Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to Download PHP 5.7 for WordPress

If you're looking to upgrade your WordPress website to PHP 5.7, you may be wondering where to start. In this article, we'll walk you through the steps to download PHP 5.7 for WordPress.

Step 1: Check PHP Compatibility

First, it's important to make sure that your WordPress website is compatible with PHP 5.7. WordPress recommends using PHP version 7.3 or higher for the best performance and security. However, if you have plugins or themes that are not compatible with PHP 7.3, you can use PHP 5.6 or 5.7 instead.

To check your website's PHP compatibility, you can use a plugin like PHP Compatibility Checker. Once you install and activate the plugin, it will scan your website and generate a report on any compatibility issues.

Step 2: Download PHP 5.7

Once you've confirmed that your website is compatible with PHP 5.7, you can download the PHP version from the official PHP website.

Navigate to the PHP downloads page and scroll down to the Old Stable Releases section. Find the PHP 5.7 release and select the corresponding binary package for your operating system.

Step 3: Install PHP 5.7

The installation process for PHP 5.7 will vary depending on your operating system. Here are some general steps to follow:

Windows

• Double-click the downloaded PHP file to extract the contents to a folder on your computer.
• Rename the php.ini-development file to php.ini.
• Open the php.ini file and make any necessary configuration changes, such as increasing the memory limit or enabling extensions.
• Add the folder containing the PHP executable to your PATH environment variable so that you can run PHP from the command line.

macOS

• Extract the contents of the downloaded PHP file to a folder on your computer.
• Rename the php.ini-development file to php.ini.
• Open the Terminal app and navigate to the folder where you extracted PHP.
• Run the command "sudo cp php.ini /etc/php.ini" to copy the php.ini file to the appropriate location.
• Restart Apache to activate the new PHP version.

Linux

• Use the package manager for your Linux distribution to install PHP 5.7.
• If the package manager does not have PHP 5.7, you can download the PHP tarball from the official PHP website and compile it yourself.

Step 4: Test Your Website

After installing PHP 5.7, it's important to test your website to ensure that everything is working as expected. You can use a tool like the PHP Compatibility Checker or simply navigate through your website to make sure that there are no errors or issues.

In summary, downloading PHP 5.7 for WordPress requires checking your website's compatibility, downloading the PHP version from the official website, and installing it on your computer. By following these steps, you can ensure that your WordPress website is running on a secure and performant version of PHP.