Zend Server End of Life Arrives in 2027 — Are You Ready?
Zend Server 2021 reaches end of life (EOL) December 31, 2027. After this date, your mission-critical applications will be vulnerable to new CVEs, performance drops, and other costly consequences.
To stay secure, it is important to plan your migration now. Zend recommends you migrate to either:
- The Enterprise Web Platform, a custom-configured command center incorporating Zend Server features you love
- Fully secure, supported ZendPHP runtimes with the ZendHQ observability and orchestration extension
This page contains more information on each of these options. It also offers tips on planning your migration strategy and provides resources to share with your team. Click the button below to speak with a PHP expert directly.
Determining Your Best Migration Plan
Choose Your Preferred Level of Migration Support From the Zend PHP Experts
Comprehensive Services for Pain-Free Migrations
Zend Professional Services offers end‑to‑end migration support. Our experts assess your current Zend Server environment, plan the migration, and execute it with minimal downtime.
This approach is ideal for teams with complex applications, strict compliance needs, or limited internal resources. You get a smooth transition to a modern Zend Server alternative – including the Enterprise Web Platform or ZendPHP – without disrupting daily workflows.
Expert Migration Support
Migration and Modernization support keeps your system compliant, supported, and secure during your transition from Zend Server.
Continuous Monitoring for PHP Applications
Admin as a Service keeps critical PHP applications secure and performant through constant monitoring, weekly performance and health reports, and more.
Partner With Zend to Streamline Your Migration
For teams with some PHP experience but who require assistance forming a migration plan, installing or configuring ZendPHP + ZendHQ or the Enterprise Web Platform, or with other aspects of migrating from Zend Server, we offer a variety of PHP services.
Whether you simply want a consultation before getting started or are looking for additional support for your existing developer team, Zend is in your corner.
Black Belt PHP Services
Make the most of your resources with flexible support and service hours, which include access to expert PHP engineers at every step of your migration.
Custom PHP Consulting
Work closely with our dedicated team of global PHP professionals on your migration – including installation, setup, and maintenance for your PHP apps.
Expert Resources for Self-Managed Migrations
Zend makes mission-critical PHP possible, including for teams with the developer experience, time, and resources to manage migrations from Zend Server entirely in-house.
We provide a vast library of in-depth documentation that covers everything you need to know about deploying ZendPHP, Enterprise Web Platform functionalities equivalent to your favorite Zend Server features, and much more.
Additionally, if you are unable to find the documentation you require, or if you encounter any roadblocks during your migration, Zend is here to help. Reach out to your account representative or get in touch with us today.
Introducing the Zend Enterprise Web Platform
Built on ZendPHP and ZendHQ, the Enterprise Web Platform is a single and secure platform that supports the PHP application lifecycle from development to production. It includes:
- Security-first architecture, including CIS-hardened images
- Centralized and real-time visibility into mission-critical PHP applications
- Tools to streamline and simplify scaling processes
- Ongoing support from the engineers who built the platform
Combining the Zend Server features you love with new and flexible functionality, the Enterprise Web Platform is the ideal destination for current Zend Server customers. Schedule a demo and view a full feature comparison today.
Discover ZendPHP
Why Choose ZendPHP Secure and Supported Runtimes?
Keeping PHP applications secure and on the most current version is a leading challenge for any PHP team, including those currently deploying Zend Server. ZendPHP makes staying on top of these concerns straightforward and stress free, offering:
- PHP Long Term Support (LTS) and Upgrades
- Comprehensive Technical Support
- Support for EOL and Community-Supported PHP
- A Variety of Supported Operating Systems
Increase Performance and Save Developer Resources
ZendPHP runtimes allow you to rest easy through prompt and easy upgrades:
- Upgrade on your schedule while remaining supported
- LTS for EOL PHP, including 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 8.0
- New major and minor PHP versions ship within two weeks of community release
- Ability to install multiple PHP versions on the same machine
- Access to the most current security and performance features
Safeguard Applications Against Malicious Attacks
Keeping your system secure against the latest CVEs is critical. With ZendPHP runtimes, you access:
- Backported security patches
- Support in maintaining compliance with GDPR, PCI, HIPAA, and other standards
- CIS Benchmarked containers
- Ongoing LTS for EOL PHP versions
- And other security benefits
24/7/365 Technical Support
ZendPHP runtimes come with a support contract, delivering around-the-clock assistance that includes:
- Two-hour responses from a global team of PHP experts
- Critical security patches
- Bug fixes
- And more
Supported PHP Versions
- PHP 7.2 (LTS)
- PHP 7.3 (LTS)
- PHP 7.4 (LTS)
- PHP 8.1 (LTS)
- PHP 8.2
- PHP 8.3
- PHP 8.4
- PHP 8.5
Supported Operating Systems
- Alpine Linux 3.20, 3.22
- Amazon Linux 2
- Debian 11, 12, 13
- IBM i 7.4, 7.5, 7.6
- RHEL / CentOS / Oracle Linux 7
- RHEL / AlmaLinux / Oracle Linux / Rocky Linux 8, 9, 10
- Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, 24.04
- Windows
Explore ZendHQ
Optimize and Monitor Critical PHP Applications
Modern PHP applications are complex, and they come with equally complex requirements for monitoring, scaling, and job automation. That’s where ZendHQ comes in, the must-have extension for ZendPHP runtimes.
