A PHP application that earns revenue still needs upgrades, and the work is put off because nobody wants to touch the old code.
Hire PHP Developers for Web Platforms, Online Stores & Content Sites
PHP engineers who write modern, typed PHP with Laravel or Symfony, and who can also work through older code without breaking what already runs.
- Current PHP 8 features and Composer workflows
- Laravel, Symfony and WordPress experience
- Commits to your repository under your review rules
- Meet and interview the developer first
- DaysTo a shortlist
- MonthlyContract terms
- YoursCode and IP
Teams That Build With SyntecHire
References available on request.
What You Can Build With PHP
SaaS and Web Platforms
Multi-tenant products with subscriptions, roles, queues and an API for integrations.
Tech Stack
- Laravel
- PHP 8
- MySQL
- Redis
Outcome
Common features come from the framework, so effort goes into what is specific to your product.
PHP is free software, and changes to the language are proposed, discussed and voted on through a public RFC process.
Technical Expertise Our PHP Developers Bring
Strict types, enums, readonly properties and attributes, with dependencies managed through Composer.
- PHP 8
- Composer
- PSR Standards
Routing, queues, events and the ORM, used without hiding business logic in controllers.
- Laravel
- Eloquent
- Livewire
Components, the service container and bundles for larger, long-lived applications.
- Symfony
- Doctrine
- Twig
Themes, plugins and modules written to each platform's standards so updates stay possible.
- WordPress
- Drupal
- Magento
Schema design, indexing and slow query analysis, plus caching where it helps.
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- Redis
Automated tests and analysis tools that find type errors in code that has no tests yet.
- PHPUnit
- Pest
- PHPStan
Prepared statements, output escaping, CSRF protection and prompt dependency updates.
- OWASP
- CSRF Protection
- Prepared Statements
Container images, web server configuration and zero-downtime release scripts.
- Docker
- Nginx
- PHP-FPM
How PHP Has Evolved
- 1995
PHP ToolsFirst release
Rasmus Lerdorf released the first version to the public.
- 2004
PHP 5Objects
A new object model arrived with Zend Engine II.
- 2015
PHP 7.0Speed
A large performance improvement, plus scalar type declarations and return types.
- 2020
PHP 8.0JIT
A JIT compiler, named arguments, attributes, union types and match expressions.
- 2021
PHP 8.1Enums
Enums, readonly properties and fibers.
- 2024
PHP 8.4Property hooks
Property hooks and asymmetric visibility.
When PHP Is The Right Choice
Choose PHP when
- The product is a web applicationPHP was made for the request and response cycle and handles it well.
- You want a wide choice of hostingPHP runs on almost any host, from shared plans to containers.
- A CMS or store platform fits the needWordPress, Drupal and Magento are written in PHP and are extended with it.
- You want a full-stack frameworkLaravel and Symfony include routing, queues, mail and authentication.
Consider something else when
- You need long-lived connectionsStandard PHP handles one request per process and then exits. Node.js or Go suit persistent sockets better.
- The workload is heavy computationNumber crunching and media processing are better placed in Go, Rust or Java.
- Machine learning is centralPython has the libraries and the community for that work.
Why CTOs Choose Us
We shortlist for your situation, whether that is a new Laravel build or an older application that needs care.
Candidates review and extend a PHP project they did not write, which is what most PHP work involves.
You meet the developer and look at their code before any contract.
The developer uses your repository and tools, and works for one client only.
No exit fee, and a replacement if the fit is wrong.
How Your Developer Joins The Team
- 1Step 1
Discovery
A call about your stack, team and the work ahead.
- 2Step 2
Matching
A shortlist of people who have done similar work.
- 3Step 3
Onboarding
Access, environment setup and a first small task.
- 4Step 4
Shipping
Regular pull requests inside your review process.
AI In Delivery
Where coding assistants help, and where a person decides.
Used for speed
Boilerplate, test scaffolding and first drafts of documentation.
Always reviewed
Every change is read and approved by an engineer before it merges.
Never given secrets
Credentials and client data stay out of prompts. Your policy on AI tools applies.
Security And IP
What we enforce on every engagement.
IP assignment
All work product is assigned to you in the contract.
NDA first
Signed before anyone sees your code.
Least privilege
Access limited to what the task needs.
Clean exit
Access revoked and handover documented when work ends.
PHP Developer Pricing Tiers
- Early career
Entry
On request
- Works on defined tasks
- Pairs with a senior reviewer
- Suited to well-scoped backlog items
- Mid level
Experienced
On request
- Owns features end to end
- Reviews others' code
- Suited to most product teams
- Senior
Expert
On request
- Leads architecture decisions
- Mentors the team
- Suited to complex or legacy systems
Rates depend on seniority, stack and team size. We quote a fixed monthly figure per developer.
What Is Included In The Rate
| SyntecHire dedicated developer | Typical freelancer | |
|---|---|---|
| Screening and onboarding | Included | Your time |
| Replacement if the fit is wrong | Included | Start again |
| Continuity and handover notes | Included | Varies |
| IP assignment and NDA | In the contract | Varies |
| Availability | Full time on your product | Shared across clients |
Is A Dedicated Developer The Right Fit?
Five quick questions.
1Is the work expected to run for three months or longer?
2Do you have someone who can set priorities each week?
3Is there an existing codebase or a clear specification?
4Do you want the developer inside your own tools and reviews?
5Would losing context between contractors hurt the project?
0 of 5 answered. Answer every question to see the result.
Related Insights
View All Articles- HiringHow to brief a remote developer so week one is productiveA short checklist covering access, context and a first task that is small enough to finish.
- Project ManagementStaff augmentation or a dedicated team: a decision you can make in ten minutesFour questions about ownership, runway and management time that settle the choice.
- ModernisationSigns your legacy platform has become a business riskWhat to look for in release frequency, incident history and hiring difficulty.
PHP Hiring Questions
They review and extend an existing PHP codebase, take part in a live technical interview, and complete a communication check.
Both. Laravel is common for products that need to move quickly. Symfony is common in larger, long-lived systems. Tell us which you run.
Yes. That includes custom themes, plugins, performance work and integrations, written so that core updates remain possible.
Yes. The developer adds static analysis and tests first, then upgrades in small steps so each change can be checked.
You do. All code and IP belong to you. An NDA is signed before code access.
Terms are month to month and there is no exit fee.