The reputation is out of date
Much of the criticism PHP attracts describes code written fifteen years ago. Modern PHP has strict typing, proper dependency management, mature frameworks and performance that is entirely competitive for typical business workloads.
The language has changed considerably. A great deal of the code written in it has not, which is where the reputation comes from.
Where it genuinely fits
- Web applications with database-backed workflows — the large majority of business software
- Content-driven sites and portals
- Internal tools and admin systems
- Anything needing cheap, widely available hosting
- Anywhere developer availability matters more than novelty
For a business tool that reads and writes a database and presents forms and reports, PHP does the job as well as anything and costs less to host and staff.
Where something else is better
- Heavy numerical or scientific work — Python has the ecosystem
- Long-running real-time connections at scale — other runtimes fit better
- Machine learning — the libraries live elsewhere
- Systems programming — obviously not the right tool
What modern PHP looks like
| Feature | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Strict types | Errors caught before runtime |
| Composer | Proper dependency management |
| PSR standards | Interoperable libraries |
| Modern frameworks | Structure without reinventing it |
| Static analysis | Whole-codebase type checking |
A codebase using those looks and behaves very differently from the PHP people remember.
The practical arguments
Hosting is cheap and universally available. Developers are plentiful and affordable. Deployment is simple. Most businesses already have somewhere to run it.
Those are unglamorous advantages and they matter more to a small business than language elegance does.