ZendHQ includes a vast range of features and functionalities designed to boost your PHP-based applications while improving your processes to meet user demands:
- Monitoring
- Code Tracing
- Automation and Scaling
- Application Insights
- Lower Cloud Spend
- Disaster Recovery
- And much more
Improve Performance With Custom Alerting
Integrate with existing PHP APMs, monitor your applications, and establish custom alerts for PHP-specific events, such as:
- Slow execution times
- High memory or CPU usage
- Errors and problems
Plus, ZendHQ can easily be configured to capture a detailed code trace on any of these events for streamlined troubleshooting.
Real-Time, High-Impact Code Tracing
Through in-depth insights, your team can trace PHP issues in real time, resulting in fewer escalations, quicker fixes, and improved performance. Receive detailed data on:
- Execution time
- Memory consumption
- Database queries
- And other critical aspects of your system
Through these instant application insights, you and your team can identify and address bottlenecks, be proactive in profiling your code, and prevent future issues from becoming risky problems.
Manage and Automate Jobs
JobQueue, a feature included with the ZendHQ extension, enhances scalability within your PHP through:
- Job Scheduling – Schedule processes to occur when more computational power is available.
- Recurring Jobs – Schedule regularly occurring work on a cadence.
- Job Deferment – Defer long-running jobs when you need to provide an immediate response.
Advanced Observability and Instant Application Insights
Z-Ray delivers instant insights into requests made to your PHP application or API, simplifying identifying, understanding, and remediating complex issues within your application. Use Z-Ray for:
- Root-cause analysis
- Application profiling
- Understanding application flow
- And to provide many other critical insights
Reduce time to resolution with Z-Ray and ZendHQ.
Performance-First Development Delivers Ongoing Cost Savings
Unlock predictable, lower infrastructure and cloud spend by integrating ZendHQ into your CI/CD pipeline. Keep your cloud budget in check and costs on a downward trend by:
- Catching issues early so every release delivers peak efficiency
- Preventing resource over-provisioning from occurring
- Monitoring continuously to identify problems quickly
- Tuning performance to deliver dependable user experiences
Quickly Recover Lost ZendHQ Data
To put your mind at ease, ZendHQ includes built-in disaster recovery features. This functionality makes regaining or migrating ZendHQ data stress-free, as you can:
- Create backup snapshots of ZendHQ data
- Increase ZendHQ data retention and plan for future capacity
- Migrate ZendHQ to a new infrastructure with no data loss
- Access persistent storage while running in a containerized environment
Migration Made Easy With the ZendPHP Ansible Playbook
With the help of the ZendPHP Ansible playbook, migrating off of Zend Server is an easy and straightforward process. Follow a few simple steps to quickly provision ZendPHP and consistently deploy applications at scale using existing Zend Server Deployment Packages (ZPKs).
Plan Your Zend Server Migration Now
Zend Server EOL is quickly approaching, but you still have time to plan and execute your migration without rushing. We give you flexible options to move forward without putting your applications, security, or compliance at risk.
To ease the transition, Zend offers several migration destinations and support options:
- Enterprise Web Platform – A modern Zend Server alternative built for enterprise PHP, designed to support mission-critical applications from development through production
- ZendPHP + ZendHQ – Secure and supported PHP runtimes combined with advanced observability and orchestration tooling
- Full suite of Professional Services – Expert guidance to plan, execute, and validate your migration with minimal downtime and reduced risk
Whether you want a fully managed migration or expert support for a self‑managed approach, Zend helps you migrate on your timeline and with confidence. Fill out this form to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Looking for an answer to a question not listed here? Click the button below to connect with a member of the Zend team.
