Is PHP declining in 2024?

The need to change the tech stack and the additional costs could be at the top of the managerial fears ranking, right? Well, while there is no such ranking, many are carefully examining the programming languages’ popularity ratings.

Software product owners want to be sure that their website or app operates on a supported and updated programming language. My article will help you understand whether PHP is really declining and whether it is appropriate to start new projects with this programming language in 2024.

Is PHP Declining in Popularity?

As a rule, the reason to talk about PHP declining are various ratings based on surveys. Yes, such polls give a lot of food for thought, reflecting views and assessments in the IT sphere. 

Let’s examine the rankings of programming languages’ ​​popularity to find an answer to the question: What does PHP mean for software development today?

Reasons to Think About PHP Declining in 2024

Many authoritative rankings and indexes paint a less-than-rosy picture for PHP.

The TIOBE Programming Community Index for July 2024 shows that from July 2023 to July 2024, PHP fell from 9th to 16th place in terms of popularity of programming languages.

In the yearly Stack Overflow developer poll, PHP usage has declined from 30.7% in 2018, representing the proportion of developers utilizing PHP, to 18.58% in 2023. A comparable trend is observed in the JetBrains developer ecosystem survey, where PHP usage decreased from 30% in 2017 to 18% in 2023.

In addition, you can recall data from GitHub, according to which the PHP programming language was the third most widely used language in 2014. Since then, it has also deteriorated in position.

We can identify several factors that explain the above figures for PHP`s declining in the current situation.

The influx of innovations

Web development is an arena of fierce competition. There are many examples where the emergence of new technologies has decreased the prevalence of already existing ones, and this applies not only to PHP.

For instance, the PHP vs JavaScript (JS) rivalry has been extramural for a long time. JS and PHP coding languages, in fact, did not invade each other’s territory. The PHP front end could only be an experiment that did not gain traction. In turn, JS took control of the front end. JS front end and PHP backend were the web classics for quite some time. 

However, one day, JS pivoted the situation, bringing to the market Node.js, a runtime environment with which you can build the server side. Such a move certainly distracted some web projects from the PHP coding language. The PHP vs. Node.js competition continues, and I’m sure it will bring many exciting things to you and me.

Unfounded stereotypes around PHP

PHP has earned a solid reputation over its long lifespan. However, certain outdated stereotypes surround this programming language, particularly regarding performance concerns. 

While PHP has significantly improved its performance, especially with the release of PHP 7 and 8, some developers still perceive it slower than other server-side languages. The web development world is eventful, and performance improvements and fixes for other PHP flaws don’t always get the attention they deserve.

Insufficient presence in new IT areas

Other players can sometimes occupy new technological niches faster. For example, Python libraries for machine learning make this programming language a recognized leader in the field.

As a result, programming languages ​​related to implementing artificial intelligence (AI) or other game-changing technologies are gaining more interest, leaving PHP in the shadows. 

The given statistics look eloquent, but are they sufficient for unequivocal conclusions that PHP is declining in today’s software development?

To clarify this, let’s look at the situation more holistically.

PHP Popularity in Facts: Is PHP still relevant?

When analyzing whether PHP is still relevant, it is appropriate to look not only at current trends but also to evaluate its continued place in the web development area.

Nevertheless, an in-depth analysis shows that there are still many tasks and projects for PHP web development. Although PHP may not be the undisputed leader in all aspects of web system creation, it will continue to be among the leading programming languages ​​today.

Take a look below at the GitHub infographic I mentioned. It confirms that PHP has not fallen below the 7th position among the top programming languages used, at least since 2014.

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TIOBE Index, summarizing the data for a very long period, also notes the steady presence of PHP in the top ten programming languages’ popularity ranking.

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The annual Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2023 records the same situation. The interviewed professional developers ranked PHP 10th among the most frequently used technologies. You can see a similar result among those who are learning to code. This rating of PHP can be considered a kind of forecast of its usage, right?

Also, in the same Stack Overflow survey, 9.22% of respondents named PHP as “desired,” that is, a programming language they would like to use. In turn, 41.83% indicated that they are “admired” by this programming language; that is, they used it during the last year and are determined to continue doing so, having seen its advantages in practice. 

The same poll reflected coders’ views on comparing PHP vs JavaScript. It turned out that thousands of people, knowing one of these technologies, intend to learn another, thus becoming full-stack developers.

