PHP Version Selection

Overview

Our servers support PHP 5.4, PHP 5.6, and PHP 7.0.

Bluerock accounts support up to PHP 7.2

Consider using PHP 7, as it offers a significant improvement to speed and memory usage over past versions of PHP. It also comes with better error handling and many bug fixes.

Before making the switch, you need to be aware of backwards compatibility issues with scripts. Older PHP coding may not be compatible with newer versions of PHP.

Standard Vs Single Vs FastCGI
How to Change Versions

Standard Vs Single Vs FastCGI

Our System allows you to run PHP scripts a few different ways. You will see these options along side each PHP version on the version selection page.

Standard

Allows multiple php.ini files. This allows you to control the php configuration on a directory by directory basis by placing a php.ini file in any folder.
Single php.ini

All php.ini files except ~/public_html/php.ini will be ignored. This will make your php configuration more manageable as everything is controlled from a single file.
FastCGI

In some situations running in FastCGI can improve the performance of your website. FastCGI runs PHP scripts through mod_fastcgi which eliminates the startup overhead for each script.

How to Change PHP Versions

You can change your PHP version by following these steps:

Log in to your Bluehost account.
Under Programming click PHP Config.
Select the version of PHP you're interested in using.
Click Save Change

Things to Keep in Mind

While it is best practice to always use the most recent version of PHP, it is important to check the compatibility of your site against new versions of PHP before upgrading. Sites built with WordPress can use the PHP Compatibility Checker plugin.

Make sure any applications, themes, or plugins are up to date before upgrading PHP.

If you are using a custom php.ini file that references PHP modules that are not available in your selected version, your site may not work. Either remove the custom php.ini file (which will cause the server to use the default php.ini file), or create a php.ini file that is compatible with your selected version.

If you are experiencing slowness in your site and you are using one of the FastCGI options, then you will want to change to another option as this can cause slowness in sites if not properly coded for using FastCGI.

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