For a new WordPress site in 2026, choose hosting with PHP 8.3 or newer, MariaDB 10.11 or newer or MySQL 8.0 or newer, HTTPS, and Apache or Nginx with working rewrite rules. Those are the practical baseline published by WordPress.org. Older combinations may still run WordPress, but they are poor choices for a new production site because several legacy branches are out of security support.
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The 2026 WordPress server baseline
WordPress does not require a particular brand of hosting, a fixed amount of RAM, or a specific CPU model. It does require a compatible application runtime, database, web server and secure transport. WordPress.org describes PHP, a supported database and HTTPS as the essential requirements, while identifying Apache and Nginx as the most robust and featureful web-server choices.
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| Component | 2026 baseline | What to verify with the provider |
|---|---|---|
| PHP | PHP 8.3 or greater | That the account can use a currently security-supported PHP branch and that your themes and plugins declare compatibility |
| Database | MariaDB 10.11 or greater, or MySQL 8.0 or greater | Exact server branch, patch policy, backup coverage and restore procedure |
| Web server | Apache or Nginx recommended | Working rewrite support; Apache accounts should provide the mod_rewrite module |
| Transport security | HTTPS support | Certificate issuance, automatic renewal, HTTP-to-HTTPS redirects and secure WordPress administration |
The baseline is a compatibility floor, not a complete hosting-quality test. A provider can advertise the right versions yet offer weak backups, restrictive resource limits or slow security patching. Treat the version requirements as the first filter, then assess the operational service around them.
PHP: use 8.3 or newer, then check the whole stack
Ask for PHP 8.3 or a newer branch when ordering or upgrading hosting. The PHP version alone does not prove that a site is ready: every active plugin and theme also needs to work on that branch. A host should let you change PHP versions without rebuilding the account, and it should explain how security updates are applied.
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Why legacy PHP is a bad 2026 starting point
WordPress can still operate in some environments using PHP 7.4 or later, but WordPress warns that these older versions have reached official end of life. Running an end-of-life interpreter can leave known vulnerabilities unpatched and can force you to keep old plugins or themes that are difficult to support. The older developer installation guidance recorded PHP 7.4 or later as an earlier floor; that historical floor should not be confused with the current recommendation for a new deployment.
PHP 8.5 and release-specific support
The WordPress Hosting Team states that PHP 8.5 is in active support and is fully supported by WordPress 6.9 and later. That statement applies to the WordPress release named there; it does not guarantee that every third-party extension has been updated. Before switching a live site, confirm compatibility declarations for your plugins and theme, test in staging if available, and retain a tested rollback plan.
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MySQL or MariaDB: what you actually need
WordPress’s 2026 baseline is MySQL 8.0 or greater or MariaDB 10.11 or greater. Either database family can satisfy the baseline. The practical choice is usually determined by the host’s managed platform, backup tooling and upgrade policy rather than by a feature a typical WordPress installation uses directly.
Prefer a supported long-term branch
Minimum compatibility is not the same as a sensible long-term choice. The Hosting Team lists the following long-term-support branches and published end dates:
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| Database branch | Published LTS end date | How to interpret it in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| MySQL 8.4 LTS | April 2032 | Long runway for a new installation, subject to provider patching |
| MySQL 8.0 LTS | April 2026 | The listed end date has arrived; ask how the provider handles migration and security coverage |
| MariaDB 11.8 LTS | June 2030 | Long-term branch when the host supports it |
| MariaDB 11.4 LTS | May 29, 2029 | Long-term branch with a substantial support window |
| MariaDB 10.11 LTS | February 16, 2028 | Meets the WordPress baseline; confirm the host’s patch policy |
| MariaDB 10.6 LTS | July 6, 2026 | The listed end date has passed; do not select it for a new site without a documented support plan |
Support dates can change as vendors revise policies. Confirm the provider’s current security-support commitment, not just the major version displayed in a control panel. Also ask whether database backups are consistent, encrypted where appropriate, retained for a useful period and routinely tested by restoring them.
