As PHP celebrates its 30th anniversary, many developers, CTOs, and product owners might wonder if PHP is still a smart choice for modern web development. Thanks to JetBrains’ latest The State of PHP 2025 report, the answer is a resounding yes. This data-rich analysis shows that PHP is not just surviving but thriving, fueled by modern language features, rapidly growing frameworks, and a strong embrace of AI-assisted development.

PHP’s Modern Renaissance in 2025

The PHP community has quickly adopted the latest PHP 8.x versions, with 89% of developers working with these modern releases. This means developers can leverage powerful features like Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation for better performance, union types for safer code, and improved error handling. The days of legacy PHP versions lingering in codebases are fading, marking a decisive modernization push.

Developer experience is deep: 88% have over 3 years of PHP experience, showing a mature ecosystem where developers continuously strengthen their skills rather than abandoning the language. Moreover, 58% have no plans to switch to other languages, demonstrating strong confidence and loyalty to PHP.

Laravel Dominates the Framework Scene

PHP frameworks are key to the language’s continued success. Survey data shows 64% of PHP projects use Laravel, making it the de facto choice for web apps worldwide. Laravel’s clean syntax, comprehensive tooling, and vast ecosystem help developers quickly build scalable, maintainable applications.

Other frameworks like Symfony and WordPress continue to hold important niches, but Laravel’s dominance underscores its role as an essential skill and platform for modern PHP development.

Revolutionizing PHP Development with AI

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping PHP coding workflows like never before:

  • A staggering 95% of PHP developers have tried AI coding assistants, and 80% use them regularly.
  • JetBrains’ own AI assistant “Junie,” integrated within PhpStorm, and GitHub Copilot, help automate repetitive tasks, suggest code completions, and improve code quality.
  • Developers estimate that AI tools reduce coding time by up to 30%, freeing them to focus on complex and creative problems.

This rapid AI adoption signals a new era where PHP programming becomes faster, smarter, and inherently collaborative with AI-powered assistants.

Modern Tooling and Best Practices

Quality assurance in PHP projects has improved dramatically:

  • Over 70% of teams use static analysis tools like PHPStan to catch bugs early.
  • More than 60% implement automated testing frameworks including PHPUnit and Pest.
  • Continuous integration and deployment pipelines (CI/CD) have become standard, accelerating development cycles and improving software reliability.

The combination of better language features, AI assistance, and rigorous tools is fueling a new wave of high-quality PHP applications.

PHP’s Role in the Evolving Language Landscape

While programming languages like TypeScript and Go grow in popularity, PHP remains a foundational technology for web development:

  • PHP powers 74.4% of websites that use server-side languages, underscoring its massive deployment footprint.
  • Despite a slight market share shift, PHP’s ecosystem maturity ensures stability, backward compatibility, and large community support.
  • PHP’s extensive use in content management, e-commerce, and API-driven applications makes it indispensable in enterprise and small business environments alike.

Why Developers and Companies Should Care

If you’re deciding on a technology stack or wanting to upgrade your skills, PHP in 2025 offers:

  • A powerful, modern language ecosystem with PHP 8.x features;
  • A thriving framework community led by Laravel;
  • Cutting-edge AI tools boosting productivity and code quality;
  • Mature quality and deployment workflows following industry best practices;
  • Proven stability with one of the largest global deployment footprints in web technologies.

Final Words

JetBrains’ The State of PHP 2025 proves that PHP is far from outdated. It is a stable, evolving, and intelligent platform powering millions of web applications worldwide. Developers embracing modern PHP features, mastering Laravel, and integrating AI tools are well-positioned to build the future of web development.

Stay ahead of the curve — PHP in 2025 is not just a legacy language; it’s a vibrant, modern powerhouse you cannot afford to ignore.

For the full insights and detailed data, read the official report: CLICK HERE

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