PHP Versions Used in Commercial Projects, 2016 Edition

Semaphore's report reveals that over 80% of commercial PHP projects utilize version 5.x, with 5.6 being the most popular, despite PHP 7.0's release in December 2015. Among new projects added in 2016, about a third opt for PHP 7.0, reflecting a gradual shift towards newer versions, while versions 5.3, 5.4, and 5.5 have reached end of life and no longer receive security updates, urging users to upgrade to 5.6, which will be supported until the end of 2018. The report highlights the importance of considering hosting platform support for PHP versions, as detailed on PHPVersions.info, and notes that Semaphore CI/CD offers all discussed versions preinstalled on its platform. This is Semaphore’s inaugural annual PHP report, setting the stage for future comparisons, and the platform encourages community discussion and learning through tutorials on various PHP development practices.