You can change the PHP version for your account (or per domain) directly in cPanel. This is useful when an application requires a newer version, or occasionally when legacy software needs an older one.
Changing the PHP version
- Log in to cPanel.
- In the Software section, click Select PHP Version.
- In the Current PHP version dropdown, choose the version you want.
- Click Apply / Set as current.
The change takes effect immediately for your account.
Per-domain PHP versions
If you have multiple domains and need different versions per domain:
- In cPanel, open MultiPHP Manager.
- Tick the domain(s) to change.
- Choose the PHP version from the dropdown.
- Click Apply.
Depending on the server configuration, either Select PHP Version (CloudLinux PHP Selector) or MultiPHP Manager may be the primary tool. If both are present, MultiPHP Manager controls the per-domain version and PHP Selector controls extensions/options for the CloudLinux version.
Managing PHP extensions
On the Select PHP Version page, after picking a version you can enable or disable extensions (e.g. imagick, intl, soap, opcache) with checkboxes. Most applications list their required extensions in their documentation.
Which version should I use?
Use the newest version your application supports — newer PHP versions are significantly faster and receive security fixes. For WordPress, the current recommendation is PHP 8.1 or newer.
Before switching a live site to a new major version, verify plugin/theme compatibility. If the site breaks after switching, you can switch back the same way — the change is instant and reversible.
