How to Change PHP Versions on Shared Hosting

Different websites and applications may require different versions of PHP. dotCanada's shared hosting supports multiple PHP versions, and you can switch between them at any time right from cPanel - no technical expertise required.

Using MultiPHP Manager

1. Log in to your cPanel account.
2. Go to the Software section and click MultiPHP Manager.
3. You'll see a list of your domains and subdomains, each showing its current PHP version.
4. Check the box next to the domain(s) you want to update, select the PHP version from the dropdown, and click Apply.

Using Select PHP Version

If you also want to control which PHP extensions are enabled, go to Software > Select PHP Version. This tool lets you pick your PHP version and toggle individual extensions like mbstring, curl, gd, and more.

Which PHP Version Should You Use?

We recommend using the latest stable PHP version that your application supports. For most WordPress sites, this is currently PHP 8.1 or 8.2. Always check your theme and plugin compatibility before upgrading PHP versions on a live site - consider testing on a staging environment first.

A Note on PHP Configuration

You can also customise PHP settings (like memory_limit or upload_max_filesize) via a php.ini or .htaccess file in your document root. If you need help configuring PHP for your site, contact our support team.