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Technology · head to head

Safari vs PhpStorm

Safari logo

Safari

Technology

Apple's WebKit browser, available only on Apple operating systems and updated only with them.

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
PhpStorm logo

PhpStorm

Developer Tools

JetBrains IDE for PHP web development

From
$24/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Safari has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Safari it runs only on Apple operating systems; there has been no Windows build since 2012 and none for Linux or Android, so any team that must verify Safari behaviour has to buy Mac hardware or rent it from a device cloud, which is a line item Chrome and Firefox do not create.; PhpStorm requires an ongoing paid subscription with no free tier for commercial use.
  • They diverge on capability: Safari covers WebKit engine, PhpStorm covers PHP-aware coding assistance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Safari and PhpStorm actually diverge.

Attributes where Safari and PhpStorm differ
AttributeSafariPhpStorm
Starting priceFree$24/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebwindows, mac, linux
CategoryTechnologyDeveloper Tools
FoundedUnknown2000

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Safari

  • WebKit engine
  • Intelligent Tracking Prevention
  • Energy optimisation
  • iCloud Private Relay
  • Passkeys in iCloud Keychain
  • Handoff and tab sync
  • Profiles and Tab Groups
  • Web Inspector

Only in PhpStorm

  • PHP-aware coding assistance
  • Integrated debugger
  • Front-end tooling
  • Database tools
  • Version control integration
  • Docker and remote deployment

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Safari

  • Getting the longest battery life out of a MacBook, where the difference against Chromium browsers is hours rather than minutesnot PhpStorm
  • Debugging a site on a real iPhone or iPad, which requires Safari's Web Inspector connected over USB from a Macnot PhpStorm
  • An all-Apple household or team that wants tabs, passwords and passkeys to follow them across devices without a third-party accountnot PhpStorm
  • Privacy-conscious users on iCloud+ who want tracking protection and Private Relay working by default rather than through extensionsnot PhpStorm

PhpStorm

  • Building PHP web applications with Laravel or Symfonynot Safari
  • Debugging PHP code with Xdebugnot Safari
  • Working across PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in one projectnot Safari
  • Managing databases alongside application codenot Safari

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Safari

  • It runs only on Apple operating systems; there has been no Windows build since 2012 and none for Linux or Android, so any team that must verify Safari behaviour has to buy Mac hardware or rent it from a device cloud, which is a line item Chrome and Firefox do not create.
  • Safari's version is bound to the operating system's version, so a Mac that has fallen off the supported macOS list stops receiving Safari updates altogether; the browser's security life is the machine's OS life, roughly three years of updates after the last major release it can run.
  • Distributing an extension means packaging it inside a signed macOS application and shipping it through the App Store with a paid Apple Developer Program membership, which makes a small internal or single-team extension impractical.
  • Automated testing uses safaridriver, which runs on macOS only, has no headless mode and permits one session per machine, so Safari coverage in CI means real Macs in the pipeline rather than containers, and it does not parallelise the way Chromium does.
  • Web platform features generally land in WebKit later than in Blink and Gecko, so Safari's current support is in practice the compatibility floor for any project, and a feature you can use everywhere else may be a year away here.
  • Enterprise management is thin: configuration profiles cover a modest set of settings with nothing comparable to the several hundred administrative policies Chrome and Edge expose, so a managed fleet cannot control Safari to the same degree.

PhpStorm

  • Requires an ongoing paid subscription with no free tier for commercial use.
  • Heavier and slower to start than lightweight code editors.
  • Some advanced framework-specific tooling requires additional configuration or plugins.
  • Renewal pricing rises for lapsed subscriptions after the grace period.

Pricing, plan by plan

Safari

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Safari review.

PhpStorm

$24/month
  • Individual$24/month
    • Personal use license
    • Access to PhpStorm
    • Free for students and open-source maintainers
  • Organization$34/month
    • Business use license
    • Access to PhpStorm
    • Volume and renewal discounts

Which should you pick?

Choose Safari if

  • You need webkit engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want intelligent tracking prevention.
Safari review

Choose PhpStorm if

  • You need php-aware coding assistance.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want integrated debugger.
PhpStorm review

Questions people ask

Is Safari or PhpStorm better?
Neither clearly leads. Safari starts at Free and PhpStorm at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Safari or PhpStorm?
Safari has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Safari and $24/month for PhpStorm.
Does Safari or PhpStorm run on more platforms?
Safari runs on Web. PhpStorm runs on windows, mac, linux.
Can I use Safari for free?
Yes. Safari has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PhpStorm starts at $24/month.
What is Safari best used for?
Safari is most often used for getting the longest battery life out of a macbook, where the difference against chromium browsers is hours rather than minutes, debugging a site on a real iphone or ipad, which requires safari's web inspector connected over usb from a mac, an all-apple household or team that wants tabs, passwords and passkeys to follow them across devices without a third-party account, privacy-conscious users on icloud+ who want tracking protection and private relay working by default rather than through extensions. Of those, getting the longest battery life out of a macbook, where the difference against chromium browsers is hours rather than minutes and debugging a site on a real iphone or ipad, which requires safari's web inspector connected over usb from a mac are not what PhpStorm is typically brought in for.
What can Safari do that PhpStorm cannot?
Safari covers WebKit engine, Intelligent Tracking Prevention, Energy optimisation, iCloud Private Relay. PhpStorm covers PHP-aware coding assistance, Integrated debugger, Front-end tooling, Database tools.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Safari: Can I run Safari on Windows or Linux?

No. The last Windows version was Safari 5.1.7 in 2012 and it is long unsupported. There has never been a Linux build. Testing Safari requires macOS, either your own or a rented cloud device.

PhpStorm: How much does PhpStorm cost?

PhpStorm is sold via JetBrains Toolbox subscription starting around $24/month for individuals and $34/month for organizations, with free licenses for students and open-source maintainers.

Source
Safari: How do I test my site in Safari without a Mac?

Through a cloud device farm such as BrowserStack, Sauce Labs or LambdaTest, which run real macOS and iOS instances. There is no reliable local emulation, because other browsers on Windows and Linux do not use WebKit.

PhpStorm: Is there a free trial?

JetBrains offers a free trial of PhpStorm so developers can test it before subscribing.

Source
Safari: Are other iPhone browsers really different from Safari?

Historically no: Apple required all iOS browsers to use WebKit, so Chrome and Firefox on iPhone were interface shells around Safari's engine. The EU's Digital Markets Act now permits alternative engines, but adoption is limited, so in practice iOS testing still means WebKit.

PhpStorm: What platforms does PhpStorm support?

PhpStorm is a desktop IDE available on Windows, macOS, and Linux via JetBrains Toolbox.

Source
Safari: Why does Safari not get a new version on my old Mac?

Safari ships with the operating system. When a Mac can no longer run a macOS version that Apple still updates, Safari stops updating too, including its security fixes.

Safari: What does it cost?

Nothing. It is included with Apple operating systems. Private Relay requires an iCloud+ subscription, and publishing an extension requires a paid Apple Developer Program membership.

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