XAMPP is a popular, free, and open-source local server environment. It contains Apache, MariaDB, PHP, and Perl. Web developers use XAMPP to build and test websites locally before deploying them to live servers. While newer versions of PHP are available, many legacy applications, WordPress themes, and enterprise systems still require PHP 7.4 to run without errors.
If you work on both legacy and modern projects simultaneously, completely uninstalling your current version of XAMPP just to use PHP 7.4 is highly inefficient. Instead, you can run multiple versions side-by-side using this method:
Installing XAMPP with PHP 7.4 follows the standard procedure for all versions: How to Install and Configure XAMPP on Ubuntu Linux - Zelt
: Older Laravel versions (like Laravel 6) are often run using PHP 7.4.
After installation, you must optimize the php.ini file. This file controls environment variables, resource limits, and file size restrictions.
Open the .dmg file and drag the XAMPP folder into your Applications directory.
: Run the .exe file. If a User Account Control (UAC) warning appears, avoid installing XAMPP in the C:\Program Files directory. Install it directly to C:\xampp instead.
Click the button next to the Apache module, and select PHP (php.ini) .
Download the .exe installer (e.g., xampp-windows-x64-7.4.33-0-VS15-installer.exe ). 2. Run the Setup Download XAMPP
: Available versions such as 7.4.1 can be found in the Mac OS X section of SourceForge. Installation & Configuration
| Tool | PHP version flexibility | Best for | |------|------------------------|----------| | (Win) | Easy switching (7.4–8.3) | Windows power users | | Docker (any OS) | Any version, isolated | Modern teams, multi-version testing | | MAMP (macOS/Windows) | GUI, good for macOS | Designers, casual devs | | Native LAMP/LEMP | Full control | Linux users |
Since Apache Friends primarily promotes the latest versions (PHP 8.x), you must access the to find PHP 7.4.
Heavy frameworks (e.g., Magento, Symfony) run noticeably slower on XAMPP for Windows due to file scanning overhead.
Download the installer file ( .exe for Windows, .dmg for Mac). 2. Run the Installer Launch the downloaded installer.