Best PHP IDEs in 2026
Updated
In short: PaizaCloud Cloud IDE is ranked #1 of 23 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of ICEcoder and Visual Studio Code. The best-ranked option with a free plan is ICEcoder. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Nova at $4.08/mo.
PHP IDEs can support different parts of writing, testing, and debugging PHP projects. Compared on PHP refactoring, unit testing tools, and Xdebug debugging, these entries also cover database tools, Docker support, remote development, and supported platforms. Free-plan availability and “Paid from” help you consider cost as well as development setup. PaizaCloud Cloud IDE, ICEcoder, and Visual Studio Code are among the entries shown. Check which listed capabilities fit your projects and the environments where you work, whether you need database access, container support, or ways to develop remotely.
23 PHP IDEs ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
12 of the 23 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PaizaCloud Cloud IDEWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | $9.80/mo | 6.8 | |
| 2 | ICEcoderWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 3 | Visual Studio CodeWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 4 | ZedWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $10/mo | 6.6 | |
| 5 | Apache NetBeansWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 6 | BluefishWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 7 | CodeLiteWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 8 | Eclipse PHP Development ToolsWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 9 | GeanyWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 10 | IntelliJ IDEAWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $8.33/mo | 6.5 | |
| 11 | KateWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 12 | OpenIDEWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 13 | PHP StudioWeb · Self-hosted | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 14 | ScriptcaseWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | $33.27/mo | 5.2 |
| 15 | NuSphere PhpEDWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 16 | SlickEditWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $125/mo | 5.1 |
| 17 | Rapid PHP EditorWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 18 | PHP Expert EditorWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 19 | NovaMac | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $4.08/mo | 4.8 |
| 20 | PhpStormWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
| 21 | UltraCompareWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
| 22 | phpDesignerWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.7 |
| 23 | WeBuilderWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.7 |
Compare all 23 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | PHP refactoring | Xdebug debugging |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PaizaCloud Cloud IDE | 6.8 | Free plan | $9.80/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 2 | ICEcoder | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 3 | Visual Studio Code | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 4 | Zed | 6.6 | Free plan | $10/mo | Yes | 10 /user/mo | — | — |
| 5 | Apache NetBeans | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 6 | Bluefish | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 7 | CodeLite | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 8 | Eclipse PHP Development Tools | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | Geany | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | IntelliJ IDEA | 6.5 | Free plan | $8.33/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 11 | Kate | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 12 | OpenIDE | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | PHP Studio | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 14 | Scriptcase | 5.2 | No | $33.27/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 15 | NuSphere PhpED | 5.1 | No | — | No | — | Yes | — |
| 16 | SlickEdit | 5.1 | No | $125/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 17 | Rapid PHP Editor | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | — | Yes |
| 18 | PHP Expert Editor | 4.9 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 19 | Nova | 4.8 | No | $4.08/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 20 | PhpStorm | 4.8 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 21 | UltraCompare | 4.8 | No | — | No | — | — | Yes |
| 22 | phpDesigner | 4.7 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 23 | WeBuilder | 4.7 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which PHP IDE is ranked first on Freedom251?
PaizaCloud Cloud IDE is ranked #1 of 23 with a score of 6.8. ICEcoder is second and Visual Studio Code third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 23 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Nova has the lowest first paid tier we found: $4.08/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.