PHP 8.4 End of Life
Support dates, the patch stream you lose at EOL, and upgrade guidance — rebuilt from live data.
PHP 8.4 is actively supported. It reaches end of life on 31 Dec 2028.
Support timeline
Official dates from the PHP release process.
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Initial release | 21 Nov 2024 | — |
| End of life (scheduled) | 31 Dec 2028 | in 875 days |
| Active support ended | 31 Dec 2026 | security fixes only after this |
| Latest release | 8.4.24 · 30 Jul 2026 | current |
What you lose on 31 Dec 2028
Being supported means fixes keep shipping to this branch. Here is the stream that stops. Source: NVD.
PHP CVEs published and patched, by year
17 published in the last 12 months · data refreshed 2026-08-09
At the last-12-month rate of 17 PHP CVEs, running 8.4 for a year past 31 Dec 2028 means roughly that many vulnerabilities fixed upstream but never backported to your branch. Past branches bear this out: PHP 8.1 has missed 14 since it went end of life.
How much runway a newer branch buys
Moving to PHP 8.5 extends security support by about 365 days.
| Branch | End of life | Days left | vs 8.4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHP 8.5 | 31 Dec 2029 | 1,240 | +365 days |
| PHP 8.4 | 31 Dec 2028 | 875 | this branch |
| PHP 8.3 | 31 Dec 2027 | 509 | -366 days |
| PHP 8.2 | 31 Dec 2026 | 144 | -731 days |
Review php.net before moving to PHP 8.5. Run composer why-not php 8.5 to check package compatibility.
Frequently asked questions
When does PHP 8.4 reach end of life?
PHP 8.4 reaches end of life on 31 Dec 2028 — 875 days from now. After that date it receives no security fixes.
Is PHP 8.4 still supported?
Yes. PHP 8.4 is currently maintained. Latest release: 8.4.24, published 30 Jul 2026.
What happens when PHP 8.4 reaches end of life?
Security fixes stop. Over the last 12 months 17 PHP vulnerabilities were published and patched across supported branches; once 8.4 is end of life, fixes at that rate no longer reach it.
How long do I have to upgrade from PHP 8.4?
875 days. Moving to PHP 8.5 instead buys roughly 365 more days of security support.