Should you upgrade to PHP8?
PHP7 recently marked it’s end of life (EOL) milestone last November after 5 years of powering some of the worlds largest websites. Once software is reaches EOL, it no longer receives any updates, both security and performance based.
PHP8 is the successor to PHP7 and features an impressive security and performance boost to all applications with key features as:
- Improved Performance: Your website will load faster, which can lead to better user experience, higher search engine rankings, and ultimately, increased traffic and revenue.
- Increased Security: Your website will be more secure and less likely to be hacked.
- Better Compatibility: It makes it easier to develop and maintain websites.
- Future-resilience: Rebuilding the website using PHP 8 ensures that it will be compatible with future updates and upgrades, reducing the need for future rebuilds.
For the technically inclined the PHP8 changelog is available for viewing on PHP.net and even PHP version 8.2.5 has a list of security and improvements from the earlier version 8.1 showcasing how important it is to be up to date for your site or web application.
The short answer is: Yes!
What complicates a PHP major version upgrade?
Put simply, things can break – core site functionality can no longer work, or compatibility issues with other connected parts of your website or web application can break once the PHP version is changed. W3techs.com data suggest that 66.5% of all the sites they know of, still report using PHP7.
The risk of an unexpected outcome when updating typically leads the forefront of upgrade hesitance for site owners.
Partner with FutureLab
This is where partnering and planning an upgrade with FutureLab mitigates that risk. We are experts in the inner workings of sites, we work with our clients to manage a PHP major version upgrade and ensure any compatibility issues are worked through in advance. In fact, we recently updated a few thousand lines of code for a large multisite network we worth with, in order to get them PHP8 ready.
We genuinely care about the reliability and continuity of your website. If you are interested, feel free to start a conversation with us.
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