PHP was the most popular server-side scripting language in 2023 with an incredible market share of 77%. And is still one of the most adopted languages across the web.

But the digital community always raises questions on its relevance with the latest techstacks. And is this language still that helpful as it was in the 2010s? 

It’s definitely IS! 

PHP isn’t DEAD, And isn’t going anywhere even in the next decade. 

A language that once powered software giants like Facebook, and Wikipedia is under question that the tech community will use it for their software production. 

But why does this question come into picture? 

Because of the availability of plenty of web development technologies, Like the event-driven Node Js or Rust came into the scene and reshaped the web development industry.

But that doesn’t mean that PHP is dead? Does it? 

No, Absolutely NOT!

I was once curious like you and to find the solution, I talked to many computer science students, Teachers, Market professionals, Attended many events related to it. And discussed it with great minds on internet. You might be thinking, what’s the conclusion? 

Let’s take a good look at the stats and everything that I found out. So, that you’ll get a clear understanding about it. 

Is PHP still widely used and relevant? – Statistics Unveiled

Despite a small decline in its usage (-1.2%) 2023 There are still more than 70%  websites that use this language, Which is a huge number, Isn’t it? 

The number of websites built on it and its usage makes it clear to you that PHP isn’t going anywhere. 

Not even for the next 10 years. 

Shouting PHP is dead, PHP is dead won’t help anyone but make a wave of misunderstanding. 

The biggest CMS (Content Management System) WordPress is based on PHP. WordPress holds the share of more than 43% of the websites on the internet, Which makes the number of more than 800 million websites, built on PHP. 

What are the major companies using PHP?

Facebook, WordPress, Wikipedia, Whatsapp, Zoom, Tumblr, and OpenAI. The language is highly adopted and supported around the world. And these tech companies use PHP as their primary server-side scripting  language. 

How Popular is PHP amongst developers?

If you compare it with other languages like Javascript and Python, then it is definitely falling short. As, it used by the range of around 20-30% developers in 2023. And on the other side, Javascript popularity increases by more than 60-70% and Python is also growing very rapidly with 50% more adaptation. 

But that doesn’t mean that PHP is going towards decline. Why? Because one thing that you should keep in mind is that PHP is never a language that can solve all your front-end and back-end problems. 

It is a back-end programming language which has a seperate purpose than Javascript for front-end development or Python for data sciences.

As per google trends, Javascript no doubt gained a huge popularity and in the last 7 years, And is going towards a new height. But at the same time google trends didn’t indicate any decline in the popularity of PHP. 

Now, you get the answer that PHP isn’t dead and it isn’t going anywhere in the near future. And it is amongst the most used programming languages right now. Then one question might appear in your mind: what are the reasons for its popularity? So, let’s delve into it.

What are the reasons behind PHP’s popularity?

PHP is faster:

The newer versions of PHP like 7 and above have immensely significant and impressive features which makes the whole development, and maintenance process easier and smoother than ever.

What are the new additions into the PHP versions?

The newer versions contain typed properties, Better memory usage, Garbage collection, CPU usage, And its preloader enhances the loading speed of the software too. So, this makes it an even better option for the developers to adopt and use it. 

The Dominance of CMS:

Small business owners, Enterprises, And Bloggers use CMS like wordpress for their websites. And like I mentioned above, it has a market share of more than 43% which shows the number of users who have their websites based on this.  

Finding PHP developers are Easy to find:

One reason for its popularity is because of its immense contribution on the web. There is a big number of PHP developers out there which are here to help people if they are finding anyone to get their software issues done. Or want any type of assistance or guidance.

Larger Community:

Because of its huge number of users, it is obvious that there are a big number of developers in the PHP community. As, these developers have better understanding of the advancement and new version features and functionalities in this programming language. So, any new comers in it can easily get the help from professionals.

Is PHP suitable for software development in 2024?

PHP is continuously improving, And there have been many new functionalities and features introduced in the newer versions like PHP 8. 

With improved security, Library, Frameworks, and it also includes match expressions, And union type for better performance. The newer versions of this programming language meets the standard and can be easily used in making modern websites. 

Is PHP suitable for Mobile Application development?

PHP is a back-end programming language that is used in web development. Although, it can be used for responsive websites, And can even integrate with native. But it doesn’t support full features more smoothly in mobile application development than in websites. So, it is better not to use it for mobile app development.  

Conclusion:

PHP isn’t dead and isn’t going anywhere for at least next 10 years. And there are plenty of reasons behind it. Firstly, It is faster and better than many other available options. Secondly, its newer versions are perfectly suited for the best experience in web development, Thirdly, It has a large community. Lastly, It is easier  to find PHP developers. As, the programming language is used in more than 70% of the websites today including big names like WordPress, Whatsapp, And Open AI.