PHP maintenance and security
PHP End of Life and Support Dates
PHP end of life and security support dates by branch. PHP 8.2 support ends 2026-12-31. Compare releases and plan a supported WordPress upgrade.
Last updated: · Sources reviewed: 2026-10-23
Upcoming support deadlines
- PHP 8.4 leaves active support on 2026-12-31. Security updates continue until 2028-12-31.
- PHP 8.2 leaves security support on 2026-12-31. Schedule a tested branch upgrade before this date.
PHP support table: releases, EOL and next steps
Data from endoflife.date, fetched . Support status computed on 2026-10-23; confirm against PHP's official schedule.
| Branch | Released | Active until | Security until | Status | Latest | PHP2Shell fixed release | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5 | 2025-11-20 | 2027-12-31 | 2029-12-31 | Active | 8.5.12 | 8.5.12 | Keep patched; verify application compatibility. |
| 8.4 | 2024-11-21 | 2026-12-31 | 2028-12-31 | Active | 8.4.27 | 8.4.27 | Keep patched; verify application compatibility. |
| 8.3 | 2023-11-23 | 2025-12-31 | 2027-12-31 | Security only | 8.3.36 | 8.3.36 | Keep patched; verify application compatibility. |
| 8.2 | 2022-12-08 | 2024-12-31 | 2026-12-31 | EOL in 69 days | 8.2.35 | 8.2.35 | Plan a tested move to a newer supported branch. |
| 8.1 | 2021-11-25 | 2023-11-25 | 2025-12-31 | End of life | 8.1.34 | No upstream release; check vendor | Upgrade; verify any vendor backport separately. |
| 8.0 | 2020-11-26 | 2022-11-26 | 2023-11-26 | End of life | 8.0.30 | No upstream release; check vendor | Upgrade; verify any vendor backport separately. |
| 7.4 | 2019-11-28 | 2021-11-28 | 2022-11-28 | End of life | 7.4.33 | No upstream release; check vendor | Upgrade; verify any vendor backport separately. |
| 7.3 | 2018-12-06 | 2020-12-06 | 2021-12-06 | End of life | 7.3.33 | No upstream release; check vendor | Upgrade; verify any vendor backport separately. |
| 7.2 | 2017-11-30 | 2019-11-30 | 2020-11-30 | End of life | 7.2.34 | No upstream release; check vendor | Upgrade; verify any vendor backport separately. |
| 7.1 | 2016-12-01 | 2018-12-01 | 2019-12-01 | End of life | 7.1.33 | No upstream release; check vendor | Upgrade; verify any vendor backport separately. |
| 7.0 | 2015-12-03 | 2018-01-04 | 2019-01-10 | End of life | 7.0.33 | No upstream release; check vendor | Upgrade; verify any vendor backport separately. |
| 5.6 | 2014-08-28 | 2017-01-19 | 2018-12-31 | End of life | 5.6.40 | No upstream release; check vendor | Upgrade; verify any vendor backport separately. |
| 5.5 | 2013-06-20 | 2015-07-10 | 2016-07-21 | End of life | 5.5.38 | No upstream release; check vendor | Upgrade; verify any vendor backport separately. |
| 5.4 | 2012-03-01 | 2014-09-14 | 2015-09-14 | End of life | 5.4.45 | No upstream release; check vendor | Upgrade; verify any vendor backport separately. |
| 5.3 | 2009-06-30 | 2011-06-30 | 2014-08-14 | End of life | 5.3.29 | No upstream release; check vendor | Upgrade; verify any vendor backport separately. |
| 5.2 | 2006-11-02 | 2008-11-02 | 2011-01-06 | End of life | 5.2.17 | No upstream release; check vendor | Upgrade; verify any vendor backport separately. |
| 5.1 | 2005-11-24 | 2006-08-24 | 2006-08-24 | End of life | 5.1.6 | No upstream release; check vendor | Upgrade; verify any vendor backport separately. |
| 5.0 | 2004-07-13 | 2005-09-05 | 2005-09-05 | End of life | 5.0.5 | No upstream release; check vendor | Upgrade; verify any vendor backport separately. |
The PHP2Shell column identifies the first upstream fixed release, not a security assessment of your installed server. See distribution backports and patch verification.
How PHP support works
PHP normally provides two years of active support followed by two years of critical security fixes. After upstream EOL, a branch no longer receives project updates. A third-party support contract is separate and must explicitly cover your package build and relevant vulnerabilities. Official support policy.
Which version should I run?
- New project: choose a current stable branch your framework supports, then test before deployment.
- WordPress: the official recommendation is PHP 8.3 or greater. Confirm plugin and theme compatibility on staging.
- Blocked by a dependency: find its supported upgrade path; do not assume a branch is safe because it still runs.
- Already EOL: schedule migration now or verify a vendor support arrangement that covers your full runtime.
Use the runtime version checks first, then test and roll back a WordPress PHP upgrade.
FAQ
Is PHP 8 end of life?+-
Support is branch-specific. As computed on 2026-10-23, supported branches in this snapshot are 8.5, 8.4, 8.3, 8.2. Earlier PHP 8 branches have reached upstream end of life. See the official PHP support schedule linked below.
How long will PHP 8.2 be supported?+-
PHP's official schedule lists security support through 2026-12-31. Active support ended on 2024-12-31. Plan and test the next branch before security support ends.
Is PHP 8.4 released?+-
Yes. The release date is 2024-11-21; this snapshot lists 8.4.27 as its latest release. See php.net for current release announcements.
What is the latest stable PHP version?+-
The fetched snapshot lists 8.5.12. Check the fetched date and php.net announcements before choosing a deployment version; test releases are not production recommendations.
Related PHP guides
- PHP2Shell affected versions and patch steps
- Check PHP in CLI, WordPress and hosting panels
- Upgrade WordPress PHP with staging and rollback
Sources
- PHP official support schedule
- PHP end-of-life branches
- endoflife.date PHP data
- PHP security advisory and releases
- WordPress requirements
This page is general guidance, not a security audit. Version numbers and vendor package names change; confirm against your vendor's advisory before you rely on them. “Not found” or “patched” here does not mean your site is safe. We do not publish exploit code or lists of affected websites.