---
title:   Use the Current Stable Version (8.4)
isChild: true
anchor:  use_the_current_stable_version
---

## Use the Current Stable Version (8.4) {#use_the_current_stable_version_title}

If you are getting started with PHP, start with the current stable release of [PHP 8.4][php-release]. PHP 8.x adds many [new features](#language_highlights) over the older 7.x and 5.x versions. The engine has been largely re-written, and PHP is now even quicker than older versions. PHP 8 is a major update of the language and contains many new features and optimizations.

You should try to upgrade to the latest stable version quickly - PHP 7.4 [is already End of Life][php-supported]. Upgrading is easy, as there are not many backwards compatibility breaks [PHP 8.0][php-bc-80], [PHP 8.1][php-bc-81], [PHP 8.2][php-bc-82], [PHP 8.3][php-bc-83], [PHP 8.4][php-bc-84]. If you are not sure which version a function or feature is in, you can check the PHP documentation on the [php.net][php-docs] website.

[php-release]: https://www.php.net/downloads.php
[php-supported]: https://www.php.net/supported-versions.php
[php-docs]: https://www.php.net/manual/
[php-bc-80]: https://www.php.net/manual/migration80.incompatible.php
[php-bc-81]: https://www.php.net/manual/migration81.incompatible.php
[php-bc-82]: https://www.php.net/manual/migration82.incompatible.php
[php-bc-83]: https://www.php.net/manual/migration83.incompatible.php
[php-bc-84]: https://www.php.net/manual/migration84.incompatible.php