Every single year, long before i could even even comprehend a line of code let alone understand it, someone writes a viral post titled “PHP is dead” and the internet loses its mind for a week.
Then everyone goes back to work and PHP quietly keeps running almost 73% of all websites whose server-side programming language is known.
WordPress, Shopify themes, Wikipedia, Etsy shops, millions of agency sites, huge chunks of Facebook’s backend… all PHP.
So if it’s dead, then it must actually be the healthiest looking corpse in tech history.
The Myth That Won’t Die
People love to hate PHP because:
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It looks “old”
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Early tutorials taught terrible habits
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X (or twitter) rewards hot takes, not boring truth
Reality check: the language age has nothing to do with usefulness, never has, never will. HTML is older than PHP and nobody’s calling that dead (Let's not discuss whether HTML is a programming language or not).
The web still needs to serve pages to humans. PHP is literally built for that one job.
The “PHP is dead” myth started in the early 2010s when Ruby on Rails and Node.js promised cleaner, faster development. For a while, it looked real: startups flocked to them, and PHP got labeled as the “spaghetti” language for amateurs.
But fast-forward to 2025, and those predictions flopped. Ruby’s market share is tiny, Node is great for apps but overkill for most sites, and PHP just kept evolving quietly.
Why does the myth persist? Simple: it’s easier to dunk on PHP than admit most of the web doesn’t need fancy frameworks to work.
The Superpower Nobody Has Copied in 30 Years
Every popular stack today forces the same religion:
Separate everything into frontend folder, backend folder, API folder, database folder, build folder, config folder, types folder…
PHP looked at that and said: “Or we could just put everything in one simple file and be done. Life isn't that complex is it?”
That single choice (letting you mix the page and the logic in the same place) sounds dirty to framework purists, but it gives you infinity stones kind of speed when you’re learning or shipping something small.
You change something, hit refresh, and it’s live. Instantly. No waiting, no compiling, no “dev server failed to connect” errors.
That feeling of pure speed is addictive, and no modern stack has truly given it back to you.
This approach was born in 1995 when Rasmus Lerdorf created PHP to make his personal homepage dynamic. It wasn’t meant to be a “real” language, it was a tool for web pages.
Thirty years later, that page first mindset is still unique. Modern tools try to mimic it (HTMX), but they always bolt it onto something more complex. PHP has it baked in.
5 Real Reasons Beginners Win With PHP in 2025
You build real things on day two, not day twenty
Most beginner tutorials in JavaScript or Python make you spend weeks learning tools before you see anything in the browser. PHP lets you make a page that saves form data to a database in an afternoon.
Think about it: in other languages, you often start with “install this CLI, set up this environment, configure this bundler.” By the time you’re done, you’ve forgotten why you started.
PHP skips all that. You open a file, add a few lines, upload it to a host, and boom, your first dynamic page is live. It’s the ultimate confidence booster for newbies who just want to see results fast.
That quick win loop keeps you motivated. Instead of quitting after tutorial number five, you’re already brainstorming your next project.
Hosting is basically free and brain-dead simple
Thousands of companies still offer “one-click PHP hosting” for a few dollars a month. Upload files and you’re live. No Docker, no terminal wizardry required.
Compare that to JavaScript stacks: you often end up on Vercel or Netlify, which are great but can get pricey if your site grows. Or you go the VPS route and suddenly you’re learning server admin just to deploy.
PHP runs happily on shared hosting like Bluehost or HostGator, where everything is point-and-click. For beginners, that means no surprise bills and no “my app won’t deploy” frustration.
It’s perfect for testing ideas without committing to a big setup. You can launch ten experiments for the cost of one coffee.
Modern tools made PHP feel brand new without throwing away the speed
If your last memory of PHP is from 2012, you are thinking of "spaghetti code." That version of PHP is gone.
In 2025, the PHP ecosystem is actually more innovative than many JavaScript frameworks. Tools like Laravel have standardized how professional apps are built. But the real magic happens with modern "TALL stack" tools (Tailwind, Alpine, Laravel, Livewire).
These tools allow you to build interactive, "app-like" frontends (real-time notifications, dynamic search, modals) entirely in PHP. You don't need to build a separate API. You don't need to manage JSON state. You just write PHP functions, and the browser updates automatically.
