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W3Schools
w3schools.com › php › php_compiler.asp
PHP Online Compiler (Editor / Interpreter)
Well organized and easy to understand Web building tutorials with lots of examples of how to use HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL, Python, PHP, Bootstrap, Java, XML and more.
Discussions

ide - Free Good PHP editor with FTP support for both Windows and MacOS - Software Recommendations Stack Exchange
I'm a PHP developer and now I'm using a "free" version of Dreamweaver, I know that this one has the things I'm looking for, but its expensive. I've looked into some softwares like Aptana, Notepad++, More on softwarerecs.stackexchange.com
🌐 softwarerecs.stackexchange.com
Favorite IDE for PHP?
PhpStorm and it's not even close. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/PHP
178
51
May 20, 2022
What is the best free IDE(editor+debugger) for PHP ( like java intellij for Python pyCharm or VC++ for c++)
PhpStorm is probably the best choice, however, it's not free; but you can get a free license under one of the following conditions: you are a teacher/student: https://www.jetbrains.com/community/education/#students you are developing an open source project: https://www.jetbrains.com/shop/eform/opensource If you are employed, you should ask your employer to buy you a license. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/PHPhelp
17
5
October 30, 2021
Which IDE for PHP programming?
VSCode. The PHP language extension for the IDE is up to date, and it has a robust community of extension designers and support groups. If you're doing full-stack development, it supports any language or framework you're using. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/webdev
21
0
March 2, 2024
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Kinsta®
kinsta.com › home › resource center › blog › learn php › 22 best php editors and ides (free and premium)
22 Best PHP Editors and IDEs (Free and Premium)
September 15, 2025 - Looking for a new and 100% free local WordPress development tool? Then make sure to check out DevKinsta! Although a PHP IDE comes with more features than a PHP editor, it also requires more expertise to set up and configure the environment.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › List_of_PHP_editors
List of PHP editors - Wikipedia
October 3, 2025 - This article contains a list of text editors with features specific to the PHP scripting language. Aptana Studio – Eclipse-based IDE, able to use PDT plugins, visual JS editor. Open-source, free project. (Community edition merged in). Atom – free and open-source text editor with out-of-the-box ...
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OneCompiler
onecompiler.com › php
PHP Online Compiler
Write, Run & Share PHP code online using OneCompiler's PHP online compiler for free. It's one of the robust, feature-rich online compilers for PHP language, running on PHP 8.3. Getting started with the OneCompiler's PHP compiler is simple and pretty fast. The editor shows sample boilerplate ...
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Programiz
programiz.com › php › online-compiler
Online PHP Compiler - Programiz
Write and run your PHP code using our online compiler. Enjoy additional features like code sharing, dark mode, and support for multiple programming languages.
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JetBrains
jetbrains.com › phpstorm
PhpStorm: The PHP IDE by JetBrains
June 2, 2021 - Explore the PhpStorm IDE for web projects. Get everything you need for PHP, JavaScript, and SQL coding out of the box
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Guru99
guru99.com › home › php › 10 best free php ides & editors (2026)
10 Best Free PHP IDEs & Editors (2026)
November 13, 2025 - Advanced Navigation: Rapid PHP Editor features advanced navigation tools like bookmarks, code explorers, and function listings. These help you move smoothly through large and complex codebases.
Find elsewhere
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Rapidphpeditor
rapidphpeditor.com › download.php
Rapid PHP editor - Download
Rapid PHP is a fast and powerful PHP code editor for Windows.
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IONOS
ionos.com › digital guide › websites › web development › php-editors
The best PHP editors and PHP IDEs - IONOS
October 17, 2023 - PHP editors make it easy to write clean PHP code. PHP IDE, in turn, serves as an advanced editor in PHP with ad­di­tion­al func­tion­al­i­ty. We present the best free and paid PHP software and compare all features, pros and cons.
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SourceForge
sourceforge.net › projects › devphp
Dev-PHP IDE download | SourceForge.net
Download Dev-PHP IDE for free. Dev-PHP is a well-featured IDE for PHP. Fast and powerful, it is easy to use and has a lot of cool features : class browser, scripts preview, integration with PHP parsers, PHP-GTK library, and Xdebug of course.
Rating: 4.7 ​ - ​ 12 votes
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Softonic
php-editor.en.softonic.com › home › windows › development & it › php editor
PHP Editor - Download
April 10, 2019 - PHP Editor, free and safe download. PHP Editor latest version: A Robust PHP IDE for an Enhanced Editing Experience. PHP Editor is a PHP IDE (integrate
Rating: 10/10 ​ - ​ 1 votes
Top answer
1 of 5
5

I used to be an Eclipse fan, but a few years ago I moved to NetBeans and have never looked back.

