How to Check PHP Version

John on July 11, 2020

The PHP programming language is available in many different versions and configurations. To know what PHP utilities you have available and what extensions are enabled, it is important to be able to verify which version of PHP is running.

In this guide, we will go through ways in which we can check what version of PHP is running on your server.

Check Using phpinfo()

The easiest way to find out all information about the version of PHP your web application is actually using is by calling the PHP utility phpinfo().

Create a file called info.php and place it in your webroot (where index.php is, which is usually in a folder called public or publc_html.)

<?php

phpinfo();

Once you have done this load yourdomain.com/info.php in a browser.

A page will load that provides information about the active PHP version for that web app. It tells you everything from what packages are loaded to the maximum upload size allowed, just to name a couple of examples.

Check PHP Version with the Command-line

It is also possible to check what version of PHP is running from the command-line. Firstly let's check where PHP is installed on the system using the which command.

which php

/usr/bin/php

To get the version information type in php followed by -v.

php -v

PHP 7.2.20-2+ubuntu16.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 (cli) (built: Jul 25 2019 11:42:36) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) 1997-2018 The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.2.0, Copyright (c) 1998-2018 Zend Technologies
    with Zend OPcache v7.2.20-2+ubuntu16.04.1+deb.sury.org+1, Copyright (c) 1999-2018, by Zend Technologies

Note - the version of PHP that appears in the command-line may not be the one used by www-data and therefore not your website. It is important to be aware of this if there are multiple PHP installations on your server.

Print Version using phpversion()

If you just need to know what version of PHP is running on your website for certain and no other information, use the phpversion() utility.

Like the example with phpinfo() create a new PHP file in your webroot and use the following code:

<?php

echo phpversion();

7.2.26-1+ubuntu18.04.1+deb.sury.org+1

Conclusion

You know how to check what version of PHP is running in three different ways. Personally I always use the phpinfo() utility because it tells you everything and you can be left in no doubt that it is the actual PHP version being used by www-data for your web application.