ZendPHP and ZendHQ are purpose-built for modern, scalable application architectures. Because of that, it’s important that you optimize your first installation and configuration to minimize future friction as you scale.
Once you’re set up, you will have access to modern, modular tools that allow you to control exactly what you run and how it runs. Additionally, through scheduled upgrades and PHP LTS, future update processes are extremely easy.
We do understand that not all teams have the knowledge or experience for this initial set up, which is why our Professional Services team is at your disposal. We offer a hands-free installation and clear onboarding for you to get set up. Please contact us with questions about your exact migration parameters.
Technology landscapes change quickly, and threats to your system evolve even faster. By simply maintaining the status quo, you are leaving your business and users vulnerable to new and malicious attacks. By migrating before an issue occurs, you can ensure your system is not only stable today, but future-proofed against yet-to-be discovered vulnerabilities.
That’s where ZendPHP and ZendHQ come in. These industry-leading products make sure that your PHP application remains secure, observable, scalable, and supported long after the community has moved on to new versions. Migrate on your schedule, stay secure, and stay up to date with the latest features and functionalities PHP has to offer by choosing ZendPHP.
Please note that the Enterprise Web Platform is not currently available for IBM i systems. Contact Zend to discuss your options.
It only takes one weak link to break a chain. PHP may not be the most important aspect of your stack, but keeping it secure can potentially save you millions of dollars in the event of an exploitation. By migrating from Zend Server to ZendPHP or the Enterprise Web Platform, you can ensure that malicious attackers can’t use out-of-date PHP applications as an entry point to your data.
Additionally, by migrating at a point when your PHP applications are not a critical part of your business initiatives, you can avoid disruptions as you modernize that application and bring it up to date. This represents a great opportunity to start fresh from a new version and keep it updated as time progresses.
The Enterprise Web Platform is an ideal solution for current Zend Server users. It combines features you love now (such as intuitive dashboards, queueing, and monitoring) with new tools to enjoy (including enhanced observability and a shift to a declarative deployment model). Click this link to view a full Zend Server and Enterprise Web Platform feature comparison.
Access all the benefits of Platform as a Service without the constraints. To learn more about how the Enterprise Web Platform fits within your infrastructure, you can contact your account representative or fill out the form on this page.
The Zend Enterprise Web Platform comes with a one-time setup cost. This includes support from proven PHP professionals in establishing your dashboards, configuring your application, and addressing any custom configuration needs within your stack. It involves no deployment learning curves. Drop in and deploy where you want via Docker or Kubernetes. After that, simply connect to different applications to ensure that they are viewable within the platform.
We also offer additional support and training for complex or highly customized configurations. Contact us to learn more.
The Enterprise Web Platform comes with full installation, configuration, and ongoing technical support. Backed by the experts who built the platform, it is designed for ease of use and to simplify PHP management. While the initial migration will take developer time and resources, it shouldn’t require much more attention than Zend Server did.
The same is true for ZendPHP and ZendHQ. With the plug-and-play features included in ZendHQ, you’ll find you actually save time on debugging processes and monitoring, allowing your team to focus on building new features and addressing other high-priority concerns. Through the modular approach of ZendPHP + ZendHQ, you can also update individual pieces of the stack independently from one another, leading to less downtime, less attack surface, and significantly simpler updates.
You also will not need to hire a dedicated developer or sysadmin to run ZendPHP + ZendHQ or the Enterprise Web Platform. While there is a learning curve for using these tools, it’s short, and our products are designed to be set-and-forget – just like Zend Server.
However, if you find yourself in need of assistance, our Professional Services team is in your corner. We offer setup services to configure ZendPHP to your system with minimal effort.
How to Start Migrating to a Zend Server Alternative
Zend Server reaching end of life may seem far away, but the deadline is approaching fast. By beginning your migration to ZendPHP now, you can avoid price increases while keeping your critical applications secure, compliant, and performing without interruption.
Proven PHP Services for Enterprise Applications
Zend PHP services and support extend far beyond easing migrations from Zend Server. Check out our full suite of enterprise-grade options.