What Version of PHP Are You Using?
Starting February 2021, HostGator will update the available PHP versions on our hosting servers. PHP 7.4 will be available on shared hosting.
Please be aware that PHP versions older than 7.3 will no longer be supported as we work on updating accounts. If it is necessary for your website to use the older PHP versions, this can be done manually. Let us know via phone or Live Chat so we can assist you. However, we highly recommend that you upgrade all your website installations and applications to be compatible with the newest PHP version.
This article discusses the following topics.
- What Version of PHP Am I Using?
- How Do I Change My PHP Version?
- What Versions of PHP are Available?
- Additional References
What Version of PHP Am I Using?
With a variety of available PHP versions, it can be challenging to identify which version your site is utilizing. This can be even more challenging to determine given that PHP versions are defined in the .htaccess file, meaning that subfolders can inherit the versions their parent directories are using.
The easiest way to be certain what version of PHP a folder is using is to create a phpinfo.php file in that directory and navigate to it. The top of the phpinfo page will tell you what version of PHP is being referenced by that directory.
How Do I Change My PHP Version?
HostGator provides a PHP configuration plugin on our Shared and Reseller server cPanels that allows setting the PHP version for specific directories and domains. In this video, we cover how to use the MultiPHP Manager plugin in cPanel.
Please refer to this article to learn more about MultiPHP Manager and how to use it: How to Update the PHP Version.
For the script used in creating the phpinfo.php file, you can visit this link for the complete set of instructions: How to Create a phpinfo.php File.
What Versions of PHP are Available?
We highly recommend using the most up-to-date version available that is compatible with your scripts. Many of our servers have legacy PHP versions, which will not be guaranteed on current or future servers. The chart below shows the versions of PHP installed on newly provisioned servers.
All shared servers are updated with the versions of PHP listed below, even legacy servers, though a legacy version of PHP may be the default. A VPS or Dedicated server will have the version of PHP, which was default at the time of provisioning, and must request an upgrade as a PHP version change can cause errors, and we will not do this automatically.
Key
| ✔ Default | This is the default version on newly provisioned servers. Some legacy servers may use an older version as default. |
| ✔ Configuration Plugin | You can use this version with a small change using our PHP configuration plugin. |
| ✻ Upon Request | You can request this version of PHP by contacting us via phone or Live Chat |
| ✘ Not Available | This PHP version is not available for this hosting plan. |
| ❖ Not Officially Supported | Not officially supported, but you can request it. Use at your own risk. |
Linux Hosting
| Hosting Type | PHP 7.0.x | PHP 7.1.x | PHP 7.2.x | PHP 7.3.x | PHP 7.4.x | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared Hosting | ✻ Upon Request | ✻ Upon Request | ✻ Upon Request | ✔ Configuration Plugin | ✔ Configuration Plugin | |
| Cloud Sites | ✻ Upon Request | ✻ Upon Request | ✻ Upon Request | ✔ Configuration Plugin | ✔ Configuration Plugin | |
| Optimized WordPress | ✻ Upon Request | ✻ Upon Request | ✔ Default | ✻ Upon Request | ✻ Upon Request | |
| Reseller Hosting | ✻ Upon Request | ✻ Upon Request | ✻ Upon Request | ✔ Configuration Plugin | ✔ Configuration Plugin | |
| VPS Hosting with cPanel | ✔ Configuration Plugin | ✔ Configuration Plugin | ✔ Configuration Plugin | ✔ Default | ✻ Upon Request | |
| VPS with VZ Only | Since this is a bare-bones installation, PHP is not installed by default, but you can install any version you like. | |||||
| Linux Dedicated Servers | ✔ Configuration Plugin | ✔ Configuration Plugin | ✔ Default | ✻ Upon Request | ✻ Upon Request | |
Windows Hosting
| Hosting Type | PHP 5.6.x | PHP 7.0.x | PHP 7.1.x | PHP 7.2.x | PHP 7.3.x | PHP 7.4.x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Shared Hosting | ✔ Configuration Plugin | ✔ Default | ✔ Configuration Plugin | ✔ Configuration Plugin | ✔ Configuration Plugin | ✔ Configuration Plugin |
| Windows Dedicated Servers | ✔ Default | ✔ Configuration Plugin | ✻ Upon Request | ✻ Upon Request | ✻ Upon Request | ✻ Upon Request |