PHP is the most popular language on the web, used on around 8 out of 10 sites. Many different versions of it are in use, and different sites need different versions to work correctly. So, hosting providers can’t just run the latest PHP version on all servers. If they did, they’d break a lot of web sites.

In fact, they’d risk breaking about half of them. The latest version of PHP, version 7, is used by around half of all web sites, and the other half use old versions (version 5 and later):

Statistics from W3Techs.com, 22 June 2020

How can hosting providers enable end users to choose among different PHP versions? With PHP Selector. It’s a feature in CloudLinux OS that allows end users to select the specific PHP version and extensions they need. 

Without PHP Selector, hosting providers must move customers with specific PHP needs to a VPS. But with it, their customers can choose from among ten different PHP versions and sub-versions, and from more than 120 PHP extensions, to run exactly what they need.

PHP Selector is part of the CageFS tool in CloudLinux, and very easy for hosting customers to use. For example, to select the PHP version they want to run on their site, end users just: 

1. Click the PHP Selector tab.
   
   
   
   
2. Click Use PHP Selector.
   
   
   
   
3. Choose the PHP version they want to run.
   
   

For web hosting providers that want to provide their customers with an easy way to run the PHP version and extensions they need, PHP Selector is a must-have feature in their servers’ OS. It’s an integral part of CloudLinux OS, and there’s more information about it at https://www.cloudlinux.com/php-selector.