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The compatibility matrix is release-specific. It is useful for planning upgrades, but it is not a promise that every plugin supports every database branch.
| WordPress release | Release date | PHP shown in the matrix | MySQL shown in the matrix | MariaDB shown in the matrix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.9 | December 2, 2025 | 8.1–8.5 | 8.0, 8.4 and 9.5 | 10.6, 10.11, 11.4, 11.8 and 12.1 |
| 7.0 | May 20, 2026 | 8.2–8.5 | Newer branches listed by the matrix | Newer branches listed by the matrix |
| 7.1 | August 19, 2026 | 8.2–8.5 | 8.4 and 9.7 | 10.11, 11.4, 11.8 and 12.3 |
For WordPress 7.0, the matrix identifies newer database branches without enumerating them in the supplied compatibility summary. Do not treat that line as a license to install an untested database release; match the exact WordPress version, host implementation and extension requirements before upgrading.
Apache, Nginx and rewrite rules
Apache and Nginx are the recommended web-server families. WordPress’s host request specifically asks for Nginx or Apache with the Apache mod_rewrite module. Rewrite rules allow readable WordPress permalinks and route requests correctly to the front controller.
What to ask an Apache host
- Is
mod_rewriteenabled for my account? - Can WordPress write or apply its permalink rules, or must support add them?
- Are directory-level rules permitted where WordPress needs them?
What to ask an Nginx host
- Does the platform include a tested WordPress rewrite configuration?
- Who applies configuration changes when permalinks or multisite routing require them?
- Can support diagnose a request that reaches the server but is not passed to PHP?
A host may use a managed Nginx configuration, a reverse proxy or another front-end arrangement. The important result is functioning WordPress routing and a support path for configuration changes, not the marketing label alone.
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HTTPS is a requirement, not an optional add-on
Confirm that the account supports HTTPS before installing WordPress. Ask how a certificate is provisioned, how renewal is automated, and whether the provider supports redirects from HTTP to HTTPS. Your administrator login and dashboard should be reachable over HTTPS, and the host should explain how certificates are replaced without downtime.
HTTPS also affects migrations and mixed-content cleanup. When moving an existing site, plan the URL change, update the site addresses consistently, redirect old HTTP URLs and check that media, scripts and styles are loaded securely. The requirement is support for HTTPS; certificate products and renewal mechanics vary by provider.
PHP extensions, account isolation and provider operations
PHP extensions
WordPress and its extensions may depend on PHP extensions beyond the interpreter itself. The Hosting Handbook’s recommendations are release- and workload-sensitive, so ask the host for its current extension list and compare it with the WordPress release, plugins and theme you intend to run. If a plugin documents a required extension, get confirmation in writing before purchase.
Account isolation
WordPress says hosting is more secure when PHP applications run under the account’s own username rather than a server-default shared username. Ask whether PHP workers and files are isolated per account, especially on shared hosting. Isolation does not replace updates, least-privilege file permissions or backups, but it reduces the chance that one account’s compromise exposes unrelated accounts.
Operational features that determine reliability
- Patch cadence: how quickly PHP, database and operating-system security fixes are deployed.
- Staging: whether you can test WordPress, PHP and plugin changes away from production.
- Backups and restores: retention, frequency, off-server storage and the time required to restore a site.
- Logging: access and error logs that support diagnosis without exposing sensitive data.
- Cron behavior: whether scheduled WordPress tasks run reliably and whether the host limits them.
- Resource limits: PHP memory, execution time, process limits, storage and database quotas.
- Upgrade policy: notice periods, automatic changes and availability of newer PHP and database branches.
- Support: whether staff can troubleshoot rewrites, PHP errors, database failures and certificate problems.
These are provider-specific capabilities, not additional WordPress core version requirements. Verify them directly instead of inferring quality from an advertised plan name.
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Can WordPress run on your current hosting plan?
Use this sequence before ordering an upgrade or moving a site:
- Identify the exact versions. Record the PHP branch, database family and database branch currently assigned to the account.
- Compare with the baseline. PHP should be 8.3 or newer; the database should be MariaDB 10.11 or newer or MySQL 8.0 or newer; HTTPS and working rewrites should be available.
- Check support status. A version can meet the numeric minimum while being at or beyond its vendor support end date. Ask for the provider’s current security policy and migration timeline.
- Check application compatibility. Inventory active plugins and the theme, then verify their PHP and database compatibility before changing versions.