I am currently using it for PHP (and MySql/SQlite), C, C++ and JavaScript.

From your request:

free and open source        <=== check 
FTP support (also SFTP)     <=== https://blogs.oracle.com/netbeansphp/entry/ftp_support_added
Code highlight              <======   yup
Windows, Mac OS and Linux   <=== written in Java, so yup, plus Raspberry Pi et al
PHP, HTML, CSS, Javascript (and a huge amount of other languages)   ...  

https://netbeans.org/features/ .... "NetBeans IDE offers superior support for C/C++ and PHP developers, providing comprehensive editors and tools for their related frameworks and technologies. In addition, the IDE has editors and tools for XML, HTML, PHP, Groovy, Javadoc, JavaScript, and JSP."

Plus, add your own ... http://wiki.netbeans.org/How_to_create_support_for_a_new_language

You won't ever look for another IDE. Guaranteed, or your money back ;-)

2 of 5
7

I'd recommend Sublime Text.

Sublime has everything you would expect in a minor IDE or an amazing text editor and yet is very very light. Pretty much any area that you want to have more features there is a simply massive plugin library. Sublime Text is not free but it on the cheap end of software, it also has a free unlimited trial so you can test it and decide before making any commitments.

To go over your requirements:

  • FTP support: Sublime does not have native FTP support. However, that plugin library comes to the rescue. If you don't need SFTP then the free/open-source SublimeFTPSynce is what I have used and is quite good. If you do need SFTP support then AFAIK the only option is Sublime SFTP which is not free ($20) but has a free trial.
  • Code highlight
  • Windows and MacOS
  • PHP, HTML, CSS, Javascript
  • Easy to use
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OnlinePHP
onlinephp.io
PHP Sandbox - Execute PHP code online through your browser
Run PHP code in your browser online with this tool in 400+ PHP versions
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Rapidphpeditor
rapidphpeditor.com
Rapid PHP editor
Free Download · Download Rapid PHP editor · Purchase Now · One-time fee of just $59.95 · © 2026 Blumentals Solutions SIA · Acknowledgements · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Home · AI · Screenshots · Compare · Download · Buy · Support · License Agreement ·
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Software Testing Help
softwaretestinghelp.com › home › php › top 8 online php ide and editors in 2026 [best free & paid]
Top 8 Online PHP IDE and Editors in 2026 [Best FREE & PAID]
December 26, 2025 - Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac, and Solaris. Supported Languages: PHP, Java, JavaScript, HTML5, C, C++, and many others. Cost Details: Free ... PHPStorm is developed by JetBrains. It is an IDE for PHP and provides an editor for other languages too.
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RabIT Solutions
rabitsolutions.com › blog › how-to-choose-the-best-php-editor-for-your-projects
PHP developers: How to choose the best free PHP editors?
December 9, 2025 - In 2024 there are 21 PHP editors available for free to use, and the top 5 choices usually are Visual Studio Code, Brackets, SublimeText, NetBeans and Eclipse.
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BDTask
bdtask.com › blog › best-code-editors-and-ides-for-php-development
15 Best Code Editors and IDEs for PHP Development of 2024
January 15, 2025 - However, Komodo Edit is still free. You can use it as code editors without paying anything. The platform is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux. Thousands of active users believe Komodo is an excellent platform for building software and ...
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Google Play
play.google.com › store › apps › details
PHP Editor - Apps on Google Play
This isn't great, being little more than a glorified text editor with some code completion options ,though it hasn't been updated for the latest version of PHP, and I doubt it was even in it's last updated version, now several years ago. On the other hand it is free and apart from the occasional ad tucked away at the bottom of the screen it has an uncluttered screen and doesn't mind you using newer code (if you know it!).
Rating: 3.1 ​ - ​ 1.07K votes
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Code Interview
codeinterview.io › online-php-editor
Free Online PHP Editor and Compiler - CodeInterview.io
Online PHP Editor, Free web based online php editor known as one of the best php editors online where you can edit your php code to see results in real time, known for conducting real time interviews.