Guides · · 5 min read
PrestaShop and PHP versions: which PHP each PrestaShop version needs
The PHP versions each PrestaShop version runs on, from 1.6 to 9.2, checked against PrestaShop's own installer, with the dates PHP stops getting security fixes and the order to upgrade both.
Every PrestaShop version runs only on a certain range of PHP versions. Too old, and the store does not install. Too new, and it breaks, often with a blank page. This page lists the ranges, checked against PrestaShop's own installer for each release, and what they mean for an upgrade.
PHP versions for each PrestaShop version
| PrestaShop | PHP from | PHP up to |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6.1.x | 5.2 | 7.1 |
| 1.7.0 – 1.7.3 | 5.4 | 7.1 |
| 1.7.4 | 5.6 | 7.1 |
| 1.7.5 – 1.7.6 | 5.6 | 7.2 |
| 1.7.7 | 7.1 | 7.3 |
| 1.7.8 | 7.1.3 | 7.4 |
| 8.0 – 8.2 | 7.2.5 | 8.1 |
| 9.0 | 8.1 | 8.4 |
| 9.1 – 9.2 | 8.1 | 8.5 |
The numbers for 1.7.8 and later come from the minimum and maximum PHP versions in each release's installer; the older ones from PrestaShop's system requirements page. "Up to 8.1" means any 8.1.x release.
Use the highest PHP version in the range: it is the fastest and gets security fixes the longest. For PrestaShop 8 that is 8.1, for PrestaShop 9.1 and 9.2 it is 8.4 or 8.5.
When each PHP version stops getting security fixes
Each PHP version now gets two years of bug fixes and then two years of security fixes only. After that, holes found in it are not fixed.
| PHP | Security fixes until |
|---|---|
| 7.4 | 28 November 2022 (ended) |
| 8.0 | 26 November 2023 (ended) |
| 8.1 | 31 December 2025 (ended) |
| 8.2 | 31 December 2026 |
| 8.3 | 31 December 2027 |
| 8.4 | 31 December 2028 |
| 8.5 | 31 December 2029 |
Put the two tables side by side and the problem is clear:
- PrestaShop 1.6 and 1.7 run only on PHP 7.4 or older, which has had no security fixes since November 2022.
- PrestaShop 8 runs on PHP 8.1 at most, which has had no security fixes since the end of 2025. A PrestaShop 8 store can no longer be on a supported PHP version, even though PrestaShop 8.2 itself still gets security fixes.
- Only PrestaShop 9 runs on PHP versions that are still supported, and with 9.1 or 9.2 on PHP 8.4 or 8.5 the server is covered until 2028–2029.
How to check your PHP version
- In the back office: Advanced Parameters > Information shows the PHP version the store runs on. This is the one that counts.
- In the hosting panel: cPanel, Plesk and DirectAdmin show the PHP version per domain. It can differ between domains on the same account.
- From outside: some servers show it in the
X-Powered-Byheader. Our PrestaShop version check reads it when it is visible, together with the store's PrestaShop version.
The command-line PHP (php -v over SSH) can be a different version from the one the website uses, so do not rely on it alone.
What happens on the wrong PHP version
PHP too new for the store. This is the common case after a host upgrades PHP on its own. A 1.7 store on PHP 8 usually stops with a fatal error or a blank page. Typical messages are Call to undefined function each() and errors from old libraries in modules. The quick fix is to switch the domain back to the old PHP version in the hosting panel. The real fix is upgrading PrestaShop.
PHP too old for the store. The installer and the Update Assistant refuse to continue. PrestaShop 9 does not install on PHP 8.0 or older.
Within the range, but modules are older. PrestaShop itself works, but a module written for PHP 7 breaks on PHP 8. This is why a PHP change needs a module check, not just a switch in the panel.
In which order to upgrade PrestaShop and PHP
PHP and PrestaShop have to move together, step by step, because no single PHP version runs both 1.7 and 9:
- PrestaShop 1.7 on PHP 7.x: upgrade the store to 8.2 while still on PHP 7.2–7.4. PrestaShop 8 runs on both PHP 7.2.5+ and 8.1, so it is the bridge.
- PrestaShop 8.2 on PHP 7.x → PHP 8.1: switch PHP and fix what breaks in modules and the theme.
- PrestaShop 8.2 on PHP 8.1 → PrestaShop 9: upgrade the store. PHP 8.1 runs both, so the switch is safe.
- PrestaShop 9 on PHP 8.1 → PHP 8.4 or 8.5: move PHP up to a supported version.
All of this happens on a copy of the store, and the live store moves only once, at the end. Our test upgrade of a 1.7.6 store to 9.2 follows exactly this order and shows what broke at each step. If your store is on 1.7, PrestaShop 1.7 end of life explains how much time you have.
Quick answers by version
Which PHP version for PrestaShop 1.6?
PrestaShop 1.6.1.x runs on PHP 5.2 to 7.1. It does not run on PHP 7.2 or newer, and PHP 7.1 has had no security fixes since 2019.
Which PHP version for PrestaShop 1.7.6 and 1.7.7?
1.7.5 and 1.7.6 run on PHP 5.6 to 7.2, and 1.7.7 on PHP 7.1 to 7.3. All of these PHP versions are years past their last security fix.
Which PHP version for PrestaShop 1.7.8?
PHP 7.1.3 to 7.4. Use 7.4, the highest one. Every 1.7.8 release, up to the last one (1.7.8.11), stops at PHP 7.4.
Does PrestaShop 1.7 run on PHP 8?
No. No 1.7 release supports PHP 8.0 or newer. To get onto PHP 8, the store has to move to PrestaShop 8 first.
Which PHP version for PrestaShop 8.0, 8.1 and 8.2?
PHP 7.2.5 to 8.1, for every 8.x release. Use 8.1. PrestaShop 8 does not support PHP 8.2 or newer.
What PHP does PrestaShop 9 require?
PHP 8.1 at least. PrestaShop 9.0 runs up to PHP 8.4, and 9.1 and 9.2 up to PHP 8.5. PHP 8.0 and older are not supported.
Need a hand?
Our free PrestaShop 9 readiness check checks the server and every module for PHP 8 and PrestaShop 9 problems before you change anything. If you would rather hand it over, we upgrade stores to PrestaShop 9 and the right PHP version for a fixed price from €900, on a copy first.