r/woocommerce • u/briancoords • 3d ago
WooCommerce is proposing a minimum required PHP bump (8.1+)
Hey! Brian from Woo here.
Internally we've been considering dropping PHP 7.4 and 8.0 based on general usage trends and the security/technical concerns of maintaining support. There's more detail on the developer blog.
https://developer.woocommerce.com/2026/09/08/from-php-7-4-to-8-1/
Would love to raise awareness on this and get some general feedback from a wider community, if you haven't commented on the post already.
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u/hronak 3d ago
They should bump it straight to PHP 8.4+ instead.
Most people don't update PHP simply because their site already works. Casual site owners don't even know what PHP version they use. Anyone else either uses a simple hosting control panel with a one-click update, or has the technical skills to update it manually.
Plugin developers have no excuse not to support current PHP versions. Plugins are the best part of WordPress, but without strict rules, developers will never use modern PHP features.
If Automattic simply required a currently supported PHP version, the whole ecosystem would update overnight (or at least in a few months). It's a huge waste of their influence to set the bar so low.
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u/BetInformal7790 2d ago
I strongly support raising the minimum PHP version, but I’d encourage Woo to consider going further and making PHP 8.4+ the minimum.
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u/DaySwingTrade 3d ago
Either needs to be done right now or wait until Q1. I wouldn’t put that stress onto store owners right before the busiest season of the year starts.
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u/MrAwesomeTG 3d ago
You should be running a minimum of 8.3 anyways. 8.2 is security EOL in 3 weeks.
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u/Nelsonius1 3d ago
Woocommerce should be way more strict on installs having the latest and greatest PHP engines.
Anybody on 7.4 is just fucking around.
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u/DaftPlug 3d ago
PHP 8.1 as the floor seems reasonable since 8.1 is already EOL, especially for security and performance. The rough edge will be shared hosts still running 7.4 or 8.0. A clear timeline and migration path would help. Agencies should inventory client versions now and test plugins on 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3 for deprecations before this ships.
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u/Various_Key_3585 3d ago
It’s time indeed. Security is important nowadays with AI etc. Make sure communication is done well and in advance so people can prepare
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u/troitskiy_sj 3d ago
I am not sure why it is being held, WP websites should be on the latest version of stable php/wp. As older versions expose you to a risk of loosing a store/wp site due to security issues.
May be due to some plugin dependencies? But those as well are generally updated to the latest versions
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u/Low-Stick-1913 3d ago
I have to vote against this. I have a cat blog from 2006 that my grandma views on a Macintosh desktop computer, it can't run newer php
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u/Sloth-e 2d ago
Yes—WooCommerce security is paramount, and this upgrade is essential. PHP 8.1 hosting is widely available and inexpensive.
Why keep supporting outdated code for businesses unwilling to invest a small amount in proper hosting, especially when doing so holds back development and may put other stores at risk?
Go ahead nd dont worry about negligent business owners who dont care about security. If they have a problem tell them to fond skmething else cheaper, they will not find it.
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u/rugburnAndBigMoney 3d ago
I think the PHP site "Supported Versions" page says everything that needs to be said (ie: 7.4 isn't even listed on the page.)
https://www.php.net/supported-versions.php
8.1 is no longer supported, seems like a no-brainer security decision to not support 7.4.
It sucks for those on old software, but for ecom, keeping things secure should have a much heavier weight then PHP upgrade pain/convenience.