PHP Today: What It Is, Why It Still Matters, and How It Powers Indian Web Development

When you think of PHP, a server-side scripting language created in 1994 to build dynamic websites. Also known as Hypertext Preprocessor, it runs on the server to generate HTML that your browser displays. Unlike JavaScript, which runs in your browser, PHP works behind the scenes—handling forms, talking to databases, and powering content systems like WordPress. Even in 2025, PHP isn’t fading away. It’s still running over 75% of all websites that use a server-side language, including big names like Facebook (in its early days), Wikipedia, and most WordPress sites in India.

What makes PHP stick around? It’s simple: it works with WordPress, the most popular website builder in India, used by schools, small businesses, and blogs. If you want to customize a WordPress theme, fix a plugin, or build a site without relying on bloated page builders, you need PHP. It’s not flashy, but it’s the quiet engine under the hood. And while new languages like Python and JavaScript (Node.js) get attention, PHP still handles the bulk of real-world websites because it’s reliable, cheap to host, and easy to deploy on shared servers—something many Indian developers and startups depend on.

PHP also connects directly to server-side scripting, the process of generating web content on the server before sending it to the user. This means it can personalize pages, track logins, process payments, and manage user data—all things you can’t do with just HTML and CSS. You don’t need a computer science degree to learn it. Start with basic syntax, learn how to connect to a MySQL database, and you can already build functional forms, login systems, and simple blogs. Many Indian freelancers start here because it’s the fastest path to earning money online.

Some say PHP is outdated. But if you look at the posts below, you’ll see it’s still the go-to for learning web development in India. From WordPress development guides to tutorials on building custom sites without plugins, PHP is the common thread. It’s not about being the newest tool—it’s about being the most practical one for real projects. Whether you’re a student, a freelancer, or someone switching careers, understanding PHP today means you can fix, build, and scale websites that people actually use. The posts here cover exactly that: how PHP fits into modern workflows, how it compares to other languages, and how to start using it without getting lost in theory.