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PHP Compatibility Checker

By WP Engine

Developer Tools & Customization / Code Snippets & Custom Code

PHP Compatibility Checker Review - In-Depth Analysis

Check compatibility of your WordPress themes and plugins with newer PHP versions.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.46/10

User Rating

2.7/5 (based on 131+ reviews)

Active Installations

200,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

The WP Engine PHP Compatibility Checker can be used by any WordPress website on any web host to check PHP version compatibility.

This plugin will lint theme and plugin code installed on your WordPress site and give you back a report of compatibility issues as reported by Tide for you to fix. Compatibility issues are categorized into errors and warnings and will list the file and line number of the offending code, as well as the info about why that line of code is incompatible with the chosen version of PHP. The plugin will also suggest updates to themes and plugins, as a new version may offer compatible code.

This plugin does not execute your theme and plugin code, as such this plugin cannot detect runtime compatibility issues.

Please note that linting code is not perfect. This plugin cannot detect unused code-paths that might be used for backwards compatibility, and thus might show false positives. We maintain a whitelist of plugins that can cause false positives. We are continuously working to ensure the checker provides the most accurate results possible.

This plugin relies on Tide that constantly scans updated versions of plugins and themes in the background. Your scan results should be near real-time, but if not that just means Tide has not yet scanned your specific plugin or theme version. Please be patient as this may take up to 10 minutes for results to be returned from Tide. Please see the FAQ for more information.

While this plugin is written to detect as many problems as accurately as possible, 100% reliable detection is very difficult to ensure. It is best practice to run comprehensive tests before you migrate to a new PHP version.

The plugin was created by WP Engine to help the WordPress community increase adoption of modern PHP versions. We welcome contributors to this plugin, and are excited to see how developers and other WordPress hosts use this plugin.

Comparing to Alternatives

PHP Compatibility Checker aims to help users identify compatibility issues with different PHP versions, but it faces challenges compared to other tools in the same category.

Top alternatives

PHP Compatibility Checker

Strengths

Simple interface for scanning plugins and themes.
Free to use without restrictions.
Integrates directly within WordPress dashboard.

Weaknesses

Frequently produces false positives and negatives.
Often hangs or times out during scans.
Lacks updates and maintenance over the past years.
Does not support detailed version reporting or advanced diagnostics.

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights significant reliability and performance issues with the plugin.

Positive highlights

'Great idea' behind the plugin concept - Dave
'Simple to use' - manare
'Free and integrated' - cweb

Common complaints

Plugin hangs or times out during scans.
Produces incorrect compatibility results both ways.
Gives 404 errors on some audits.
Not updated for over two years.

Weaknesses

Unreliable scan results leading to false confidence or unnecessary concern.
Lack of support and response from developers.
Fails to scan all plugins/themes properly.
Incompatibility with latest PHP versions.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users looking for a free, basic tool to get a rough idea of PHP compatibility within WordPress environments.

Not ideal for

Those needing accurate, reliable compatibility reports or support for complex PHP environments should seek alternative solutions.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers basic scanning of installed plugins and themes for PHP compatibility without any cost or feature restrictions.

Final Verdict

PHP Compatibility Checker is a well-intentioned plugin that currently suffers from significant reliability and maintenance issues, making it unsuitable for critical compatibility assessments.

Users should be cautious relying on its results and consider alternative tools for accurate PHP compatibility testing.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free PHP Compatibility Checker plugin.

PHP compatibility

WordPress PHP checker

PHP version compatibility

Screenshots

FAQ

Yes, this plugin can be used any ANY WordPress website on ANY host.

If your plugin or theme is not available on WordPress.org, then Tide will not be able to scan or return results of that plugin or theme.

If your plugin or theme is available on WordPress.org, but Tide is not immediately returning results than it likely means Tide has not yet audited that plugin or theme and within a few minutes results should be available once Tide completes its audit.

Yes! WP Engine has a public GitHub repo where you can contribute back to this plugin. Please open an issue on the Plugin GitHub. We actively develop this plugin, and are always happy to receive pull requests.

The plugin was created by WP Engine to help the WordPress community increase adoption of modern PHP versions. We welcome contributors to this plugin, and are excited to see how developers and other WordPress hosts use this plugin.  To disclose security issues for this plugin please email [email protected].