Yes, you can install PHP on macOS. Installing PHP using Homebrew is the easiest and most reliable method: 1. Install Homebrew; 2. Add the shivammathur/php repository; 3. Install the specified version such as php@8.2 and link it globally. Then configure the web server to run the PHP file: macOS comes with Apache, you need to start and configure the PHP file to load the PHP module and put the PHP file into the specified directory; or select Nginx to use with PHP-FPM. Common problems include path errors that require PATH modification, permission issues are handled with chown/chmod, and the ability to install multiple PHP versions at the same time to manage through brew services. Master these steps and precautions and complete the installation smoothly.
Yes, you can absolutely install PHP on macOS — and it's not as complicated as it might sound. macOS comes with a version of PHP pre-installed (or at least used to in earlier versions), but it's often outdated or completely removed in newer releases like macOS Ventura and Sonoma. So if you want to run PHP locally for development, you'll need to install it yourself.

Here's how to do it in a way that works well and doesn't leave you guessing what went wrong.
Use Homebrew to Install PHP
Homebrew is the easiest and most reliable way to install PHP on macOS. If you don't have it yet, install Homebrew first by running this command in your terminal:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
Once that's done, tap into the PHP repository:
brew tap shivammathur/php
Then install the version of PHP you want. For example, to install PHP 8.2:

brew install shivammathur/php/php@8.2
After installation, link the version so it's available globally:
brew link --force --overwrite php@8.2
You can check the installed version with:
php -v
Set Up a Web Server (Apache or Nginx)
PHP alone isn't enough — you need a web server to actually run PHP files through a browser.
Apache (built-in)
macOS comes with Apache built in. Start it with:
sudo apachectl start
Test it by going to http://localhost
in your browser. You should see a message saying “It works!”
To make it serve PHP files:
- Put your
.php
files in/Library/WebServer/Documents/
- Make sure PHP is enabled by editing Apache's config file (
/etc/apache2/httpd.conf
) and uncommenting or adding:
LoadModule php_module /usr/local/opt/php@8.2/lib/httpd/modules/libphp.so
Then restart Apache:
sudo apachectl restart
Or use Nginx
If you prefer Nginx, install it via Homebrew:
brew install nginx
Configure it to work with PHP-FPM (which also gets installed when you install PHP). The setup is slightly more involved, but there are plenty of guides online tailored for macOS.
Common Issues and Fixes
Path problems : After installing PHP, your terminal might still show the old version. Check with
which php
. If it points to/usr/bin/php
, update your PATH in~/.zshrc
or~/.bash_profile
:export PATH="/usr/local/opt/php@8.2/bin:$PATH" export PATH="/usr/local/opt/php@8.2/sbin:$PATH"
Then reload the shell:
source ~/.zshrc
Permissions : When setting up web directories, you may run into permission errors. Use
sudo chown
orchmod
carefully to fix them.Multiple PHP versions : You can install multiple PHP versions side by side. Use
brew services
to manage which one runs.
Wrap-up
Installing PHP on macOS boils down to using Homebrew, linking the right version, and pairing it with a web server. It's not hard once you know the steps, but small issues like path settings or Apache config can trip you up. Keep an eye out for those, and you'll be good to go.
Basically that's it.
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