What happens after 31 December 2026
Nothing breaks overnight. The site keeps running. But the PHP project stops releasing security fixes for 8.2, so every vulnerability found after that date stays open for good. Vulnerabilities become public, and hackers then search automatically for sites that still have them: during one Magento vulnerability in 2024, 3 to 5 webshops per hour were hacked at its peak.
- Hosting providers start phasing out PHP 8.2, often with a deadline of their own.
- Security audits, insurers and clients' IT policies flag unsupported software.
- Libraries drop support for old PHP versions, so even small changes get harder.
Some Linux distributions keep patching the PHP version they ship for longer. If a project runs on such a server, check what is covered and until when.
Last updated 21 October 2026.
Which PHP version to move to
| Version | Active support until | Security updates until |
|---|---|---|
| PHP 8.1 | 25 November 2023 | Ended 31 December 2025 |
| PHP 8.2 | 31 December 2024 | 31 December 2026 |
| PHP 8.3 | 31 December 2025 | 31 December 2027 |
| PHP 8.4 | 31 December 2026 | 31 December 2028 |
| PHP 8.5 | 31 December 2027 | 31 December 2029 |
Moving to PHP 8.3 buys one year. For most projects, PHP 8.4 or 8.5 is the better target: it buys years, not months.
And Symfony?
A PHP upgrade often comes with a Symfony upgrade. Projects on older Symfony versions usually need a framework upgrade before they can run on a recent PHP version.
| Version | Active support until | Security updates until |
|---|---|---|
| Symfony 4.4 | 21 November 2022 | Ended 21 November 2023 |
| Symfony 6.4 | 30 November 2026 | 30 November 2027 |
| Symfony 5.4 | 30 November 2024 | 28 February 2029 |
| Symfony 7.4 | 30 November 2028 | 30 November 2029 |
Symfony 5.4 gets security fixes for longer than 6.4: originally until November 2025, but until February 2029 thanks to sponsorship by Ibexa. Active support for 5.4 already ended in November 2024.
Dates from endoflife.date/php and endoflife.date/symfony.
A checklist for your agency
Make a list
Which client projects run on PHP 8.2 or older, and on which Symfony version.
Check the hosting
Find out when each hosting provider drops PHP 8.2.
Tell your clients now
With the date and a rough plan, before they hear it from someone else.
Plan the upgrades
Oldest and most important projects first. An upgrade takes time, so start before the date.
Prevent a repeat
Agree on maintenance, so the next end-of-life date is a routine update.
No time for this on your team?
I take over the Symfony upgrades your team doesn't have time for, at a fixed price agreed up front. Your client stays your client.
Have a project that needs looking after?
Let's talk. Half an hour is usually enough to know whether I can help.
I work with a few agencies at a time, so every project gets my full attention.