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With my programming experience, I can also share my opinion on the question: Is PHP still relevant in 2024? By providing PHP development services, I have practical confirmation that this programming language has solid potential and is suitable for a wide range of purposes.

Our clients choose the technology of the software product through dialogue with Dashdevs experts and consideration of several options. Still, they often chose PHP. Therefore, my colleagues and I are convinced that the long-standing PHP language is still in demand.

What are the secrets of its viability?

What Contributes to PHP Popularity

1. Ubiquity and Legacy Systems

One of PHP’s most compelling strengths is its pervasive presence across the web. As of mid-2024, PHP is the server-side language driving 76.1% of websites, a testament to its widespread adoption and enduring relevance. This ubiquity is crucial in understanding PHP’s significance.

PHP’s long-standing dominance means that a substantial number of legacy systems still rely on it. Many of these systems, built during PHP’s early years, continue functioning and require ongoing maintenance. 

PHP continuity in existing applications is not merely about preserving old code; it also involves adapting and evolving these systems to meet modern needs.

2. Content Management Systems

PHP serves as the foundational technology for several widely-used content management systems (CMS), including:

WordPress: As the leading CMS globally, WordPress is built on PHP and supports over 40% of websites. This translates to approximately 800 million sites that utilize PHP. 

WordPress has proven itself as a platform where you can quickly build versatile and feature-rich websites. Flexibility and a wide range of plugins offered by this CMS written in the PHP programming language play a significant role.

Joomla and Drupal: Joomla and Drupal, which also have PHP in their tech stacks, are widely popular CMS. On these platforms, you can manage complex websites and extensive content. The robust content management capabilities of these CMS cater to diverse and sophisticated web development needs.

The listed platforms greatly contribute to PHP’s ongoing relevance.

3. Versatility

Remarkable versatility sets PHP coding language apart from other similar ones. Initially intended for web development only, PHP has gained recognition as a multifaceted, general-purpose scripting language capable of performing various tasks.

Its adaptability extends beyond web development, allowing software engineers to write command-line scripts for Command-Line Interface (CLI) and desktop applications in PHP. This feature makes PHP a powerful tool for scripting and automating tasks outside traditional web environments.

The versatility of PHP is also evident in its ability to operate on most common operating systems, including Windows, OS X, and various Linux distributions. 

4. Suitability for Microservice Architecture and Integration Capabilities

PHP’s seamless integration with diverse technologies and services stands out in today’s web environment, where microservices and APIs are paramount. PHP interfaces smoothly with databases like MySQL and PostgreSQL and can interact with RESTful APIs, positioning it well for contemporary, distributed architectures.

PHP has seen growing popularity for creating microservices and APIs due to several factors:

PHP framework support: Web development frameworks such as Laravel and Symfony provide robust tools for developing RESTful APIs and microservices. They offer built-in features for handling requests, routing, and middleware, critical components in microservice architectures.

Scalability: PHP applications are easily horizontally scalable, enabling developers to build scalable, microservice-based systems.

Container compatibility: PHP works effectively with containers. Utilizing Docker, developers can conveniently package PHP apps and seamlessly integrate PHP microservices into larger systems.

PHP Roadmap: What Drives Progress?

Modern PHP Frameworks

PHP frameworks, Laravel, Symfony, and CodeIgniter, are progressing, fueling PHP’s position. These powerful frameworks provide comprehensive toolsets for seamless and fast development, making PHP more appealing for crafting modern web apps. Notably, advanced frameworks implement their approaches to responding to challenges, such as the need to increase security and improve performance.

PHP Community and Ecosystem

The PHP coding language has an extensive, dynamic community and thriving ecosystem. 

The sheer number of libraries and tools available for PHP developers is astounding. If you want a feature-rich website, there is a high likelihood that you can find relevant extensions and functionalities within the PHP ecosystem to bring your vision to life. 

An example of PHP’s robust toolkit is Composer, a dependency manager for PHP applications. It offers a standardized approach to managing dependencies and libraries required for PHP software. 

The extensive support network, including the PHP Foundation, encourages problem-solving, learning, and the exchange of best practices, thereby contributing to PHP’s lasting relevance.

Permanent Improvements

Watching PHP evolve from version to version, I can conclude that the PHP Foundation and the professional community are purposefully closing the gaps and eliminating the weaknesses of this programming language. It is enough to mention the recent substantial improvements, including:

Performance Improvements: In the past, PHP has encountered criticism regarding its performance. However, recent versions of the PHP programming language have successfully tackled these issues. 

