# PHP 7.4 vs PHP 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3: Which Version Should You Choose?

https://www.bihostnet.com/en/knowledgebase/article/php-74-vs-php-81-82-83-performance-comparison

## Why Upgrade from PHP 7.4?

PHP 7.4 reached End of Life (EOL) in November 2022. It no longer receives security patches, exposing websites to critical exploits. Modern CMSs and frameworks require PHP 8.1 or higher.

## PHP 8 Benchmark Highlights

- **JIT Compiler:** High-performance bytecode compilation for CPU-heavy tasks.
- **+35% Throughput:** Serves significantly more concurrent requests per second compared to 7.4.
- **Lower RAM Footprint:** Superior memory management under high traffic loads.

## Recommended Choices

- **WordPress & WooCommerce:** PHP 8.1 or PHP 8.2
- **Laravel 10 / 11:** PHP 8.2 or PHP 8.3
- **New Projects:** PHP 8.3 for maximum speed and language features