releases/X_X_X.php
Next, copy and paste it into your browser address bar.
Supported Versions
"Each release branch of PHP is fully supported for two years from its initial stable release.
During this period, bugs and security issues that have been reported are fixed and are released in regular point releases.
After this two year period of active support, each branch is then supported for two additional years for critical security issues only.
Releases during this period are made on an as-needed basis: there may be multiple point releases, or none, depending on the number of reports.
Once the four years of support are completed, the branch reaches its end of life and is no longer supported.
A table of end of life branches is available" - see link below.
Source: PHP Supported Versions
PHP Modules
When switching from one version of PHP to another, you may observe some changes in the available and selected PHP Modules.
Before making any changes, note down the settings for your current version of PHP.
You can do this via the Select PHP Version screen of cPanel.
The button for this function is located in the Software panel of the cPanel Dashboard.
See image below.
In the unlikely event that your website breaks after changing the PHP version used then you should see one or more error messages displayed in the web browser when you try to visit your website.
The message may indicate the need to enable a particular PHP module.
If so then this should be possible via the Select PHP Version screen.
If unable to quickly identify the cause of your website not working, contact your hosting provider's Technical Support for assistance.
PHP Benchmarking
December 2025
Hosting provider KINSTA has benchmarked 13 widely used CMSs, including Joomla, on PHP 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, and 8.5 under identical conditions.
Read more: https://kinsta.com/blog/php-benchmarks/
KINSTA report that "Joomla’s performance remains very stable across all tested PHP versions."
Tested PHP versions: PHP 8.2, 8.3, 8.4.
