How To Update PHP Versions In WordPress (PHP 8.0 & 7.4) Every Host Covered

You may be wondering why your site is so slow even after spending a ton of money on purchasing premium plugins, tools, and expensive hosts. The answer is simple, update your PHP version.

The recommended PHP version is 7.4, and believe me, it is pretty easy to upgrade your site to it.

In this article, we will look at how to upgrade the PHP version step by step and some other important things.

Stick till the end to learn better.

WordPress PHP Requirements

The leading CMS (Content Management System) requires PHP version 7.4 or greater to run. What does that mean?

WordPress its self is a PHP application. If you have not updated your site’s PHP version, WordPress might not work perfectly. Ultimately, your site will load super-slow which may cause a dip in traffic and a dive in revenue.

How To Check Your Sites PHP Version

It is important to know what PHP version your site is currently running on. Once you know that, you can proceed with the PHP updation process.

It is very simple to check. To get the info of your site’s PHP version, you need to download a plugin called Display PHP Version.

Install and activate it.

Once you activated this plugin, go to your WordPress Dashboard and it will display the current PHP version of your site.

Things To Do Before You Update The PHP Version Of Your Website

It is important to perform these points mentioned below before you go for a change.

• Update All The Plugins & Themes.

This is important before you go for an update. Updating them will reduce the chances of errors. Also, remove plugins that are outdated or not suitable for your current WordPress version.

• Check Compatibility

There is a plugin called PHP Compatibility Checker, that can do the job for you however, this plugin is outdated and hasn’t been tested with the current version of WordPress, so I don’t recommend installing it. You can connect to your hosting provider via live chat and ask them for help in this.

• Backup Your Site

Updating the PHP version is a risk, it might break your site. Make sure to have a copy of your site ready if anything unfortunate happens.

How To Update PHP Versions

Normally, when you purchase hosting from hosts like SiteGround, Cloudways (Recommended), or Bluehost, you get an up-to-date PHP version, but some hosts don’t do that for you.

You have to do it manually which can be a headache for some people.

I purchased WordPress hosting from Hostgator, and after a few days, WordPress gave me a warning that I am not using an updated PHP version.

Hostgator doesn’t provide any cPanel if you purchase their WordPress hosting. So, I was unable to update the PHP version by myself. I had to contact their customer support which wasted some time.

If you have purchased Hostgator WordPress hosting, I request to you contact their customer support because, in this tutorial, I won’t be able to provide any info about it.

How To Update PHP Version On SiteGround

SiteGround panel makes everything easy for us. Their design is pretty user-friendly that’s why they are one of the best.

However, I did hear some complaints about them that they are charging insanely to their customers.

There is no doubt that they are an expensive host. If we compare them with Hostgator or Bluehost, we will find a big difference in terms of pricing between both hosts.

We will discuss more in the next post, but right now, here are the steps you need to follow to update the PHP version on SIteGround.

Step 1: Login To Your Siteground Account

To do any changes, you need to log in to your account.

Step 2: Click On Websites

Once you are in, click on Websites to find the website that you are looking to update.

Step 3: Click On Site Tools

Click on Site Tools to enter your site’s dashboard.

Step 4: Click On Devs

Option “Devs” is at the bottom left. Click on it to expand the menu.

Step 5: Click On PHP Manager

PHP manager is a place where you will be able to update the PHP version easily.

Step 6: Click On The Pencil Icon To Edit The PHP Version

The pencil icon is easily visible below Actions. Click on it and change the PHP Version.

Select the latest version of PHP (7.4).

Step 7: Click On Confirm

Finally, click on confirm to finish the steps.

I think it was easy for you, right? Well, SiteGround knows how to not make things complicated. Upgrading the PHP version in cPanel is slightly difficult compared to SiteGround’s Site Tools.

For more info, here is the tutorial post published by SiteGround

Read Similar: 16 Reasons To Choose SiteGround + 3 Cons: In-Depth

How To Update PHP Version On Bluehost

Like SiteGround, Bluehost also has a user-friendly panel which makes this process easy for beginners.

I like them, but recently they aren’t performing well, their speed and uptime aren’t as great as Cloudways, so I don’t recommend them, however, their design is attractive and plans are also inexpensive which makes them a good choice for bloggers who are looking for a cheap and reliable host.

Step 1: Login To Your Bluehost Account

Of course, you need to log in before you start.

Step 2: Click On Advance From The Menu

When you’ll click on Advanced, you’ll see a cPanel on the right side, where you’ll find a lot of options.

Don’t be confused, just scroll a little bit and then click on MultiPHP Manager. You can also press ctrl+F to find Multiple PHP Manager.

Step 3: Click On MultiPHP Manager

MultiPHP Manager is available under Software.

Step 4: Select The Latest PHP Version

Select the latest PHP version from the drop-down menu and then click on Apply button to apply the changes you have made.

