In short
- Use PHP 8.4 or 8.5 today.
- PHP 8.2 stops getting security fixes on 31 December 2026. If your site uses it, move this month.
- Check and change the version in cPanel Software MultiPHP Manager — it takes effect immediately and you can switch back just as fast.
- Always take a backup and update WordPress, plugins and themes before you switch.
What PHP is, and who looks after what
When someone visits a page, the server runs your site’s PHP code to build it — fetching posts from the database, filling in the contact form, printing the copyright year. The PHP language itself is software the host installs on the server, and a new version comes out every November.
On cPanel hosting the work is split. Your host installs and patches the PHP versions on the server. You choose which version your website uses, and you keep your site’s own code (WordPress, plugins, themes, your scripts) up to date so it works with newer versions.
Why keeping PHP up to date matters
- Security. Each PHP version gets two years of bug fixes, then two years of security fixes only, then nothing. After its end-of-life date, newly discovered security holes are never fixed, and attackers actively look for sites still running old versions.
- Speed. Newer versions run the same code faster, which helps your visitors and your Google ranking at no cost.
- Compatibility. WordPress, plugins and frameworks drop support for old PHP versions. Stay too far behind and you can’t install updates — including their security fixes.
- Hosts retire old versions. Unsupported versions are eventually removed from servers. Upgrading on your own schedule is far less stressful than being forced to.
Which PHP versions are supported?
| Version | Released | Bug fixes until | Security fixes until | Our advice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHP 8.6 | Due 19 November 2026 | — | — | New — wait until your software supports it |
| PHP 8.5 | 20 November 2025 | 31 December 2027 | 31 December 2029 | Recommended |
| PHP 8.4 | 21 November 2024 | 31 December 2026 | 31 December 2028 | Recommended |
| PHP 8.3 | 23 November 2023 | Ended 31 December 2025 | 31 December 2027 | Security fixes only — plan to move |
| PHP 8.2 | 8 December 2022 | Ended 31 December 2024 | 31 December 2026 | Upgrade now — end of life in weeks |
| PHP 8.1 and older | 2021 or earlier | Ended | Ended | Unsupported — upgrade urgently |
Which one should you choose? The newest version that everything on your site supports. For a new site or an up-to-date WordPress site, that’s PHP 8.5, or 8.4 if a plugin you depend on isn’t ready. Don’t rush onto a brand-new version in its first weeks — give plugin and theme authors a little time to catch up.
Check which version your site uses
Open cPanel Software MultiPHP Manager. The table at the bottom lists each domain with its PHP version. If it says inherit, the domain uses the server’s default version (shown at the top as the System PHP Version) and will change whenever the host changes that default. Setting a specific version gives you control over when you move.
WordPress users can also look in Tools › Site Health › Info › Server, which shows the PHP version and warns if it’s out of date.
Before you change version
Take a backup. In cPanel Files Backup download a home directory backup and a backup of each database — or use OnPoint’s website backup add-on if you have it.
Update everything. In WordPress, update the core, every plugin and your theme. Delete plugins and themes you don’t use — they still run and still need to be compatible.
Check compatibility. Look at the “Requires PHP” and “Tested up to” details on each important plugin’s page, or ask the developer. If you wrote your own code, read PHP’s migration guide for the new version — it lists what changed.
Pick a quiet time. The change takes effect instantly, so do it when you can test straight away.
Change your PHP version
Open cPanel Software MultiPHP Manager.
Under Set PHP Version per Domain, tick the box next to the domain you want to change.
Choose the new version from the PHP Version list (for example
PHP 8.5 (ea-php85)) and select Apply.Test your site at once: the home page, a few inner pages, your contact form, logging in to WordPress, and anything that takes payments or bookings.
If anything breaks, go back to MultiPHP Manager and choose the previous version. You’re back where you started in seconds, with time to find the cause.
After you switch: what to look for
| You see | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| A blank page, or “There has been a critical error” | A plugin, theme or script uses something removed in the new version. Switch back, then check cPanel Metrics Errors or the error_log file in the site’s folder to find which file is responsible. |
| “Deprecated” warnings on the page | Code that still works but will break in a future version. Turn off on-screen errors (below) and ask the plugin’s developer for an update. |
| A feature has stopped working | The site may need a PHP extension that isn’t switched on for the new version. Ask OnPoint support which extension it needs. |
Change PHP settings: the MultiPHP INI Editor
Some problems are caused by PHP’s limits rather than its version — “the uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive”, or a site running out of memory. Open cPanel Software MultiPHP INI Editor, choose your domain on the Basic Mode tab, change the setting and select Apply.
| Setting | What it controls | A sensible value |
|---|---|---|
upload_max_filesize | The largest single file that can be uploaded through your site | 64M |
post_max_size | The largest whole form submission — must be at least as big as the above | 64M |
memory_limit | How much memory one page can use | 256M |
max_execution_time | How many seconds a page may run before it’s stopped | 60 |
display_errors | Whether PHP errors are shown to visitors | Off on a live site — errors still go to the log |
Make it a yearly habit
New PHP versions arrive every November and each one is supported for four years. Put a note in your diary each December to check MultiPHP Manager, update your site and move up a version if you’re more than one behind. It’s a ten-minute job when done yearly, and a weekend’s work when left for five.