Worried That PHP Might Die Soon: These PHP Usage Stats Paint A Different Picture

Things keep changing in the web development sector pretty fast. Tools and technologies that are in demand now may not be in vogue after a few years. However, some web development tools and platforms defy the challenges posed by new contenders, and they have held their ground over the years. PHP is one such example. The Open Source scripting language is still a popular choice for web development globally. More than 75% of websites use PHP in some form or the other, as per the latest data.

What makes PHP withstand the competition and retain popularity?

PHP has been in this sector for a very long time. Its user base is huge, and you can find PHP developers almost everywhere. Of Course, PHP has not survived the competition without having its own strengths.

Listed below are the reasons for which still a lot of businesses prefer PHP for web development needs. 

1. Open-source platform- The Open Source scripting language can be used by companies of varying profiles. Even start-ups can use PHP for web development without thinking of licensing costs. This keeps development costs on the lower side. Especially after the pandemic, most businesses are looking for means to reduce expenses. Opting for a low-cost web development solution makes complete sense.
2. Scalable solutions- Developing scalable web solutions is a need most companies cannot overlook. Using PHP, developing scalable web applications and websites is possible. Websites made with PHP can be extended with ease by adding more servers as and when required.
3. Security- In the early days of PHP, security was an issue. However, this has been resolved in the newer versions. PHP 8, for example, is way more secure than its predecessors. Besides, you can choose PHP based CMS and frameworks that come fortified with several security measures. Hiring a veteran php web development company can be of use in this case as such an entity can develop highly secured PHP solutions for its clients.
4. Wide range of developers- As PHP has been on the scene for so long, finding various types of PHP developers is never a problem for businesses seeking PHP-based web solutions. You can find freelance PHP developers and veteran agencies offering php website development services. You will also come across a lot of PHP development outsourcing agencies catering to foreign clients. So, businesses prefer opting for PHP web development solutions over other options. 
5. Multiple CMS and frameworks- There was a time hand-coding PHP was the only option for PHP developers, but that is not the case anymore. Nowadays, they can pick from a vast range of PHP based platforms and frameworks. There are popular CMS solutions like WP, and PHP frameworks like Laravel and Symfony are also very popular among users. The abundance of choices also lures a lot of businesses seeking diverse web development solutions. A veteran php software development company usually makes use of these frameworks. 
6. Speedy development- PHP development does not take much time as it is. Developers using PHP do not have to pause a project when they come across any development issues. This is owing to the huge online PHP support community. There are plenty of PHP groups and communities online comprising veteran web developers and PHP users. They can guide and offer tips to new PHP developers. 
7. Database integration- In many situations, integrating a website with the database is necessary. PHP supports a number of popular database systems. It supports databases like MySQL, Oracle DB, SYBASE, IBM-DB2, Informix etc. So, PHP is a very good platform for making database-driven websites. 
8. High speed- Web users like using applications and websites that load fast and have a quick response time. PHP 8 is capable of handling memory well, and so execution speed is improved. So, the applications and websites based on it run and load fast. You can seek the services of a veteran PHP development company for developing websites and applications that run blazing fast.
9. Improvements- The team developing PHP takes note of the user feedback seriously. That explains why PHP’s latest version comes laden with many features the users have craved for a long time. The enhancements added to PHP have worked in its favour and saved it from turning obsolete. 

Trends and Statistics reveal that PHP is far from dead

A section of people had expected that PHP would become obsolete and get overshadowed by emerging web development technologies. But the programming language still exists in its full glory. 

Listed here are some facts and statistics which prove that PHP is not dead and it will not go away anytime soon. 

Statistics of current PHP usage

It is true that PHP is not the best or newest programming language used for web development. But statistics and trends from various trusted sources show that PHP is still very popular. 

As per data from W3Techs, almost 78.9% of websites use PHP as their programming language. This means that almost 8 out of 10 websites on the internet use PHP in some way or the other. 

Again, there are some scanning tools which just look for the ‘X-powered-By’ HTTP header. Many of the hosting providers remove the headers from broadcasting on the server. This is done for security purposes solely. Therefore, the number of websites using PHP could be more. 

Also, when the percentage of usage is above 75%, this is a clear indication that there is still demand for this programming language, and it is far from being obsolete. 

WordPress is the most widely used content management system, and even WordPress is based on PHP. You might not know, but almost 34-35% of websites on the web are powered by WordPress. You can imagine the number of websites running on PHP then. Along with WordPress, Joomla and Drupal are based on PHP as well. 

To keep pace in the race, PHP has been made better and faster. The latest versions of PHP show a huge leap in performance (for PHP 7. X over PHP 5.6). As per reports from WordPress.org, almost 64% of WordPress websites use PHP 7.1 or lower. Approximately 22.9% of websites use PHP 5.6. 

The figures above make it clear that PHP will not go anywhere soon. Web development experts think there is nothing to worry about till the PHP usage percentage drops below 50% or more. 

Conclusion

PHP commands a major share of the web development sector, despite the buzz of it becoming obsolete. Its evolution and ever-growing community and its killer features will ensure its longevity.