PHPvs
MySQL
MySQL: The world's most popular open source database
PHP
A popular general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited to web development
As of 29 August 2026, PHP is free to use. PHP is an open source scripting language for web development, maintained by the PHP Group with active releases 8. Softwr lists it under Web Development.
Overview
What PHP does
PHP is an open source scripting language for web development, maintained by the PHP Group with active releases 8.4 and 8.5 as of August 2026.
What people use it for
- Server-side web development
- Content management systems
- API backends
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about PHP.
- Distributed under the Modified BSD License, also called the PHP License version 4, per php.net/license/; there is no paid tier or vendor price to compare
- PHP 8.2 lost active support on 31 Dec 2024 and enters full end of life on 31 Dec 2026, with only security fixes since, per php.net/supported-versions.php (Aug 2026)
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of PHP
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- PHPvsDjango
Django: The web framework for perfectionists with deadlines
- PHPvsNext.js
Next.js: The React framework for the web
- PHPvsFlask
Flask: A lightweight WSGI web application framework
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is PHP free to use?
Yes, PHP is completely free and open-source software under the PHP Foundation governance. There are no licensing fees or paid tiers.
SourceDoes the PHP Foundation offer paid support?
The PHP Foundation accepts voluntary donations to support long-term development, but donations are optional and not required to use PHP.
SourceKeep looking
Where to go from PHP
- PHP alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- PHP pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- PHP badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Web Development softwareThe full category
- Best Web Development softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Web Development software for
Compare PHP with
- Django
- MySQL
- Next.js
- Flask
- Sass
- Remix
- npm
- SolidStart
- Wix Studio
- Apache HTTP Server
- Bolt.new
- .NET
- TanStack Start
- Alpine.js
- Astro
- Carrd
- npm
- SolidStart
Other Web Development software
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Free plan12 researched notesFull-stack React framework with type-safe server functions and TanStack Router
Free plan10 researched notesLightweight JavaScript framework for composing dynamic behavior in HTML
Free plan10 researched notesWeb framework for content-driven sites shipping minimal JavaScript by default
Free plan11 researched notesFull-stack meta-framework for SolidJS with fine-grained reactivity
Free plan10 researched notes
Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for PHP, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on PHP
PHP alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
PHP pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare PHP
Put it head to head with anything we hold
PHP badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
Best Web Development software alternatives
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