Modern PHP, done properly.
Symfony and Laravel applications, modern PHP backends, and rescue work on legacy codebases. The boring, dependable stack that has powered the web for decades - written the way it should be in 2026.
Why PHP
Why modern PHP still wins
Modern PHP is fast, strongly typed, and supported by the two best web frameworks money can buy. It is also the language behind a huge slice of the working internet - which means cheap, mature hosting, a massive talent pool, and tooling that has been polished for two decades.
Symfony and Laravel are exceptional
Two of the most polished, well-documented web frameworks in any language. Solid ORMs, mature routing, first-class queues, console tooling, testing - the heavy lifting is done.
Fast and cheap to host
PHP 8 is genuinely fast, and the hosting story is the most cost-effective in the industry. Shared hosting through to fully managed PaaS - your monthly bill is rarely the bottleneck.
Huge talent pool
If you ever bring development in-house, finding good PHP developers in the UK is straightforward. You will not be locked into a niche stack only a handful of contractors understand.
Excellent at rescue work
Most existing PHP apps can be modernised in place. The language's backwards compatibility is excellent and gradual upgrades work - which often beats an expensive rewrite.
Our Capabilities
What we build with PHP
Symfony platforms
Our default for serious, long-lived applications. Symfony's component architecture is built for systems that will evolve for a decade. We use it for SaaS platforms, multi-tenant CRMs, and complex internal tools.
Laravel applications
Excellent developer ergonomics for fast delivery. We use Laravel for focused web applications, marketplaces and internal tools where shipping quickly matters more than enterprise-level configurability.
Legacy modernisation
We take over inherited PHP codebases - including CodeIgniter, Zend, and custom in-house frameworks - and gradually modernise them. Type-safety, automated testing, dependency updates, sensible deployment pipelines. Without the drama of a full rewrite where one is not needed.
Custom CRMs and SaaS
A significant share of UK SaaS still runs on Symfony. Our own NM8 platform is PHP-powered. See custom CRM development for the dedicated service page.
Our PHP stack
The tools we reach for
Frameworks
Symfony, Laravel, API Platform
Tooling
PHPStan, Psalm, PHPUnit, Pest, Composer
Databases
MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis
Infrastructure
Docker, AWS, DigitalOcean, GitHub Actions
Frequently asked questions
Is PHP still a sensible choice in 2026?
Absolutely. Modern PHP (8.x) is a serious, fast, well-typed language and Symfony and Laravel are two of the most productive web frameworks in any ecosystem. PHP powers a huge percentage of the web for good reason - it is mature, fast, well-supported and easy to hire for. We pick PHP when it is the right tool, not out of habit.
Symfony or Laravel?
Both. Symfony is our default for complex, long-lived business applications and SaaS platforms - its component architecture is excellent for systems that will evolve over a decade. Laravel is our pick for rapid delivery on smaller-to-medium applications with great developer ergonomics. We recommend the right one after our discovery call.
Can you modernise our legacy PHP application?
Yes - this is one of the most common things we get asked to do. Old PHP 5 or 7 apps, legacy CodeIgniter or custom frameworks, unfamiliar codebases left behind by previous teams. We audit, stabilise, gradually upgrade, and modernise - usually without a full rewrite, which is rarely the right call.
Do you build on top of WordPress?
Sometimes. WordPress is a good fit for content-heavy marketing sites where the editorial team needs to publish daily. It is rarely the right tool for serious business applications. If you are using WordPress for something it is not designed for - a CRM, a booking platform, a SaaS product - we will recommend a proper rebuild.
How much does PHP development cost?
A focused Symfony or Laravel application starts around £15,000. Larger platforms with integrations and multiple roles typically land between £40,000 and £100,000. Legacy modernisation depends entirely on the state of the codebase - we always run a discovery audit first and give you a fixed quote.
Got a PHP project in mind?
New build, rescue project or modernisation - we will give you an honest read and a fixed quote, usually within 24 hours.