Best PHP IDEs in 2026
Updated
In short: ICEcoder is ranked #1 of 23 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of PaizaCloud Cloud IDE and Visual Studio Code. The best-ranked option with a free plan is PaizaCloud Cloud IDE. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Nova at $4.08/mo.
For PHP development, an IDE’s fit can depend on the tools you need around editing, testing, and debugging. Compared on PHP refactoring, unit testing tools, and Xdebug debugging, the entries also distinguish database tools, Docker support, and remote development. Supported platforms, free plans, and paid-from pricing add setup and cost details to consider. ICEcoder and PaizaCloud Cloud IDE open the ranking, with Visual Studio Code and Zed among the next entries; OpenIDE and Apache NetBeans also appear near the top. Think about which capabilities your projects require and compare the listed tools against your development workflow and environment.
23 PHP IDEs ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 ICEcoder Android only RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8Free
- 2 PaizaCloud Cloud IDE iPhone + Android RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.8$9.80/mo
- 3 Visual Studio Code No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4Free
- 4 Zed No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.4$10/mo
- 5 OpenIDE No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3Free PHP refactoring: YesXdebug debugging: YesUnit testing tools: Yes
- 6 Apache NetBeans No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 7 Bluefish No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 8 CodeLite No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free
- 9 Eclipse PHP Development Tools No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2Free PHP refactoring: YesXdebug debugging: YesUnit testing tools: Yes
- 10 IntelliJ IDEA No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.2$8.33/mo
- 11 NuSphere PhpED No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5 PHP refactoring: YesUnit testing tools: Yes
- 12 Rapid PHP Editor No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5 Xdebug debugging: Yes
- 13 Scriptcase No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5$33.27/mo
- 14 SlickEdit No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5$125/mo
- 15 Geany No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4
- 16 Kate No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4Free
- 17 Nova No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.2$4.08/mo
- 18 UltraCompare No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.1 Xdebug debugging: Yes
- 19 phpDesigner No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.0
- 20 PHP Studio No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.9
- 21 PhpStorm No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.9
- 22 WeBuilder No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.9
- 23 PHP Expert Editor No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 4.8
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which PHP IDE is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
ICEcoder is ranked #1 of 23 with a score of 7.8. PaizaCloud Cloud IDE is second and Visual Studio Code third.
How many of these have a free plan?
11 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 mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.