PHP Compatibility and WordPress Versions

WordPress aims to support new versions of PHPPHP The web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher as much as possible, most commonly in the major version of WordPress that’s released around the same time as the new version of PHP in November each year. As a project, the process of supporting these new versions begins after each new PHP version has hit feature freeze and betaBeta A pre-release of software that is given out to a large group of users to trial under real conditions. Beta versions have gone through alpha testing in-house and are generally fairly close in look, feel and function to the final product; however, design changes often occur as part of the process. versions are being tagged.

The coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. WordPress software is tested and compatible with the versions in this list. Due to the acknowledgement that WordPress is rarely used in isolation (without any theme or plugins), support is labelled as “beta support” until at least 10% of all WordPress sites are running that version or later, as this indicates good compatibility across the wider ecosystem of plugins and themes.

Supported PHP Versions

WP / PHP Version	8.4	8.3	8.2	8.1	8.0	7.4	7.3	7.2	7.1	7.0	5.6 and older
6.8	Y*	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N
6.7	Y*	Y*	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N
6.6	N	Y*	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N
6.5	N	Y*	Y*	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N
6.4	N	Y*	Y*	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N
6.3	N	N	Y*	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N

Past changes to supported PHP versions have been as follows:

• In July 2025: Raised PHP 8.3 support in WordPress 6.8 to fully compatible.
• In July 2025: Security support for WordPress 4.1-4.6 was dropped.
• In April 2025: Use of the “compatible with exceptions” label was retired.
• In WordPress 6.7: Added beta support for PHP 8.4.
• In WordPress 6.6:
  • Raised PHP 8.2 to compatible with exceptions.
  • Dropped support for PHP 7.0 & 7.1.
• In WordPress 6.4: Added beta support for PHP 8.3.
• In WordPress 6.3:
  • Dropped support for PHP 5.6.
  • Raised PHP 8.1 to compatible with exceptions:
    • htmlentities() et al needs the default value of the flags parameter explicitly set.
    • Replace most strip_tags() with wp_strip_tags()
    • unregister_setting() for unknown setting.
  • Raised PHP 8.0 to compatible with exceptions:
    • WordPress does not support use of named parameters because parameter names are subject to change.
    • Filesystem WP_Filesystem_FTPext and WP_Filesystem_SSH2 when connect fails.

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Older WordPress Versions

• In WordPress 6.1: Added beta support for PHP 8.2.
• In WordPress 5.9: Added beta support for PHP 8.1.
• In WordPress 5.6: Added beta support for PHP 8.0.
• In December 2022, security support for WordPress 3.7-4.0 was dropped.
• In WordPress 5.2: Dropped support for PHP 5.2 to 5.5.
• In WordPress 5.3: Added support for PHP 7.4.

WP / PHP Version	8.3 and newer	8.2	8.1	8.0	7.4	7.3	7.2	7.1	7.0	5.6	5.5 and older
6.2	N	Y*	Y*	Y*	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N
6.1	N	Y*	Y*	Y*	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N
6.0	N	N	Y*	Y*	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N
5.9	N	N	Y*	Y*	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N
5.8	N	N	N	Y*	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N
5.7	N	N	N	Y*	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N
5.6	N	N	N	Y*	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N

WP / PHP Version	8.0 and newer	7.4	7.3	7.2	7.1	7.0	5.6	5.5	5.4	5.3	5.2
5.5	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N
5.4	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N
5.3	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N
5.2	N	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N
5.1	N	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
5.0	N	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
4.9	N	N	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
4.8	N	N	N	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
4.7	N	N	N	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y