Why PHP Isn’t Dying-Laravel

For years, people have said “PHP is dying.”
But in 2025, the truth is the exact opposite: PHP isn’t dying — it’s entering a new era of performance, stability, and innovation.

The JetBrains – State of PHP 2025 report confirms it:

• 89% of developers use PHP 8.x

• 64% use Laravel

• and 95% already integrate AI tools in their workflow

In short — PHP has completely reinvented itself.
And the combination of Laravel + FrankenPHP is now faster and more stable than many Node.js or NestJS stacks.

⚙️ 1. PHP 8.x + FrankenPHP — The New Performance Engine

PHP 8 introduced JIT, massive OPCache improvements, and a runtime that fully utilizes modern hardware.
But the real revolution is FrankenPHP, a runtime created by a Symfony developer that:

• runs directly as a web server (no PHP-FPM required),

• handles asynchronous requests,

• supports HTTP/2 and worker mode,

• and provides built-in caching and preloading for Laravel.

The result:
⚡ Response times comparable to Express/NestJS, but with 40–60% less memory usage.

🧩 2. Laravel — A Complete, Mature, and AI-Ready Ecosystem

Laravel 12 combines the elegance of a modern framework with a full-stack infrastructure:

• authentication, queues, broadcasting, APIs, storage — all built-in;

• modern tools like Livewire 3, Volt, Folio, and Filament for instant UI;

• direct support for AI tools (Laravel Prompts, built-in OpenAI integration, command generators).

In Node.js, you have to combine dozens of libraries (NestJS, Express, Passport, TypeORM, BullMQ, etc.).
In Laravel, everything just works together out of the box.

That means less time configuring and more time building.

🛠️ 3. VPS Optimization: Nginx + FrankenPHP + Fail2Ban

Practical tests show that a well-optimized VPS can outperform a poorly configured cloud setup.
Here’s a real-world example:

Tested setup: Contabo VPS — 6 vCores, 12 GB RAM, NVMe 100 GB
System: AlmaLinux 9 + Nginx + FrankenPHP + Fail2Ban

The results? Extremely low latency, stable load handling, and efficient resource management.
The real difference isn’t made by a single extra gigabyte of RAM — it’s made by a 2 GB headroom reserved for caching and background processes.

Recommended Resource Structure:

🟢 Total: ~8–9 GB active usage → a “relaxed” server, no memory spikes.

🔒 4. Real Security and Stability

In a modern stack, stability is everything.
With a setup using Nginx + FrankenPHP + Fail2Ban:

• you automatically protect SSH and HTTP from brute-force attacks,

• keep logs clean with logrotate,

• and maintain consistent uptime and predictable latency.

Fail2Ban uses under 100 MB of RAM but provides massive protection — perfect for medium-traffic VPS setups.

⚡ 5. PHP vs Node.js — The Real Difference

The conclusion is clear: PHP in 2025 is easier to scale, safer, and more efficient.
Laravel + FrankenPHP bring enterprise-level power without the cost and complexity of a Node cluster.

🧭 Conclusion

PHP isn’t dying.
PHP has reinvented itself.

With Laravel 12, FrankenPHP, Nginx, Fail2Ban, and a properly tuned VPS, you can run high-performance, secure, and scalable apps — without worrying about being “outdated.”

“It’s not about the language that was popular yesterday — it’s about the one that stays efficient tomorrow.”
— Valentaizar Hitsukaya