It gives you the power of a React developer with the simplicity of a WordPress user. That combination is currently unmatched in the dev world.
The job and freelance market is massive and boring (in a good way)
Small businesses, local agencies, blogs, directories, membership sites, internal tools, they all need small updates and new pages every day. Most of them run PHP. That means real paid work for people who are still learning.
Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr are flooded with PHP gigs: “Fix my WordPress site,” “Add a contact form,” “Build a simple dashboard.” These aren’t glamorous, but they’re beginner-accessible and pay the bills while you level up.
Unlike JavaScript roles that demand years of experience with specific frameworks, PHP work often values quick fixes and reliability over perfection. You can start contributing (and earning) way sooner.
Plus, the market is global. Agencies in Europe, Asia, and the US all need PHP help because so much of the web is built on it.
You learn actual web fundamentals (The "No Magic" Rule)
When you learn web development on a modern "Full Stack Framework" like Next.js, you often learn the framework, not the web. You learn how to use specific proprietary hooks, routing methods, and deployment quirks that only apply to that one tool.
PHP forces you to understand the raw materials of the internet:
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HTTP Requests: You see exactly when a POST request happens.
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Statelessness: You understand why the server "forgets" you after every page load.
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SQL: You write actual database queries (or clear wrappers around them) rather than hiding everything behind a black-box ORM API.
Because PHP is closer to the metal of the web, the skills you learn here transfer everywhere. A PHP developer can easily learn Python or Node later because they understand how servers work. A framework-first developer often struggles the moment they step outside their specific toolchain.
PHP vs JavaScript vs Python – Quick 2025 Comparison
1. If you want to ship a real site this weekend:
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PHP wins when: You need it live fast and on a budget.
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JavaScript/Node wins when: You’re building a complex single-page application (SPA).
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Python wins when: You’re focusing on data science or AI projects.
2. If you want to spend 0–5USD per month on hosting:
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PHP wins when: You want universal support—literally every cheap host runs PHP.
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JavaScript/Node wins when: You are using specific platforms like Vercel or Netlify.
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Python wins when: You are okay with paying for more expensive hosting plans.
3. If you want to learn by changing files and refreshing:
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PHP wins when: You want an instant feedback loop.
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JavaScript/Node wins when: You accept the waiting time for
npm run dev. -
Python wins when: You are fine with learning via notebooks first.
4. If you want to get paid gigs as a beginner:
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PHP wins when: You target small businesses that need constant site fixes.
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JavaScript/Node wins when: You want a "startup lottery ticket."
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Python wins when: You are looking specifically for data-related jobs.
The web is mostly the first case scenario. That’s why PHP keeps growing.
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Use PHP in 2025
PHP isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. Let’s be real about who wins with it.
If you want to build the next Figma, Google Maps, or a super-interactive game-like app where everything updates in real-time without page reloads, skip PHP. Go straight to JavaScript with React or Vue. Those tools are designed for heavy client-side logic, and PHP would feel clunky there.
If your project involves a lot of data science, machine learning, or scientific computing, Python is your friend. Libraries like Pandas and TensorFlow make those tasks effortless, and PHP doesn’t compete in that space.
But if you’re a beginner wanting to build content sites, blogs, e-commerce shops, membership platforms, dashboards, or any “boring” web app that just needs to serve pages reliably? PHP is unbeatable. It’s for solo devs, freelancers, and small teams who value speed over hype.
In short: PHP is for makers who ship, not architects who over-engineer.
The Part Nobody Says Out Loud
Most websites are boring.
Forms, lists, login pages, dashboards, content sites, small shops.
Boring pays the bills.
PHP is the fastest way on earth to ship boring.
Everything shiny and new is optimized for building the next billion-dollar startup.
PHP is optimized for building the next 500–5,000USD per month project that actually makes money next month.
The truth is, 95% of the web isn’t cutting-edge tech demos. It’s practical tools that solve everyday problems. PHP excels there because it doesn’t force you to solve unnecessary problems along the way.
Final Reality Check
PHP isn’t hanging on because people are too lazy to switch.
It’s winning because it’s still the simplest, fastest, cheapest way for normal humans to put useful pages on the internet.
The cool crowd will keep writing eulogies.
The people quietly launching side projects, freelance gigs, and small SaaS apps will keep choosing PHP.
Thanks for reading. Share your thoughts.