Notable performance improvements and the addition of features like the Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler have boosted PHP’s efficiency and speed. JIT compilation broadens the possibilities for PHP application development by accelerating computational operations to levels comparable to compiled languages.

Enhancements to the Zend Engine, the compiler and runtime environment for PHP, also improve performance and extensibility. Each new PHP version typically includes an upgraded Zend Engine, which has resulted in PHP applications using less memory and faster website page load times.

Memory and CPU Optimizations: Features like typed properties, along with optimizations for memory usage, CPU usage, and garbage collection, undoubtedly make the programming language PHP faster and more efficient. 

Modern Syntax: Features such as arrow functions, union types, match expressions, and attributes for adding metadata to classes and methods have modernized PHP, enabling the writing of clean and concise code.

Below, we’ll look at real-life examples of PHP’s strengths and which products it fits.

How PHP Can Benefit Your Projects: Use Cases and Real-World Examples

Let’s examine how PHP’s advantages are implemented in common use cases, which may well be typical for your business. I use case studies of how we have helped our clients achieve their goals to give you the full picture.

PHP Web Development

Web development was and remains PHP’s primary use. Many corporate portals, social networks, and various web platforms run on a robust PHP backend. The core activity of PHP development companies is building, maintaining, and modernizing web systems.

Remember that this general-purpose scripting language was created for web development. PHP code operates on the web server side, performing tasks such as retrieving data from a database, processing it, or interacting with other parts of the web system.

High-load Streaming platform

Project background

The client turned to us with a request to develop a streaming platform to handle large volumes of data, ensure low latency, maintain high availability, and provide a seamless user experience.

Project challenges included:

• High bandwidth and low latency
• Scalability
• Real-time analytics
• Data storage and management

Project highlights

Using PHP capabilities to achieve the client’s business goals made it possible to provide:

• Real-time data processing with live and on-demand streaming
• High data throughput
• Scalability
• Data storage and management with database optimization and usage of distributed storage systems

Project outcomes

By leveraging technologies such as PHP and microservices, our developers created a robust and efficient streaming platform that delivers high-quality content to users worldwide.

Services in Software Platforms 

Due to their flexibility and scalability, microservice and service-oriented architectures have attracted increasing attention compared to traditional monolithic models. PHP with its speed of development, libraries with many ready-made solutions, and lightness of modules perfectly fits these architectural patterns.

Here’s how it works with a real-life example from our practice. The software product I want to discuss is financial, which corresponds to one of our core specializations because we are a fintech software agency.

MuchBetter Payment App

Project background

The MuchBetter e-wallet, developed by DashDevs, is a leading payment app favored by global gaming sites. It allows users to store, send, and receive money securely and efficiently.

MuchBetter supports multiple payment providers and integrations, ensuring ease of connection with banks and payment systems. It features secure accounts with device pairing, touch ID, dynamic security codes, and transaction review systems. 

Project highlights

The primary language in which MuchBetter e-wallet is written is Java. At the same time, the project had challenges that required the use of the search for additional technological solutions, namely:

• The need for building payment gateways for smooth payments
• Continuous, reliable administration of the system
• Data transfer and interaction with file systems

PHP is ideally suited for creating lightweight software modules that complement the software product’s capabilities.

Project outcomes

With the help of PHP, the project team built:

• Payment gateway
• System administration module
• Modules for data transfer, data management, and file system interaction that were easily integrated with Google Cloud and MongoDB

Thus, the client has succeeded in enriching the functionality and ensuring the smooth operation of the app, which is available in over 180 countries, serves over 400,000 users, and connects with over 300 merchants.

E-commerce Solutions

What is PHP programming for e-commerce nowadays? In this area, PHP’s capability to cope with complex transactions and efficiently manage user data is primarily in demand.

We can recall many cases when the founders of well-known e-commerce platforms decided to hire PHP developers to build them. Magento, OpenCart, and PrestaShop—advanced e-commerce solutions— add PHP points in the programming languages’ popularity rankings.

Dashdevs portfolio also contains many examples of the effective use of PHP in e-commerce apps. 

E-commerce app for the physical rehabilitation of athletes

Project background

Our client, a company whose products and services help athletes recover, was looking to drive sales and improve the customer experience. The client entrusted the Riseapps team with implementing the idea of enabling customers to pay through digital wallets.

