What is PHP?
PHP is a server-side scripting language. A visitor requests a URL, the web server passes PHP files to the PHP runtime, and the runtime sends a response, most often HTML. The visitor does not download your source. Form handling and database calls happen on the host, which is why a PHP site needs a plan that actually runs PHP.
- PHP runs on the server, then sends a finished response.
- The browser receives HTML, not the script that produced it.
- A .php file with no PHP tags can still be served, but it is not using the language.
- The account must actually start the PHP runtime. A file host that only stores bytes will not.
What is PHP used for on websites?
On a website, PHP builds the response when the request arrives. It reads form input, starts a session, queries MySQL or MariaDB, and returns HTML. WordPress and Laravel are PHP applications, so a theme or a controller is still PHP. A file that is only HTML does not need the runtime until you add that kind of work.
WordPress and WooCommerce are PHP applications with a database behind them. A framework project belongs on Laravel hosting when Composer and the framework layout are the point, rather than a single script. Plain HTML pages do not become PHP just because the host supports it.
How does PHP run on a web server with PHP-FPM or LiteSpeed?
The web server accepts the request and hands PHP files to a process manager. PHP-FPM is what Apache and nginx usually call. LiteSpeed uses its own LSAPI workers, often called lsphp, rather than PHP-FPM. OPcache keeps compiled scripts in memory on either setup. WebJi® shared hosting uses ControlPanel.Systems. It is not a LiteSpeed or cPanel bundle.
The program that accepts HTTP is what a web server does. PHP-FPM or LSAPI is the next hop, and only for files the server is told to treat as PHP. When the code is already fine and each request still recompiles, enable PHP OPcache so bytecode stays in memory.
- Apache and nginx commonly pass PHP to PHP-FPM over a socket.
- LiteSpeed commonly uses LSAPI workers named lsphp.
- WebJi® shared hosting uses ControlPanel.Systems. It is not sold as LiteSpeed, and it does not include cPanel.
Which PHP version should my site use?
Use the newest PHP 8 release that your application and the host both still list. PHP 8.1 stopped security fixes on 31 December 2025. PHP 8.2 receives security-only fixes until 31 December 2026. PHP 8.3 continues them through 31 December 2027. On a cPanel account the version is chosen per domain. Do not copy a version from an old tutorial.
On an account that really is cPanel, change the PHP version in cPanel for that domain and reload the site. Do not edit a server-wide ini you do not own. Match the version the application documents, then pick the newest still-supported release on that list.
| Release | Security fixes |
|---|---|
| PHP 8.1 | Ended 31 December 2025 |
| PHP 8.2 | Security-only until 31 December 2026 |
| PHP 8.3 | Security fixes through 31 December 2027 |
How does PHP compare with Node.js and Python for websites?
PHP fits WordPress and Laravel, whose request model matches Linux hosting. Node.js keeps a process alive and suits live connections a shared PHP account does not offer. Python fits apps and data work, and it often needs a VPS so you own the process. None of the three wins every task. Pick the language the project already uses.
| PHP | Node.js | Python | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical shape | Runs per request on a web server | Long-running process | App or worker you start |
| Common fit | WordPress, Laravel, classic sites | APIs and live connections | Applications and data jobs |
| Shared PHP account | Yes, when the host runs PHP | Usually no | Often wants a VPS |
Which hosting runs PHP?
Host a PHP site on Linux hosting, where PHP and a MySQL-compatible database are normal. Shared hosting runs PHP too, on ControlPanel.Systems, not on cPanel and not on LiteSpeed. Laravel has its own page because it expects Composer and PHP 8. Windows plans are for ASP.NET and MS SQL, not the usual home for PHP.
Use Linux for PHP. Use Windows only when the application is ASP.NET or needs MS SQL. A static HTML site can sit on the same shared account and ignore PHP until a form or a CMS needs it. The version table above is about the language, not a second price list.