Key facts
- PHP version chosen per site in Plesk, so an old site and modern sites can share the same server without affecting each other
- PHP 7.4 and 7.0, and PHP 5.6, available where our server platform supports them; current PHP 8.x for everything else
- PHP 7.4 has had no official security fixes since 28 November 2022
- PHP 8.2 security support ends 31 December 2026, so 8.2 sites will soon count as legacy too
- Per-site php.ini settings: memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize, max_input_vars
- ionCube Loader availability checked for each PHP version before migration
- £1 a day + VAT, with free migration and daily backups
Why hosts are dropping older PHP versions
Every PHP release gets two years of active support and then two years of security-only fixes. After that it's end of life, and many hosts remove it so they don't have to answer for it. That's sensible for them, but it leaves you with a working site and a deadline you didn't choose.
The pressure is building right now. PHP 8.1 reached end of life on 31 December 2025 and PHP 8.2 follows on 31 December 2026. If your site was built a few years ago and nobody has touched it, there's a fair chance it's running a version your host is about to switch off.
What changed between PHP versions
When you know which version a site was built for, you can predict what will break. These are the changes that cause most of the problems we fix:
| Version | What was removed or changed | Typical symptom |
|---|---|---|
| PHP 5.4 | register_globals, magic_quotes and call-time pass-by-reference removed | Forms stop saving, logins fail |
| PHP 7.0 | mysql_* functions and ereg_* functions removed | Blank white page or database fatal error |
| PHP 7.2 | mcrypt extension removed | Login, encryption or payment code fails |
| PHP 8.0 | each(), create_function() and old-style constructors removed; many warnings become errors | Fatal errors in older plugins and themes |
| PHP 8.1+ | Passing null to built-in functions deprecated | Pages of deprecation notices in logs |
Encoded software adds another layer. Scripts protected with ionCube need a Loader that matches both the PHP version and the version they were encoded for, so older encoded add-ons often won't load on newer PHP at all.
How we run legacy PHP on dijitul hosting
Our servers use Plesk, which lets each site run its own PHP version through its own PHP-FPM pool. In practice that means:
- Your old site can sit on PHP 7.4 while other sites on the same server run current PHP 8.x. Each Complete Hosting plan covers one website, so a second site gets its own plan and its own PHP version.
- You can see and change the version yourself in your own Plesk login, or ask us to.
- We tune per-site settings such as memory_limit, max_execution_time and max_input_vars to match what the site expects.
- display_errors is switched off on the live site, so visitors never see raw error messages and file paths.
- Common extensions are available, including mysqli, PDO, GD, cURL, mbstring, intl, zip and SOAP, depending on the PHP version.
Each site is isolated under its own system user, sits behind Cloudflare and is backed up daily. See Plesk hosting for more on the control panel.
Moving a legacy PHP site without breaking it
We copy the site, match the PHP version and extensions it had, and test on a temporary address first. Only when it works do we change DNS. If your old host is about to switch versions, we can usually move you before the date. Read more on website migration.
Very old code (PHP 5.2 to 5.5) is a different case, because those versions aren't available on modern operating systems. See PHP 5 hosting for how we handle it.
Planning the upgrade
Legacy PHP hosting is a bridge, not a destination. Once you're stable we can audit the code and give you a fixed quote to bring it up to PHP 8.3 or newer. Often the job is smaller than people fear: a database layer, a handful of deprecated functions and a couple of plugins. If you run WordPress, Joomla or Drupal, updating the core and extensions usually gets most of the way. Bespoke code may need more work, which we'll scope honestly. For the bigger picture on older sites, see old website hosting.
Frequently asked questions
My host is removing PHP 7.4. Can I still use it somewhere?
Yes. dijitul can run PHP 7.4 for an individual site in Plesk where our platform supports it, isolated from other sites, behind Cloudflare and with daily backups. It's part of dijitul Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT. We'd also recommend planning an upgrade, because PHP 7.4 no longer receives security fixes.
How do I find out what PHP version my website uses?
Check your hosting control panel, usually under PHP settings, or ask your host. A developer can also create a phpinfo() page. If the site has a blank page since a recent server change, it is probably now on a newer PHP version than it was built for. dijitul checks this for you before any migration.
Can two websites on the same hosting use different PHP versions?
On Plesk, yes. Each site has its own PHP-FPM pool and you choose the version per site, so an old site can run PHP 7.4 while a newer one runs PHP 8.3 or later on the same dijitul server. Each Complete Hosting plan covers one website, so two sites means two plans.
Will my ionCube encoded scripts work on newer PHP?
Often not. ionCube files need a Loader that matches the PHP version, and files encoded for older PHP may not load on newer versions at all. The fix is to get an updated release from the software vendor, or to keep the site on the matching older PHP version. dijitul checks this before migrating.
Is PHP 8.2 about to become legacy?
Yes. PHP 8.2 receives security fixes only until 31 December 2026, after which it is end of life. PHP 8.3 is supported until 31 December 2027 and PHP 8.4 until 31 December 2028. Sites on 8.2 should be tested on 8.3 or newer during 2026.
What breaks when moving from PHP 7 to PHP 8?
The usual problems are functions removed in PHP 8.0, such as each() and create_function(), old-style class constructors, and stricter error handling that turns old warnings into fatal errors. Older WordPress plugins and themes are the most common source. dijitul can test your site on PHP 8 before switching and quote for fixes.
Related
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