Integrating digital wallets into e-commerce platforms enhances checkout, reducing transaction time and minimizing cart abandonment. Key challenges include ensuring scalability, meeting tight development deadlines, and achieving seamless integration across regions and currencies. 

Project highlights

The specifics of such projects require the developers to focus on preventing technical issues that can disrupt transactions and negatively impact user experience. Effective Fintech integrations can address these issues, improving transaction efficiency, security, and overall user satisfaction.

In the case I’m sharing, PHP was a good fit for responding to the project’s challenges. It helped quickly develop easily scalable payment solutions that seamlessly integrate with in-house and third-party systems.

Project outcomes

As a result of our PHP web development, the client received a set of payment solutions and integrations, with the help of which the online store can flexibly accept payments in ways convenient for customers.

APIs and Web Integrations 

In the era of connected applications, PHP’s ability to integrate seamlessly with other technologies is crucial.

Database Interaction

Working with databases is another topic that will help you understand: What does PHP mean for software development?

PHP interacts well with databases, so it is appropriate to mention MySQL first since PHP has built-in support for this database management system. At the same time, the PHP programming language seamlessly supports other databases such as PostgreSQL, MongoDB, SQLite, and Oracle.

Such capabilities of PHP development services add flexibility to your project, as you can choose the suitable database for your app. Thus, PHP fits into apps that retrieve and store large amounts of data in various formats.

APIs

Web developers often use PHP to create APIs (application programming interfaces) and web services that interoperate with different software systems. 

PHP supports HTTP and JSON requests, so you can build RESTful APIs and perform integrations with third-party solutions with its help. PHP’s cURL and HTTP client libraries make it easy to consume and create APIs, facilitating communication between different services.

Integration of web platform with CRM system

Project background

The project involved creating an API to integrate a web platform with the company’s internal corporate systems, primarily the CRM. The goal was to enable reliable and efficient data exchange between applications and databases.

Project highlights

The project team focused on:

• Reliable Data Exchange: Ensuring consistent and error-free data flow between the web platform and internal systems
• Efficient Integrations: Designing an API that facilitates seamless and efficient integration processes

PHP was chosen for its robust support for web development, extensive libraries, and frameworks that simplify API creation.

Project outcomes

The project successfully integrated the web platform with the CRM, improving data synchronization and enhancing overall operational efficiency. The PHP-based API ensured smooth and secure data exchange, effectively meeting the project’s objectives.

Plugins and Auxiliary Software Tools 

PHP is ideal for creating plugins and auxiliary software tools for web systems due to its flexibility, extensive libraries, and ease of integration. A notable case involved expanding financial payment acceptance options for online stores.

A set of payment plugins for an online retailer

Project background

Addressing Dashdevs, the client sought to offer buyers various payment options. Together with the client, we identified challenges that included:

• Ensuring plugins adhere to Fintech best practices.
• Maintaining smooth interactions with the running system.

Project highlights

We agreed with the client to use PHP through its robust support for web development, extensive ecosystem, and ease of integration with various payment gateways.

Project outcomes

The PHP-based payment plugins we built ensured reliable and flexible payment operations, enhancing the web platform’s functionality and providing users with multiple convenient payment options.

Another project in which our team provided PHP development services required customizing the e-commerce services of a leading vendor.

Building whitelable online stores

Project background

A client operating in the fashion industry came to us with the idea of ​​creating whitelable solutions. This company works on one of the top e-commerce platforms but wanted to implement features beyond its out-of-the-box functionality.

Thus, the main project challenge was to build a system of add-ons and extensions that could be seamlessly integrated with the vendor’s platform.

Project highlights

Our experts suggested coding additional software solutions in PHP, which the client approved. As a result, it was possible to ensure the harmonious operation of add-ons and extensions with the vendor platform and significantly reduce the time to market software products.

Project outcomes

The client’s outcome was sales of whitelabel ready-turnkey online fashion stores whose capabilities far exceeded standard e-commerce solutions.

Conclusion

There are many use cases where using PHP will contribute to achieving your business goals. It is also critical to hire PHP developers with the necessary expertise to help you get the most out of using this programming language for your product. 

Dashdevs experts carefully study your product vision and the specifics of the upcoming project to offer you the most appropriate development technologies. PHP is always on the list of possible tech stack elements, and you can be sure that we will offer it when we see suitable tasks.

Contact us, and our experts will help you use PHP and other software development technologies to service your projects.