A PHP upgrade that keeps your website running
PHP is the program your WordPress website runs on. Version 8.2 gets no more fixes after 31 December 2026. I move your site to a newer one: I try it on a copy first, and if something is still off on the live site, I roll it back in one step. €110 (HUF 39,000), fixed.
Your website's address is enough. I look at what can be seen of it and tell you whether the fixed price fits. I reply within one working day.
- Price
- €110 (HUF 39,000), fixed, for one WordPress website. Half before the switch, half at handover. No VAT is added: this is the final amount. Up to 30 plugins; with more, or with custom development on the site, you get a written quote first. If I look after your website, this is part of the monthly fee.
- Included
- A review of the plugins, and a trial on a copy with the new version. If all is well, the live switch, with a full backup first. Along the way I check the site for traces of a break-in. At the end, a one-page report: what runs now, what I fixed, and when the next switch is due.
- What I need
- With the order, access to the hosting and to WordPress, and a time for the live switch. You have nothing to do in the meantime.
- How it starts
- You send me your website's address. I look at what can be seen of it and tell you whether the fixed price fits. This first check is free.
- Write to me
- I reply within one working day.kristof@kristofkarner.com
- In practice
- What happens to a website if nobody touches it for a year? · Website maintenance and management · Google reviews
- Written by
- Kristóf Karner — independent developer, Budapest
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Reviews
“Fast and thorough work, always careful with the task at hand. Across several projects and several websites, my experience has only been positive.”
“I can only recommend him to everyone. Precise, creative and helpful. Kristóf, thank you again for your work.”
“Kristóf is reliable, fast and notably proactive — always a step ahead of me, with plenty of useful ideas.”
“We worked together on several projects; his expertise and professional attitude stood out.”
“Kristóf is reliable and solves every request immediately.”
“The best guy.”
Excerpt from the end of the review. “ All in all, I am very satisfied with our work together, and I gladly recommend Kristóf to anyone looking for a web developer who is fair, conscientious and dependable over the long term.”
What is PHP, and why update it?
PHP is the program on the hosting server that runs your WordPress website. Each version gets fixes for roughly four years; after that, if a flaw is found in it, the flaw stays. According to PHP's schedule:
- the last day of fixes for 8.2 is 31 December 2026;
- for 8.3, 31 December 2027;
- for 8.4, 31 December 2028.
According to WordPress's own statistics, on 27 October 2026, 56.8% of WordPress websites ran on version 8.2 or older, and 33.6% on one that no longer gets fixes. WordPress's own health check was already recommending an update for 8.2 and older at that point.
What happened in October 2026?
On 21 October 2026 the PHP developers fixed two serious flaws. According to the Wiz researchers who found them, they allowed someone to take control of a server without signing in, on WordPress websites as well, and the flaws were found with the help of artificial intelligence. Version 8.2 still got the fix. According to the release announcement, it gets no more security fixes after 31 December 2026.
Why is one click not enough?
The switch itself is one click in the hosting panel. The risk is that an old plugin does not run on the new version, and a white screen is left where the website was — in front of your visitors. That is why I try it on a copy first, and why the way back stays open.
How it goes
- Reviewing the plugins. I check which ones run on the new version, and which have not been updated for years. This is free of charge: if one is in the way, I stop here and tell you the options.
- A trial on a copy. If all is well, I ask for half the fee and copy the website to a test address. I switch there: to 8.4 if the trial is clean, otherwise to 8.3. I go through what matters on that site — the home page, the form, the shop or the booking.
- The live switch. At the agreed time, with a full backup first. If the live site still differs from the trial, I roll it back in one step.
- Traces of a break-in. Along the way I check whether WordPress and plugin files match the originals, whether there is an unknown admin account, and whether there is an executable file among the uploaded images — the most common traces of a break-in.
- The report. One page, dated: which version runs, what I fixed, what I found, and when the next switch is due. With it I ask for the other half of the fee.
If something comes up
If it only turns out during the trial that a plugin is in the way, I stop and write down the options: replacing the plugin or fixing it, at a price given in advance. If you decide against it, the switch does not happen, and I do not ask for the second half of the fee — the first covers the trial and the report.
For 30 days after the switch, if something does not work because of the switch, I fix it at no charge.
When you do not need this
If your website runs on version 8.3 or newer, there is nothing to do, and I tell you so. If I look after your website, the switch is part of the monthly fee. If it does not run on WordPress, I first look at what I can take on, and quote in writing.
From here on, the technical details: how I check that a fix is really in place. Everything needed for a decision is above.
The version number does not tell you everything
Some hosts keep patching old versions with their own packages. CloudLinux, for example, shipped the first packages of the October fix under the old version number. Seen from the outside, an old number does not necessarily mean the site is vulnerable, and a recent one does not mean it is fine. So I verify the fix from the package's changelog.
What I check besides the trial
- the plugins' code, with an automated compatibility check (PHPCompatibility) against the new version;
- WordPress and plugin files against the published checksums
(
wp core verify-checksums,wp plugin verify-checksums); .phpfiles in the uploads folder;- and I apply any temporary protective setting the PHP developers
recommend at the time (in October 2026 it was
session.upload_progress.enabled=0).
Questions on this topic
How long does PHP 8.2 get fixes?
Until 31 December 2026. After that the PHP developers release no fixes for it; 8.3 gets them until 31 December 2027, 8.4 until 31 December 2028. Some hosts keep patching old versions with their own packages — whether yours does is shown by the package's changelog.
How do I find out which PHP my website runs on?
WordPress shows it: under the Tools menu, on the site health page, among the server details. The hosting panel shows it too; in cPanel, under the menu item that manages the PHP version. If you cannot find it, write to me and I will walk you through it.
What does the PHP upgrade cost?
€110 (HUF 39,000), fixed, for one WordPress website with up to 30 plugins: half before the switch, half at handover. No VAT is added; this is the final amount. It covers the plugin review, a trial on a copy, the live switch, a check for traces of a break-in and a one-page report. If a plugin has to be replaced or fixed, the price for that comes in writing, in advance.
What if something does not work after the switch?
That is why it goes on a copy first: whatever turns up there is no surprise on the live site. If the live site still differs, I roll it back in one step, and a full backup is made beforehand. For 30 days after the switch, if something does not work because of the switch, I fix it at no charge.
What if a plugin cannot cope with the new version?
The plugin review is free, and if it turns up there, I stop and tell you the options. If it only turns up during the trial and you do not want the replacement, the switch does not happen, and I do not ask for the second half of the fee.
Is it enough if my hosting provider switches it?
If every plugin on the website copes with the new version, yes. The switch itself is one click; the work is finding out in advance whether it copes. The trial shows that before your visitors would see it.
If you do not know which PHP your website runs on, or how long it still gets fixes, send me an email with its address. I look at what can be seen of it and tell you whether the fixed price fits.
kristof@kristofkarner.com