Since Apache Friends (the creators of XAMPP) promotes the latest PHP version on their main download page, finding version 7.4 requires looking at the archives.
Unlike early PHP 8 builds, this XAMPP version has been battle-tested for 3+ years. You will face zero database connection or extension compilation issues. Apache, MySQL (MariaDB), and PHP work together out of the box.
It is critical to understand that PHP 7.4 reached End of Life on November 28, 2022. This means: Xampp With Php 7.4 -
If you use XAMPP with PHP 7.4 for local development, you are safe because your machine is not exposed to the public internet. However, never run PHP 7.4 on a production server exposed to the web.
Working with an older stack requires some specific configuration adjustments compared to modern defaults. Since Apache Friends (the creators of XAMPP) promotes
If you are importing a large database or uploading files via a legacy CMS, the default limits are likely too low.
upload_max_filesize=100M).Once you have XAMPP with PHP 7.4, you must enable the correct extensions. Open your php.ini and ensure these are uncommented: If you use XAMPP with PHP 7
| Extension | Purpose |
| :--- | :--- |
| extension=gd | Image manipulation (WordPress themes) |
| extension=curl | API requests and remote data fetching |
| extension=zip | Composer and CMS updates |
| extension=fileinfo | Required by Laravel and Symfony |
| extension=mbstring | Multibyte string handling |
| extension=openssl | HTTPS local certificates |
Pro Tip: For Laravel 6/7, also enable extension=pdo_sqlite for testing and extension=bcmath for precise calculations.
PHP 7.4 introduced performance improvements, typed properties, arrow functions, and deprecations relevant to legacy code. XAMPP provides an all-in-one Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP, and Perl stack useful for local development. Combining XAMPP and PHP 7.4 is suitable for testing applications targeting PHP 7.4 or maintaining legacy projects.