Congrats! After a few minutes, you will find out that your site is running on the current version of PHP.

How To Update PHP Version On HostGator

The PHP updation process of Bluehost and Hostgator is almost similar. Hostgator doesn’t use a custom panel, they use cPanel, so you need to log in to your site’s cPanel.

I think HostGator is better than Bluehost, I know most of you won’t agree with me, but I have personally experienced this.

I have used both for more than a year, and I found that Hostgator does better in handling high traffic compared to Bluehost.

Also, Bluehost changes their renewal price drastically while Hostgator not so much. However, customer support of Bluehost is slightly better than Hostgator. The funny thing is that they both are part of EIG.

Step 1: Login To cPanel

To login to your site’s cPanel, just type YourDomainName.com/cPanel

Step 2: Click On MultiPHP Manager

MultiPHP Manager is where you need to visit to update the PHP version. Scroll down and under Software you’ll find the MultiPHP Manager option.

Step 3: Select The Latest PHP Version And Click Apply

Select the domain, pick the latest PHP version, and then hit apply.

The steps are completed (refresh your site), now your site will work on the latest PHP version.

For more info, here is the tutorial post published by Bluehost

Read Similar: SiteGround Vs HostGator: Loaded With 14 Fascinating Features

How To Update PHP Version On GoDaddy

GoDaddy is a popular place to buy domains, and they also offer hosting services at a cheap price, however, it isn’t a great place to host your site.

The speed and uptime they offer are not the best, that is why most people purchase a domain from Godaddy and connect it with hosts like SiteGround, Hostgator, Bluehost, or Cloudways (Recommended).

Well, we are not here to discuss how bad or good GoDaddy hosting is, we are here to know how we can update the PHP version in GoDaddy. Here are the steps for you.

Step 1: Sign In To Your GoDaddy Account

Get logged in to your account.

Step 2: Click On The Menu Icon

The menu icon is visible right next to the GoDaddy logo, click on it to expand the menu.

Step 3: Click on WordPress & Hosting

Click on WordPress & Hosting to find your domain name.

Step 4: Click On The Domain Name

When you click on it, a new page will open where you’ll find all the options which are necessary for your website, like cPanel, Applications, and other crucial things.

Step 5: Click On Servers

The server option is visible on the right side once you click on your domain name. Click on servers to find the PHP changer option.

Step 6: Click On PHP Change

Once you click on the server, it will present some new options to you and one of them is Change PHP, click on it, a pop will appear.

Step 7: Select The Latest PHP Version From The Drop Down Menu

A pop will appear once you click on Change. Choose the latest PHP version. Godaddy will ask you to type “update”, type it, and then click on Save Changes.

If you have done everything perfectly, you will see a success message informing you that you have successfully changed your PHP version.

For more info, here is the tutorial post published by GoDaddy.

How To Change PHP Version On DreamHost

DreamHost is another hosting company that is recommended by WordPress, but I personally don’t like them, and I don’t recommend them at all, stay away from them.

The server response time of DreamHost is absolute garbage. Sometimes their servers take 5 seconds to load which is awful.

Step 1: Log In To Your DreamHost Account

Here is the shortcut for it, it will directly lead you to your DreamHost dashboard.

Step 2: Click On Manage

The Manage button is available to the right of your domain.

Step 3: Click On Modify

Under the PHP section, click on Modify icon.

Step 4: Select The PHP Version

Select the latest version of PHP from the drop down menu.

Step 5: Click Save Changes

Scroll down and then click the Change PHP Version button to save your changes.

For more info, here is the tutorial post published by DreamHost

How To Update PHP Version On A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting is a fantastic place to host your site. I definitely recommend them as they perform consistently well.

According to Pingdom, the average server response time of A2 Hosting in the last 10 months was under 300ms which is better than Siteground, Hostgator, and Bluehost. Also, they recorded 99.99% uptime. Go for it if you are looking for a cheap host with great features.

Let’s see how we can update the PHP version in A2 Hosting to make our site even faster.

Step 1: Log In To A2 Hosting cPanel

If you don’t the steps to log in to your cPanel, click here.

Step 2: Click On Select PHP Version

Under the SOFTWARE section of the cPanel home screen, click on Select PHP Version. (You can also use the ctlr+F key to find Select PHP Version.

(Note: If you do not see Select PHP Version in the SOFTWARE section, your server does not support this feature. )

Step 3: Select The PHP Version And Save Changes

cPanel will show you the available (supported) PHP version, select the latest one, and click apply. The changes will take place immediately.

For more info, here is the tutorial post published by A2 Hosting.

Read Similar: SiteGround Vs DreamHost: Detailed Pros And Cons [Tested]

How To Update PHP Version On Kinsta

Kinsta is an award-winning host, famous for its speed and uptime, however, they are way too expensive for a beginner blogger.

