For years, the question "Is PHP dead?" has echoed across developer forums and tech discussions. Despite claims that PHP is outdated, the reality tells a different story. As of 2025, PHP remains one of the most widely used programming languages for web development. In this blog post, we’ll explore the reasons behind PHP’s continued relevance, its challenges, and its future in the evolving tech landscape. Additionally, we will include a quantitative analysis to assess PHP’s current standing in the industry.

The Popularity of PHP: By the Numbers

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PHP powers nearly 77.5% of all websites with known server-side programming languages, according to W3Techs. This includes major platforms such as WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Magento, and Laravel, proving that PHP is still a dominant force in web development.

Market Share Comparison (2025)

PHP – 77.5%
Node.js – 2.0%
Python (Django, Flask) – 4.3%
Ruby on Rails – 1.1%
ASP.NET – 6.5%
Java (Spring Boot, JSP) – 5.0%

Despite the emergence of modern alternatives, PHP still holds a significant share in web development.

Companies Using PHP (2025)

Facebook (historically built with PHP and now using Hack, a PHP dialect)
Wikipedia (entirely powered by PHP)
Slack (uses PHP for backend services)
Mailchimp (relies on PHP for various functionalities)
WordPress.com (managing millions of sites globally)

Why People Think PHP is Dying

There are several reasons why people believe PHP is losing its relevance:

Old Perception of PHP – PHP’s early versions were criticized for poor security practices and outdated coding standards.
Rise of JavaScript Frameworks – Technologies like Node.js, React, and Next.js provide full-stack solutions that reduce dependency on PHP.
Lack of Modern Syntax (Before PHP 7 & 8) – Prior to PHP 7, the language lacked some modern programming capabilities, leading to a decline in its popularity.

Quantitative Analysis: Performance & Adoption Trends

Performance Improvement in PHP 7 & 8

PHP 7 and PHP 8 have significantly improved speed and memory usage, making PHP applications faster and more efficient.

Performance Benchmarks (Requests per Second):

PHP 5.6 – 95 req/sec
PHP 7.4 – 195 req/sec
PHP 8.2 – 240 req/sec

PHP 8 is almost 3 times faster than PHP 5.6, making it a competitive choice for high-performance web applications.

Job Market Trends

According to Indeed and LinkedIn job postings (2025):

PHP Developer jobs worldwide: ~250,000 listings
Laravel Developer jobs: ~90,000 listings
WordPress Developer jobs: ~80,000 listings

Despite rumors of its decline, PHP skills are still in high demand, especially for web applications, e-commerce platforms, and CMS development.

How PHP is Still Thriving

1. Strong Ecosystem & Modern Frameworks

Frameworks like Laravel, Symfony, and CodeIgniter have modernized PHP development, offering clean syntax, security enhancements, and powerful features that compete with modern backend frameworks.

2. WordPress Dominance

WordPress, which runs over 40% of the internet, is built on PHP. As long as WordPress continues to dominate, PHP will remain a crucial part of web development.

3. Ease of Learning and Deployment

PHP is beginner-friendly, making it an ideal choice for new developers. It’s also widely supported by almost every hosting provider, making deployment straightforward and cost-effective.

4. Support for Asynchronous Processing

With tools like Swoole, PHP now supports asynchronous programming, allowing developers to build real-time applications similar to Node.js.

5. Adoption in Enterprise Applications

Large-scale applications and enterprises still use PHP, particularly for legacy applications that require stability and scalability.

Future of PHP

PHP is not dead and will not disappear anytime soon. With continuous updates, improved performance, and a strong community, PHP remains a viable and relevant language. As the web evolves, PHP is adapting to new demands, ensuring its place in modern web development.

Should You Learn PHP in 2025?

If you are working with WordPress, Laravel, or enterprise-level applications, PHP is still a great skill to have. While new developers may lean towards JavaScript-based frameworks, PHP is far from obsolete and continues to power a significant portion of the web.

Conclusion

PHP is alive and well. While it may not be as hyped as newer technologies, it continues to be a reliable and powerful language for web development. The key takeaway? Don’t believe the "PHP is dead" myth—because the numbers and real-world usage tell a different story.

Is PHP the future? Maybe not. But is PHP still a critical part of web development? Absolutely!

Is PHP Dead?