Most people who run a WordPress site have never thought about which PHP version it’s on. That’s no surprise. PHP never shows up on the page, and nobody publishes a post thinking “I wonder what PHP I’m running.”
But that invisible number quietly decides two things you do care about: how secure your site is, and how fast it loads. And the odds are good that your site is on an old version right now.
This explains what the PHP version means for your business, how to find out which one you have, and how to switch without breaking anything.
What PHP is, in plain terms
PHP is the programming language that runs WordPress under the hood. Every time someone visits your page, it’s PHP that assembles it, pulls in your text and images, and sends the finished page out to the visitor.
Like all software, PHP comes in versions, with numbers like 7.4, 8.2 or 8.4. Newer versions are faster and more secure, and the old ones eventually stop being maintained. That’s where the problem starts.
Why an old version is a security risk
Every PHP version has a lifespan. According to the PHP project’s own support schedule, each version gets active maintenance for two years, then security fixes only for another two, and after that nothing at all. When a version reaches its end date, called “end of life,” no more security updates are released, no matter how serious a hole turns out to be.
Here’s where things stand in October 2026:
| PHP version | Status | Security support until |
|---|---|---|
| 8.5 | Full support | 31 Dec 2029 |
| 8.4 | Full support | 31 Dec 2028 |
| 8.3 | Security fixes only | 31 Dec 2027 |
| 8.2 | Security fixes only | 31 Dec 2026 |
| 8.1, 8.0, 7.4 and older | Unsupported | passed |
What’s worrying is how many sites still sit on old versions. According to WordPress.org’s own statistics, roughly one in six WordPress sites was still on PHP 7.4 in October 2026, even though the PHP project stopped releasing security updates for it on 28 November 2022. Add in the other expired versions and around 37 percent of all WordPress sites run a version with no security fixes. At the turn of the year 8.2 loses support as well, and roughly another one in four sites runs on it.
A site on an expired version is an easy target. Attackers can read which PHP version a server runs and aim at known holes that will never be closed. It’s a bit like leaving a window ajar that the manufacturer has stopped making locks for. PHP is only one part of the picture, and we cover the rest in WordPress security for business owners.
It isn’t only about security, it’s about speed
Newer PHP isn’t just safer, it’s noticeably faster too. And speed isn’t a technical detail. It affects how many visitors stay, and it factors into how you rank in Google.
When the host Kinsta benchmarked the PHP versions in December 2025, an ordinary WordPress site handled around six percent more page views per second on PHP 8.5 than on 7.4, on the same server. For a WooCommerce shop the difference was bigger, because a store does more work behind the scenes for every page load. There, moving from 7.4 to 8.2 alone let the server handle around 23 percent more page views per second. That’s performance you get almost for free, just by switching version.
Which version should you be on?
As a rule of thumb, a business site in 2026 should be on at least PHP 8.3, which is also what WordPress itself recommends in its hosting requirements. If your host supports 8.4 or 8.5, and the site passes a test on a staging copy, even better. That gives you a version still getting security fixes for years to come, and you won’t have to switch again for a good while.
If you’re on 8.1, 8.0 or 7.4, you should plan a switch soon. Not in a panic, but it shouldn’t be put off indefinitely either.
How to find your version, in two minutes
You don’t need to be technical to check. In WordPress, go to Tools and then Site Health. Under the Info tab you’ll find a section called Server, where the PHP version is written out. WordPress describes the screen in its Site Health documentation.
You can also see it in your host’s control panel. That’s usually where you can change it too, often under a heading like “PHP” or “PHP version.” How it looks varies between hosts, but with most providers it’s a menu where you pick the version from a list.
How to switch without breaking anything
There’s a catch worth taking seriously. A newer PHP version can make an old plugin or theme stop working, because older code sometimes relies on functions that have been removed. The PHP project’s list of what stopped working in PHP 8.0 alone is a long one. So clicking the version up straight on the live site is asking for trouble.
The safe way is ordered like this. First you check that the site’s plugins and theme can handle the new version. Then you test the switch on a copy of the site, a so-called staging environment, where no visitor is affected. If something breaks, you fix it there. Only then do you make the switch for real, and check that the important things still work, like the contact form and the checkout.
For most sites this is done in a short while. But it’s exactly that order, test first and switch second, that separates a smooth change from a site suddenly showing an error message to your customers. The same order applies to every update, and it’s a big part of what ongoing maintenance is about.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know which PHP version I have?
Go to Tools and Site Health in WordPress and look under Info, in the Server section. The version is listed there. You can also see it in your host’s control panel.
Can I switch PHP version myself?
Yes, the switch itself is often a couple of clicks at your host. The tricky part isn’t switching, it’s knowing nothing stops working afterwards. That’s why it should be tested on a copy of the site first, especially if you have a shop or a lot of plugins.
What happens if I do nothing?
The site keeps working for a while, and that’s what lulls you. But an expired PHP version gets no security fixes, runs slower than it needs to, and sooner or later new plugins stop supporting it. The risk grows quietly until something happens.
Does the PHP version affect my Google ranking?
Indirectly, yes. A newer version makes the site faster, and speed is part of how Google judges a page. You don’t rank higher just for switching version, but a faster site has better odds.
Want to know which version you’re running?
The PHP version is a good example of something that’s easy to miss but simple to fix, once you know about it. A few minutes to check, and a controlled switch, can give you both a safer and a faster site.
If you’re not sure where your site stands, we’re happy to take a look. We check which version you’re running, whether your plugins can handle a switch, and handle the upgrade so nothing breaks along the way.
Last updated: October 2026. PHP versions and end dates change over time, so check current figures where needed.