- Verify recovery. Confirm that a recent backup can actually be restored and that staging or a rollback path exists.
- Measure headroom. Review resource limits and real usage during traffic peaks, media processing and scheduled jobs. Plan an upgrade path before limits become outages.
If the provider cannot answer these questions, send the following request before buying. It follows WordPress.org’s copy-and-paste host checklist:
I’m interested in running the open source WordPress https://wordpress.org/ web software, and I was wondering if my account supported the following:
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- PHP 8.3 or greater
- MariaDB 10.11 or greater OR MySQL 8.0 or greater
- Nginx or Apache with mod_rewrite module
- HTTPS support
Request written answers with the exact versions, not a generic assurance that the plan is “WordPress compatible.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Hardware: why there is no universal RAM or visitor number
There is no single official 2026 CPU, RAM, disk or visitor-capacity figure for WordPress. The authoritative baseline concentrates on PHP, database, HTTPS and web-server capability. Actual sizing depends on traffic patterns, plugin behavior, theme complexity, image and video processing, object caching, scheduled jobs and database workload.
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Choose capacity from measurements rather than an invented universal specification. Monitor CPU, memory, PHP worker saturation, database latency, storage growth and peak request rates. Leave upgrade headroom for traffic spikes and major releases. A small editorial site and a media-heavy site can meet exactly the same software requirements while needing very different resources.
Common failure modes and practical fixes
The host offers only PHP 7.4
Treat this as a legacy environment, not a 2026 target. Ask whether PHP 8.3 or newer can be enabled on the same account. If not, test the site on a supported host and plan a migration rather than building new functionality around an end-of-life runtime.
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The database meets the number but is out of support
Ask for the vendor support date, patch responsibility and upgrade path. A branch such as MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.6 may satisfy a minimum-version check while its listed LTS date has passed. Obtain a tested backup before any database migration and verify application compatibility afterward.
Pretty permalinks return 404 errors
Confirm that Apache has mod_rewrite enabled or that the Nginx WordPress configuration is active. Ask support to verify the rewrite rules and the account’s permission to use them. Do not assume that changing the WordPress permalink setting alone can repair a server configuration that is missing.
HTTPS works on the homepage but not in administration
Ask the host to verify certificate coverage, renewal status, redirects and the secure URL configured for the WordPress installation. Check for mixed content after a migration and ensure that administrative requests do not fall back to HTTP.
A PHP upgrade breaks a plugin
Use the provider’s staging or a separate test copy, review the plugin and theme compatibility declarations, and identify the failing component from PHP and WordPress logs. Update or replace the incompatible extension before switching production. If an immediate rollback is unavoidable, treat it as temporary and keep a dated plan to return to a supported PHP branch.
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Once several providers pass the baseline, compare them on the factors that affect maintenance rather than on storage or an unlimited label:
| Comparison axis | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| PHP and database branches | Which exact supported versions are available now, and how is migration handled when a branch reaches end of life? |
| HTTPS management | Are certificates provisioned, renewed and redirected automatically? |
| Web-server configuration | Is Apache or Nginx used, and are WordPress rewrite rules supported by the service desk? |
| Extensions | Can required PHP extensions be enabled for the target release and plugins? |
| Isolation | Do PHP processes and files run under the account’s own identity? |
| Backups | How often are backups made, how long are they retained and how is a restore tested? |
| Staging | Can you test PHP, database and plugin changes before production? |
| Limits | What are the CPU, memory, PHP worker, execution-time, storage and database limits? |
| Support | Can support handle rewrites, certificates, PHP errors and database recovery? |
| Target-release support | Does the platform support the WordPress release and PHP range you plan to run? |
Bottom line for a 2026 deployment
Buy or configure a server that offers PHP 8.3 or newer, MariaDB 10.11 or newer or MySQL 8.0 or newer, HTTPS, and Apache or Nginx with functioning rewrite support. Prefer a database branch with a meaningful remaining support window, and treat MySQL 8.0 and MariaDB 10.6 as migration questions because their listed LTS dates have passed. Then validate extensions, plugin compatibility, isolation, backups, staging, resource limits and the provider’s patch policy. WordPress can run on less, but a new 2026 site should not be designed around an end-of-life stack.
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