WordPress Requirements – Ideal PHP and Server Guide 2024

Learn everything about the official WordPress requirements in this article. Browse our WordPress guide for more beginner topics.

You will need to establish that your hosting environment is properly configured to support the WordPress software for the best results and performance.

Hosting providers that offer WordPress-specific hosting services are already configured to meet these official requirements, so this might not necessarily involve a lot of effort on your part.

Nonetheless, if you are looking to try a new hosting service, it might be worth checking to see if they meet the requirements. It can also serve as a benchmark in cases where they can exceed these minimum requirements.

Additionally, the official WordPress requirements are continuously updated, along with the new software releases.

WordPress Installation Requirements

WordPress officially recommends that your hosting provider or the hosting environment must support the following minimum requirements.

WordPress Requirements	Version
PHP	Version 7.4 or higher
MySQL	Version 8.0 or greater
MariaDB (if not using MySQL)	Version 10.4 or greater
HTTPS	Supported by the server
Server	Nginx or Apache with mod-rewrite module

While any server supporting PHP and MySQL at the versions listed above should work perfectly, WordPress recommends Apache or Nginx servers for optimal features and performance.

Besides the above-listed recommendations, you might also want to consider other hardware configurations and allocations, such as Disk Space, Processor, RAM etc., if you are looking to choose a WordPress hosting provider. Such configurations can help with the speed and performance of your WordPress installation.

See the minimum and more optimal WordPress requirements in detail below.

Aspects	Minimum WordPress Requirements	Optimal WordPress Recommendations
PHP Version	7.4 or higher (always refer to the official WordPress handbook for the most up-to-date requirements).	8.0 or higher. These versions receive “Active Support,” ensuring that bugs and security issues are actively addressed.
Server Requirements	Apache or Nginx.	Apache with the mod_rewrite module enabled or Nginx, both configured to optimize WordPress performance.
Disk Space	A minimum of 1 GB is required, but this can increase depending on your site’s content.	5 GB or more depending on content size to accommodate growth and additional content.
Database	MySQL 5.015+ or MariaDB 10.1+.	MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.4+, offering better performance and compatibility with newer WordPress versions.
RAM	At least 512 MB is suggested, though more may be needed for complex sites.	2 GB or more to handle larger traffic volumes and ensure smooth operation.
CPU	A minimum processing power of 1.0 GHz is necessary, but higher speeds are recommended for sites with significant traffic.	A 2 GHz dual-core processor or better, providing enhanced performance for demanding environments.
Disk Type	Standard HDD or SSD (Solid State Drive).	NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) or SSD. These options are faster and more reliable, enabling quicker data transmission and reducing the risk of physical damage compared to HDDs.

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Increasingly, it’s worth looking at the security considerations that your hosting providers offer. For instance, it might be more secure to run PHP applications, like WordPress, using the user’s account username instead of the server’s default shared username.

Support for HTTPS with a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt has become a common feature among many hosting providers, but you might still want to check how easy it is to implement.

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WordPress PHP Requirements

To reiterate, the minimum WordPress PHP requirement is PHP version 7.4 or greater. Please note that some of the hosting providers might still have outdated pages mentioning the previous versions.

While such hosting providers fully support the latest version of PHP, they might not have enabled your WordPress installation by default.

In such cases, you can manually choose the latest PHP version and ensure your WordPress installation (including existing plugins and customisations) is compatible with the latest version. You can also check with your hosting provider if you don’t see the option to change it manually.

WordPress, with its latest version, also provides a notification in your dashboard asking you to update to the latest PHP version if it detects outdated versions.

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Recommended Hosting Providers

WordPress officially recommends a few hosting providers that are always updated to support the changing requirements of the software.

The officially recommended WordPress providers that meet WordPress requirements include;

Bluehost

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SiteGround

SiteGround is another hosting provider that has long been recommended on the official WordPress list. Their platform has excellent performance, with built-in caching and other tools dedicated to the best WordPress performance.

In addition to offering the best hosting environment for WordPress, SiteGround provides several hosting solutions catered to the needs of startups to scaleups. As their pricing is based on monthly visits, you can choose the plan that best fits your needs.

They also offer our users with SiteGround Coupon code that offers the best deal for the first year of your hosting with SiteGround. Use this best deal link to get the best possible discount with SiteGround.

Start with SiteGround

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DreamHost

DreamHost is another hosting provider on the officially recommended list of three WordPress hosts. Their focus and contribution to WordPress software make them another highly recommended hosting solution in the WordPress community.

Along with several WordPress-specific features built-in on their platform, they also include thousands of themes and powerful plugins, helping users easily customize their sites.

We recommend choosing their shared WordPress hosting as their most budget-friendly option if you are just getting started. Use our exclusive discounted link to get the best DreamHost deal.

Start with DreamHost

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WordPress Requirements Suggestions

To sum up, here are our recommendations for choosing hosting providers that meet WordPress requirements.

• Make sure your hosting provider meets the minimum requirements. (Check their website or email them if necessary).
• Consider the hardware configurations and security arrangements of the hosting providers.
• Try choosing one of the recommended WordPress hosting providers to ensure they meet and exceed the minimum WordPress requirements.

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WordPress Requirements Basic FAQs

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about WordPress requirements.

Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions regarding the official WordPress requirements or need help choosing the most suitable WordPress hosting provider.