If you have a website that earns well, try them out. Kinsta’s interface is clean and easy to use. Also, Kinsta can handle sudden traffic spikes with ease which most web hosts lack.

(This tutorial is a little short, to get complete details, read the article by Kinsta itself.)

Step 1: Login To Your Kinsta Account And Go To Sites

Login to your Kinsta account and click on Sites to begin the process.

Step 2: Select The Site

Now, select the site you are looking to update.

Step 3: Click On the Tools Tab

Hit the tools button to find the PHP changer option.

Step 4: Select The PHP Version

Under “PHP Engine” click on the drop-down and select your preferred PHP version. Click on save changes to save the changes you have made.

For more info, here is the tutorial post published by Kinsta

How To Change PHP Version On WP Engine

WP Engine used to be good, but now we can see a lot of users are complaining that it isn’t working well for their site.

I don’t know why, but I never trusted WP Engine, maybe it is because Cloudways is a better option for a blogger like me who wants a fast-loading site.

Anyways, here are the steps that you need to follow to update the version of PHP on WP Engine.

Step 1: Log In To Your Account

Here is the direct link to log in to your User Portal.

Step 2: Select The Environment Name

choose the environment name you’d like to modify.

Step 3: Find The Current PHP Version

Under the Environment Stats section, find your site’s PHP Version.

Step 4: Click On The Version

The version is easily visible, click on it to find the option to change it.

Step 5: Select The PHP Version

Select the PHP version. Recommended 7.4

Step 6: Click On Change PHP Version

Click On Change PHP Version to save changes that you have made.

Steps are now completed. The changes you have made will take place immediately after clicking on Change PHP Version.

For more info, here is the tutorial post published by Wp Engine.

How To Change PHP Version On NameCheap

They are the second biggest domain name register (the first is without a doubt GoDaddy). They do offer hosting services at a cheap cost.

However, in my opinion, it just not worth it because they are not fast as hosts like Cloudways or A2 Hosting. However, you are already a member of them, here are the steps you need to do to update the PHP version.

Step 1: Login To Your cPanel

You need to log in to your site’s control panel to find the option to update the PHP version.

Step 2: Scroll down to the Exclusive for Namecheap Customers

Once you logged in, just scroll down a bit till you find the option Exclusive For NameCheap Customers, or just press ctlr+f and type Exclusive For NameCheap Customers.

Step 3: Click On PHP Version

Under Exclusive For NameCheap Customers, the PHP version option is available. Click on it and proceed.

Step 4: Select The PHP Version

Now, select the latest version of PHP and click apply to apply the changes immediately.

For more info, here is the tutorial post published by NameCheap.

How To Update PHP On Cloudways

Cloudways is an absolute beast of a host. It loads extremely fast and rarely gets down. I love them, and I recommend them to everyone.

I don’t think so you need to think twice before purchasing a Cloudways plan because they are literally worth every penny you spend, believe me.

So, here are the steps for you, these steps are pretty easy to follow, make sure to give attention to every point.

Step 1: Log In To Your Cloudways Account

Go to Cloudways.com and click login.

Step 2: Go To Server Management

Once you are inside your account, click on Server Management.

Step 3: Click On Settings & Packages

Under the server management menu, Settings & Packages option is available.

Step 4: Click On PHP

Click on PHP and select the latest version (currently they are offering PHP 7.4) of PHP and save the changes.

For more info, here is the tutorial post published by Cloudways

Read More:

List Of Fastest WordPress Hosts In 2021: 8 Hosts Compared

Some Stats That May Shock You

According to the data published by WordPress.org, 9.1% of websites are still using PHP version 5.6. These websites are a great risk. And, less than 36% of sites are using PHP version 7.4 or above (PHP 8.0).

PHP Version	Usage
8.0	0.58%
7.4	35.08%
7.3	25.86%
7.2	15.76%
7.1	4.07%
7.0	5.41%
5.6	9.07%
5.5	0.94%
5.4	1.39%
5.3	1.30%
5.2	0.54%

Check Older PHP Versions

Usually, a PHP update lasts for 2 years. Check the released versions and their release dates here. According to PHP.com, PHP versions, 5.6, 7.0, 7.1, and 7.2 are no longer usable.

PHP.com stated A release that is no longer supported. Users of this release should update as soon as possible, as they may be exposed to unpatched security vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

Update your site’s PHP version asap because it is important for your site’s speed and security. The latest version is PHP 8.0, however, and if your host isn’t providing you that PHP version, then choose the nearest to it which is 7.4.

According to WordPress, it is recommended to use PHP version 7.4 or above to run WordPress perfectly.

The process is pretty simple, but make sure to update every plugin and create a backup before updating the PHP version because it might break your site.

Thanks For Reading!