Every year, someone predicts the death of PHP. And every year, PHP just shrugs, updates itself, and keeps powering a huge portion of the internet. In 2025, with all the buzz around JavaScript full-stack frameworks, Rust, Go, and AI-driven coding assistants, people still ask me:
👉 "Why are you still using PHP?"
My answer is simple: because it works, it evolves, and it still makes developers productive.
Let's dive into why PHP is not only alive in 2025, but thriving - and why I'm certain it will outlive me.
PHP Powers the Web More Than People Think
When you look at the web ecosystem, PHP is everywhere. WordPress alone still powers over 40% of the internet, and it's not slowing down. Add Laravel, Symfony, Drupal, Magento, and countless custom apps, and PHP is quietly running millions of businesses and projects worldwide.
People love to hate it, but the reality is: PHP is still the default glue of the internet.
Modern PHP Is Nothing Like 2005 PHP
If your memory of PHP is messy scripts, spaghetti code, and mysql_query(), you'd be shocked by modern PHP.
- Strong typing with strict mode
- Composer for dependency management
- PSR standards that unify frameworks and libraries
- Modern OOP features (interfaces, traits, enums)
- Fibers and async in PHP 8.x
Laravel, Symfony, and other frameworks have turned PHP into a clean, structured ecosystem that rivals any modern language.
Laravel Keeps PHP Cool
I'll admit it: one of the biggest reasons I'll always stick with PHP is Laravel. It's not just a framework - it's a whole ecosystem.
- Elegant ORM (Eloquent)
- Blade templating
- Queues, jobs, events
- Horizon, Forge, Vapor, and Nova for ecosystem tools
Laravel keeps PHP exciting and fun, while still being incredibly productive. Every time I spin up a new Laravel project, I'm reminded why PHP refuses to die.
PHP Is Beginner-Friendly but Scales to CTO-Level Work
I started my career coding PHP websites as a teenager, and today I'm a CTO still coding in PHP alongside my team. That's something special.
- Easy enough for beginners to learn
- Rich enough for enterprise architecture
- Supported by a massive global community
PHP has been my constant companion from freelancing → full-stack developer → team leader → CTO.
The Joke (Because It's True)
Here's the funny thing: I'm pretty sure I'll continue using PHP until my last days.
And honestly, when I'm gone, I'm convinced PHP will still be alive, quietly running the web and waiting for the next "PHP is dead" blog post.
💀 Me: "Goodbye world..."
🐘 PHP: "Still here. Still running 70% of the internet. See you in the next life."
Stability in a Noisy World
Tech moves fast. Frameworks come and go. Buzzwords change every six months. But PHP remains stable, reliable, and constantly improving without forcing developers to throw everything away.
That stability is underrated. Businesses want systems that last. Developers want tools they can count on. PHP gives both.
Conclusion: The Language That Refuses to Die
PHP in 2025 is more than alive - it's thriving. With frameworks like Laravel pushing innovation, huge communities supporting it, and an ever-evolving feature set, PHP remains one of the most practical, productive languages in the world.
So when people ask me why I still love PHP, I don't just give them technical reasons. I tell them it's because PHP has been there for me since the start - and because, let's face it:
👉 I'll die before PHP does. And when that day comes, PHP will probably still be serving a WordPress site somewhere, with a shrug and a smile.
