PHP hosting explained: shared vs VPS, versions and performance

PHP still powers a large share of the web, and hosting it is well-trodden ground — which is exactly why the offers all look the same and the real differences hide in the details. This guide covers the criteria that actually matter: the shared-vs-VPS trade-off, PHP versions and extensions, how you deploy, what .htaccess controls, and the performance knobs worth knowing.

Shared hosting vs VPS

The first decision is how isolated your environment is.

• Shared hosting — your site lives alongside many others on one machine, managed for you (PHP, web server, often a control panel). Cheapest and simplest; you trade away control over the PHP version, extensions and server config, and you share resources with neighbours.
• VPS — a dedicated slice of a server with root access. You choose the PHP version, install any extension, tune the web server, and aren't affected by other tenants — but you're responsible for updates and security.

For a small site or a standard CMS, shared hosting is usually enough. Reach for a VPS when you need a specific PHP build, custom extensions, more predictable performance, or full control over the stack.

PHP versions matter

The PHP version isn't a detail — newer releases are meaningfully faster and, crucially, still receive security fixes. Running an end-of-life version means no more patches. Always check which versions a host offers and whether you can switch easily. You can read the running version from code or the CLI:

<?php
echo phpversion();        // e.g. "8.3.x"
// or a full report:
phpinfo();

php -v

A good host lets you select the PHP version per site (often in the control panel) and keeps a range of supported versions available, so you can upgrade on your own schedule.

Extensions: check before you commit

PHP's functionality is split across extensions, and your app likely depends on several — a database driver, image handling, and so on. Common ones to verify a host provides:

• pdo_mysql / mysqli — MySQL/MariaDB connectivity.
• mbstring — multibyte string handling, required by many frameworks.
• gd or imagick — image processing.
• curl, openssl, zip, intl — HTTP requests, encryption, archives, localisation.

List what's actually loaded on the server with:

php -m

Deployment and .htaccess

On shared hosting you typically deploy by uploading files (SFTP) or pulling from Git into the web root; some hosts add a deploy step from the panel. On Apache, the .htaccess file in your web root configures per-directory behaviour without touching the main server config — useful for clean URLs, redirects and caching headers. A common pattern routes all requests to a front controller:

# .htaccess — route everything to index.php (front controller)
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule ^ index.php [L]

Note that .htaccess is an Apache feature. On Nginx the equivalent rules live in the server config, which on shared hosting you may not control — another reason to know which web server your host runs.

Performance: OPcache

The single biggest PHP performance win is OPcache, which caches compiled bytecode so PHP doesn't re-parse and re-compile your scripts on every request. Most modern hosts enable it by default; it's worth confirming. Typical settings in php.ini:

opcache.enable=1
opcache.memory_consumption=128
opcache.max_accelerated_files=10000
opcache.validate_timestamps=1

In production you can set opcache.validate_timestamps=0 so PHP never checks files for changes, then flush the cache on deploy — squeezing out a bit more speed at the cost of needing an explicit cache reset.

Quick checklist

Criterion	What to ask
Isolation	Shared (simple) or VPS (control)?
PHP version	Supported, current, switchable?
Extensions	Are the ones my app needs available?
Web server	Apache (.htaccess) or Nginx?
Performance	Is OPcache enabled?

PHP hosting is mature, so don't overthink the brand names — match the host to your app's real requirements: the right PHP version, the extensions you depend on, a web server you understand, and OPcache turned on. Get those right and the rest is mostly preference.