PHP
LanguagePHP 8.5 is the newest actively maintained release, currently at patch 8.5.10. 4 of 18 tracked cycles remain supported. The next cycle scheduled to reach end-of-life is 8.2, on December 31, 2026.
Support pattern
How PHP has behaved across the cycles tracked here, rather than what its policy documents state. Useful for judging how much runway a version is likely to have before you commit to it.
Support windows are getting longer: the most recent cycles run about 11 months longer than the earlier ones.
Computed from release and end-of-life dates tracked for PHP. Medians are used rather than averages so one unusually short or long release does not skew the figure. Cycles with no recorded end-of-life date are excluded from the support window.
How PHP versioning, EOL & security support work
PHP releases a new version once a year, generally in November. Each branch then follows a fixed two-phase lifecycle: a period of full active support, followed by a period where only security fixes land, after which the branch is retired. Because active support and security-only support each run for a defined stretch and a new branch arrives yearly, several branches typically overlap in different phases at once.
PHP security issues are reported through the php-src security advisories on GitHub, or by emailing [email protected]. CVE numbers are assigned by the PHP security team itself, and details stay private until a fix and advisory are published. Because fixes are only backported to branches still in active or security support, an end-of-life PHP install cannot receive a fix for any vulnerability found after that point.
Sources: PHP Supported Versions, php-src Security Advisories
Release lifecycle
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