WHMCS 9.0 PHP 8.2 Requirement: Upgrade Guide 2026
WHMCS 9.0 PHP 8.2 Requirement: Upgrade Guide 2026
WHMCS 9.0 requires PHP 8.2 or higher. Support for PHP 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 8.1 has been removed, along with older ionCube Loader versions. This improves security and performance and simplifies the codebase. This guide explains what changed and how to upgrade.
Legacy Versions. Retired.
Support for PHP 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 8.1 and ionCube 10.2–10.4/12.0 is ending, reducing risk from unsupported, end-of-life environments.
Removing legacy dependencies helps accelerate development and eliminates unnecessary build systems and packages.
What Was Removed
- PHP 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 8.1 — All are end-of-life (EOL); continuing to use them carries security risks.
- ionCube Loader 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 12.0 — Required for running encoded WHMCS on older PHP; no longer supported.
Requirements for WHMCS 9.0
| Dependency | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| PHP | 8.2 | 8.3 |
| ionCube Loader | 13.0.2 | 14.4.0 |
Updates to WHMCS 9.0 only appear at Utilities > Update WHMCS if your server is running a compatible PHP version. For full system requirements and PHP extensions, see the WHMCS System Requirements.
How to Upgrade
- Upgrade your server to PHP 8.2 or higher (8.3 recommended).
- Install ionCube Loader 13.0.2+ (14.4.0 recommended) for your PHP version.
- Test PHP and ionCube (e.g. run a phpinfo script).
- Backup your WHMCS files and database, then run the WHMCS 9.0 upgrade from the admin area.
Security first: moving to PHP 8.2+ and supported ionCube reduces exposure to known vulnerabilities in EOL software.
