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PHP End of Life Dates

When every PHP version stops getting fixes. 4 versions are supported today: 8.5, 8.4, 8.3, 8.2. Everything older is end of life.

PHP 8.2  reaches end of life on Dec 31, 2026

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About two thirds of PHP websites still run PHP 8.2 or older, according to W3Techs. Check which version your site runs →

PHP support timeline

Green is active support with bug fixes. Orange is security fixes only. After the bar ends, the version is end of life.

8.5
8.4
8.3
8.2
8.1
8.0
7.4
7.3
201920202021202220232024202520262027202820292030
Active supportSecurity fixes onlyToday (Oct 26, 2026)

All PHP versions and their EOL dates

VersionReleasedActive support untilSecurity fixes untilStatusLatest release
PHP 8.5Nov 20, 2025Dec 31, 2027Dec 31, 2029Active support8.5.12
PHP 8.4Nov 21, 2024Dec 31, 2026Dec 31, 2028Active support8.4.27
PHP 8.3Nov 23, 2023Dec 31, 2025Dec 31, 2027Security fixes only8.3.36
PHP 8.2Dec 8, 2022Dec 31, 2024Dec 31, 2026Security fixes only8.2.35
PHP 8.1Nov 25, 2021Nov 25, 2023Dec 31, 2025End of life—
PHP 8.0Nov 26, 2020Nov 26, 2022Nov 26, 2023End of life—
PHP 7.4Nov 28, 2019Nov 28, 2021Nov 28, 2022End of life—
PHP 7.3Dec 6, 2018Dec 6, 2020Dec 6, 2021End of life—
PHP 7.2Nov 30, 2017Nov 30, 2019Nov 30, 2020End of life—
PHP 7.1Dec 1, 2016Dec 1, 2018Dec 1, 2019End of life—
PHP 7.0Dec 3, 2015Jan 4, 2018Jan 10, 2019End of life—
PHP 5.6Aug 28, 2014Jan 19, 2017Dec 31, 2018End of life—

Source: php.net supported versions and unsupported branches pages, checked Oct 26, 2026. “Latest release” is shown for supported branches only.

What “end of life” means for PHP

PHP is maintained in branches: 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 and so on. A new branch comes out every November. For its first two years it is in active support, which means regular releases that fix bugs and security issues. For the next two years it gets security fixes only, released as needed. When that period ends, the branch is end of life (EOL): the PHP project publishes no more releases for it, whatever is found later.

The difference matters in practice. On October 21, 2026, the PHP project shipped emergency releases 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36 and 8.2.35 to fix two critical remote code execution vulnerabilities known as PHP2Shell. Sites on PHP 8.1, 8.0, 7.4, 7.3, 7.2, 7.1, 7.0 or 5.6 got no fix at all, because those branches were already end of life. According to W3Techs, that is close to half of all PHP websites.

PHP 8.2 end of life: what to do before Dec 31, 2026

  1. Find every site still on 8.2 or older. Use the PHP Version Checker for sites that expose their version, and your hosting panel or php -v for the rest.
  2. Pick the target. PHP 8.5 is supported until Dec 31, 2029. PHP 8.3 is the minimum worth moving to, supported until Dec 31, 2027.
  3. Check compatibility. Update WordPress, plugins, themes or Composer packages first. Most changes between 8.2 and 8.4 are deprecations, not breaking changes. Paste custom code into the code compatibility checker to see it run on each version.
  4. Upgrade staging, then production. Switch the version on a copy, test forms, checkout and admin pages, then switch the live site and watch the error log for a few days.

If you cannot upgrade in time

Sometimes a legacy application cannot move quickly. In that case, reduce the risk: keep the server behind a web application firewall, remove unused plugins and code, and disable PHP features you do not use. Linux distributions with long-term support backport fixes to the PHP version they shipped, so a server on a supported Debian, Ubuntu LTS or Red Hat release using the distribution's own PHP packages is in a better position than one with a hand-picked version on shared hosting. Commercial vendors also sell extended support for end-of-life PHP versions. These options buy time; they do not replace an upgrade.

Frequently asked questions

When is PHP 8.2 end of life?

PHP 8.2 reaches end of life on Dec 31, 2026. Its active support ended on Dec 31, 2024; since then it has only received security fixes. After Dec 31, 2026 there will be no more releases of any kind.

Is PHP 8.1 end of life?

Yes. PHP 8.1 reached end of life on December 31, 2025. It did not receive the October 2026 security fixes and will not receive any future ones. Upgrade to PHP 8.3 or newer.

What happens when a PHP version reaches end of life?

Nothing changes on your server that day. Your site keeps working. What stops is the flow of fixes: new vulnerabilities found after the end-of-life date stay open forever in that version. Over time, plugins, frameworks and Composer packages also drop support, so you can no longer install their updates either.

How long is a PHP version supported?

Four years in total. Each version gets two years of active support with bug and security fixes, then two years of security fixes only. Since a 2024 change to the release process, support periods end on December 31 of the relevant year, and a new version is released every November.

Which PHP version should I upgrade to?

Go straight to PHP 8.5 if your CMS, framework and plugins support it, which gives you the longest runway until Dec 31, 2029. If something is not ready yet, PHP 8.4 or 8.3 are safe choices. Skipping versions is fine; test the jump on a staging copy first.

My Linux distribution still ships an EOL PHP version. Is it safe?

It can be. Debian, Ubuntu, Red Hat and other distributions backport security fixes into the PHP packages of their supported releases, sometimes for years after php.net stops. The version number stays the same, so check your distribution's security tracker. Shared hosting with an EOL version selected in the control panel usually has no such protection.