PHP 8.2 Now Default on New Shared Hosting Accounts

PHP 8.2 is now the default for all new Shared Hosting accounts

Going forward, all newly ordered Shared Hosting accounts will be provisioned with PHP 8.2 as standard, replacing PHP 8.1 for new orders.

We’ve made this change because PHP 8.1 has reached End-of-Life and no longer receives official security updates. As a result, it is no longer the best choice for newly created hosting accounts.

No changes are being made to existing Shared Hosting customers.

Existing Shared Hosting customers are not affected

This update only applies to new Shared Hosting services. If you already host with us, your current PHP version will remain exactly as it is — unless you decide to change it yourself. We’ve taken this approach to avoid causing problems for websites that may still rely on older code, plugins, or themes.

Thinking about upgrading to PHP 8.2?

You’re welcome to move to the newer version whenever you’re ready. Here’s our step-by-step guide:

How do I check and change my PHP version?

If anything does not work as expected after upgrading, you can simply switch back to your previous version at any time.

Benefits of moving to PHP 8.2

Upgrading to PHP 8.2 brings several important advantages:

• Improved security — the currently supported branch continues to receive security fixes, unlike older versions that have reached End-of-Life.
• Faster performance — newer PHP releases include engine improvements that help websites run more efficiently.
• Stronger compatibility — modern plugins, themes, and frameworks are increasingly built and tested for recent PHP versions first.
• Long-term stability — in addition, staying up to date with PHP 8.2 reduces the risk of rushed upgrades later.

What’s new in PHP 8.2?

This release introduces several useful improvements for developers. For example, it includes:

• Readonly classes — a cleaner way to build more predictable code.
• Standalone null, true, and false types — these improve type safety and readability considerably.
• Deprecated dynamic properties — this change helps highlight outdated coding patterns earlier.
• New Random extension — as a result, random number generation is now modernised and more consistent.
• General engine improvements — overall, these contribute to smoother execution and better efficiency.

You can find the complete list of changes in the official PHP 8.2 release notes.