PHP Development Services
Modern PHP work, including maintaining, upgrading and extending existing PHP systems.
Is PHP still used for web development?
Yes. PHP runs a large share of the web, including WordPress and many custom business systems. Modern PHP is strictly typed where you want it, fast, and well supported by frameworks like Laravel and Symfony. A great deal of PHP work today is maintaining, upgrading and extending systems that already run a business.
Why this matters
Much of our PHP work is not greenfield. It is a system built years ago that still runs daily operations, now needs new features, and is stuck on an unsupported PHP version. That work is unglamorous and high value, because the business depends on the system continuing to run.
Common situations
- An application runs on an end-of-life PHP version and the host is forcing an upgrade.
- The original developer is unavailable and nobody knows how the system works.
- There are no tests, so every change risks breaking something unrelated.
- Database queries have degraded as data grew and pages now time out.
How we handle legacy PHP
Document the current behaviour before changing it, get the code into version control if it is not already, add tests around the parts that matter, then upgrade incrementally with a rollback path at each step. Rewrites are proposed only when the cost of maintaining is genuinely higher than the cost of replacing.
What php development includes
Every engagement is scoped to your situation, but these are the components the work is built from.
- Version upgradesStepwise PHP version migration with compatibility fixes and verification.
- Code recoveryVersion control, environment setup and documentation for undocumented systems.
- Feature developmentNew functionality added in a way that does not deepen existing debt.
- Performance workQuery profiling, indexing and caching where the data has outgrown the original design.
- Security reviewInput handling, authentication and dependency review against current practice.
- Gradual modernisationFramework adoption piece by piece rather than a risky full rewrite.
What changes for your business
- A supported PHP version and a host that will keep running the site.
- Documentation so the system is no longer one person's knowledge.
- Changes that can be made without breaking unrelated features.
- A realistic path forward rather than an all-or-nothing rewrite.
Technology and platforms
Chosen to match how the work will actually be maintained, not by preference.
How the work runs
Each stage ends with something you can review, so course corrections happen early rather than at handover.
- Map the processHow the work is done today, including the exceptions people work around.
- Model the dataEntities, relationships and permissions agreed before feature work begins.
- Build in stagesA useful first release, then iteration with the people who actually use it.
- IntegrateConnections to the systems you already run, with proper error handling.
- Deploy and documentRepeatable deployment, monitoring, and documentation for whoever maintains it.
Industries we apply php development in
The technical work is often similar across sectors. What differs is what customers need to see before they act.
What drives the cost
We publish what moves the price rather than a headline figure, because the figure without the drivers is not comparable.
- Codebase size and documentation quality
- PHP version gap
- Test coverage to be added
- Whether the system can be taken offline for changes
Why work with SWT Company
Scoped before it is quoted
We ask what the business needs before proposing work. A quote given before that conversation is a guess.
Measurement first
Tracking — including calls and WhatsApp — is verified before spend, because every later decision depends on it.
No claims we cannot support
No ranking guarantees, no invented results, no numbers we cannot evidence.
You own everything
Domain, hosting, repository, analytics and ad accounts stay in your name.
Built to be handed over
Documentation and clear structure, so you are never dependent on one supplier.
Mobile-first in practice
Designed at phone width and tested on mid-range devices over mobile data.
Projects and case studies
We publish case studies only where a client has agreed and the results can be evidenced. None are published yet, because no verified client data was supplied for this build and inventing results is not something we will do. Ask and we will arrange references in your sector directly.
PHP Development — frequently asked questions
Usually not first. Upgrading and refactoring incrementally is cheaper and less risky. Rewrites are justified when the architecture genuinely blocks what the business now needs.
An actively supported release. Running an end-of-life version means no security patches, and most hosts eventually force the move anyway.
Yes. The first stage is an audit to understand the code, environment and dependencies so estimates are based on facts.
The language is not the issue. Most vulnerabilities come from unvalidated input, outdated dependencies and weak authentication — all of which are addressable.
Related services
Related industries
Talk to us about php development
Call or message for anything urgent. Otherwise the form reaches the same place.
Get a quote for php development
A short conversation is usually enough to establish scope, timeline and a realistic range.