Top 7 Open Source PHP Servers For Your Next Web App

One of the essential things in setting up a web application is to choose the right server, which is responsible for delivering content to the end-user. Most websites are powered by the popular server-side programming language, PHP. Since PHP is a server-side scripting language, it is processed on the server.

However, PHP is usually used with a web server (such as Apache or Nginx). The web server processes requests and forwards them to the appropriate PHP code. This also enables the web application developer or web designer to specify the content and layout of a page. Further, the server delivers that page to the end-user without any interference.

This is how PHP runs code on the server, rather than having web requests pass through the server directly. It not only makes for a faster web experience for the user but also helps to reduce the load placed on the server.

Why do you need to pay attention while choosing a PHP server?

The role of a PHP server is to handle the requests of the PHP code and process the information returned. In a nutshell, a PHP server is an engine that powers your website or web application.

There are many reasons for choosing the right PHP hosting provider. The most obvious one is that it provides a place for your web application to run. However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. No matter which PHP development trend you follow, choosing the wrong PHP hosting provider can lead to disasters. You might face multiple headaches, including performance issues, security vulnerabilities, and expensive or unreliable services.

And that is why, after listing the top 10 PHP development IDEs and tools, we have curated open-source PHP-supported web servers to find you the perfect local server for your project. So, whether you hire Laravel developers or CodeIgniter, it will be helpful.

7 Best Open source PHP Servers

Basically, PHP servers are composed of four essential tools as below:

Operating System
Web Server
DBMS
PHP

XAMPP

X- Cross-Platform
A- Apache Server
M- MariaDB
P- PHP
P- Pearl

A virtual machine optimized for web development, XAMPP is the best way to get a professional-quality, reliable web development environment on your computer at a fraction of the cost of other options. XAMPP is a free, easy-to-use, and reliable way to create a professional-quality web development environment on your computer. Not to mention, it offers all the tools you need to build your next web app or digital product.

Furthermore, XAMPP comes with a pre-installed web server, database, and other tools you need to get started building your next web app or digital product. You can use XAMPP to quickly set up a local web development environment on your computer without learning how to install and configure complex software.

XAMPP also comes with a web-based graphical administrative tool called phpMyAdmin that can be used to create, edit, and manage databases. You can also use phpMyAdmin to export data from your MySQL or MariaDB database and import it into a different database. Install XAMPP on Windows, Mac, or Linux and start creating your next big idea!

LAMP

Linux
Apache
MySQL
PHP

The LAMP server is a computer program that provides a web server to host web content, a mail server to host email, and a database server to store data used by the application. It’s a standard set of programs installed on most operating systems. The platform is also customizable and scalable to fulfill your specific requirements.

The LAMP stack includes Linux Apache MySQL and PHP programming language. The Apache web server is a powerful program that allows web pages to be created, edited, and hosted.

LEMP

Linux
Engine X
MySQL
PHP

Nginx’s correct pronunciation is engine-x. Hence, there is E in LEMP rather than N. The difference between LAMP and LEMP is Apache and Nginx (was a Web Server language, primarily written to supplement the deficiency of Apache but then it transformed into a complete Web Server).

The LEMP stack is popular for many sites, especially those with moderate traffic and performance requirements. The LEMP stack consists of Linux, Nginx, MySQL, and PHP. Nginx is a web server software that serves as a reverse proxy for TCP and HTTP requests and a load balancer for HTTP requests. MySQL is a database management system that is a popular choice for many web applications.

The Lemp Server is one of the most advanced and robust systems. It is responsible for maintaining the server hardware and software and managing the system’s day-to-day operations. It is a multi-threaded system designed to scale to thousands of simultaneous users, making it an excellent choice for complex simulations and games.

MAMP

Mac
Apache
MySQL
PHP

The MAMP stack is a pre-configured, easy-to-use environment for web developers. Its user-friendliness saves time and effort for web developers who are new to the language or environment they intend to develop in or simply need a reliable starting point for a new project.

The MAMP stack consists of an Apache web server, PHP, and MySQL, which are pre-installed and configured. This means that all developers need to do is create a new folder, navigate to the folder in their web browser, and start coding.

WAMP

Windows
Apache
MySQL
PHP

WAMP is a lightweight PHP web server for Windows. It uses the Apache web server, MySQL database, and Php language to build dynamic web applications. It’s also an easy-to-use yet powerful and extendable environment for web development.

WAMP is a web application platform where you can build a dynamic web application with PHP and MySQL. It is a free platform to develop your web applications with minimum effort. WAMP server is the best web application platform for beginners to build their first website or blog.

AMPPS

The AMPPS is built on top of the Apache HTTP Server, the MySQL Database, the MongoDB Document Database, Perl Scripting Language, PHP, and the Python Programming Language. Hence, you can say it is a robust combination of WAMP, LAMP, and MAMP stacks. It also contains Softaculous, a well-known auto-installer included in AMPPS that enables deploying Apps on your desktop server.

The software is deployed on Windows, Linux, and macOS servers. The software is designed to be scalable and redundant, which allows Alpha and Omega to add more servers as needed to handle the load.

The AMPPS open-source software stack also powers digital magazines, newspapers, and e-commerce sites. It provides scalable, highly available, and secure services that run on Windows, Linux, and macOS. Media companies, big and small digital agencies, and in-house development teams also use it.

It’s a perfect choice when you need many tools to start a project.

EasyPHP

EasyPHP is a lightweight, easy-to-use, and robust PHP server. The development environment comes with a complete WAMP tool suite. It allows you to quickly enable/disable Apache, PHP, MySQL, and PhpMyAdmin services as they are already configured.

As a whole, EasyPHP turns your Windows computer into a PHP web server and hosts your web projects locally. You can use EasyPHP to create a robust, high-availability application that can handle large traffic volumes without the need for complex system administration.

Conclusion

If you are looking for the best PHP development services or PHP developers for hire, feel free to interview our team. We have a team of PHP developers who can help you with your next project. Our team comprises experts with a wide range of PHP development experience. Hence, we’re confident that we can help you whatever your needs!

We’re based in India and the USA. So, we can work with you and your team across time zones and often work late at night to meet your deadlines. Why not get in touch to find out more?