List of PHP accelerators

This is a list of PHP accelerators. PHP accelerators are special tools that help make websites built with PHP run faster. They work by storing parts of the website code so it doesn't need to be processed every time someone visits the site. This can make websites load quicker and improve the experience for visitors. Many developers use these tools to ensure their websites perform well, especially when they have many visitors or complex tasks to handle.

Alternative PHP Cache (APC)

Alternative PHP Cache (APC) is a free and open framework that helps make PHP web pages load faster. It stores parts of the PHP code in memory so that the computer doesn’t have to read and process the same code many times. This can make pages load much faster, especially for big websites like Drupal.

APC was used by big websites such as Facebook and has been improved by many people over time. Although APC was once planned to be part of PHP itself, newer tools like Zend OPcache are now used instead. A newer version called APCu is still being worked on, focusing on storing user data instead of PHP code.

eAccelerator

eAccelerator started in December 2004, based on work by Dmitry Stogov. It had tools to help speed up PHP, but some features were stopped in 2006.

The tool works with certain versions of PHP, but has not had new updates since 2012. You can find more information on its Github repository.

ionCube PHP Accelerator

The ionCube PHP Accelerator (PHPA) started in 2001. It was the first free tool to make PHP work faster, showing that PHP could match other popular web languages. Even though it was not shared openly, many websites around the world used it, from small sites to big ones like Yahoo!. This tool also helped improve another tool called APC by using better memory techniques.

Website: http://www.ioncube.com

Turck MMCache

Turck MMCache is no longer being developed. A related tool called eAccelerator was created from Turck MMCache.

Website: https://turck-mmcache.sourceforge.net/index\_old.html

XCache

XCache is a tool that helps make PHP—the programming language used to build websites—work faster. It stores pieces of code so they don’t need to be processed again each time someone visits the site. This makes websites load quicker, especially when many people are using them at the same time.

It was created by one of the developers of Lighttpd, another software used for websites. Although it was once popular, it hasn’t had any new updates since 2014, so it’s not used as much today. It worked with many versions of PHP and could run on different types of computers.

Nusphere PhpExpress

PhpExpress is a free tool that helps make PHP programs run faster. It stores PHP files in a way that makes them load quicker, which speeds up websites and applications. It works on many different types of computers and operating systems.

Zend OPcache (ex. Zend Optimizer+)

Zend OPcache is a free tool that comes with PHP and helps make PHP programs run faster. It stores parts of the program that have already been prepared, so the computer doesn’t have to do that work again. This makes things quicker. Starting with PHP 5.5, Zend OPcache is included with PHP itself.

Zend Optimizer+ was changed to its new name, Zend OPcache, in March 2013.

Zend Platform

Zend Platform is a special tool made to make websites run faster. It helps by storing parts of the website so they don’t have to be loaded again, which makes everything quicker. It also has tools to help fix problems and keep websites running smoothly, even if something goes wrong.

Zend Platform and Zend Core are no longer being updated and have been replaced with a newer tool called Zend Server.

Windows Cache Extension for PHP

The Windows Cache Extension for PHP is a free tool made by Microsoft to help PHP applications run faster on Windows computers. It works like a helper that stores important information so the application doesn’t have to load it again, making things quicker. This tool is mainly used with a special web service called Internet Information Services and works with older versions of PHP.

The tool is still being updated and improved. You can find more details and download it from special websites made for developers.

Comparison of features

This section compares the features of different PHP accelerators. It helps users understand the strengths and weaknesses of each tool to choose the best one for their needs. The table shows key details about each accelerator, making it easier to compare them.

Name	Availability	Opcode cache	File cache	Resolve file path cache	Object/session cache	Optimization	Cache in memory	Source encoding
APC	Discontinued	Yes	Yes	?	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
eAccelerator	Discontinued	Yes	Yes	?	?	?	Yes	?
PHP Accelerator (PHPA)	Discontinued	Yes	Yes	?	No	Yes	Yes	No
Turck MMCache	Discontinued	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
XCache	Discontinued	Yes	Yes	?	Yes	No	Yes	?
Nusphere PhpExpress	Discontinued	Yes	?	?	?	?	?	?
Zend OPcache (ex. Zend Optimizer+)	Maintained	Yes	Yes	?	No	Yes	Yes	No
Zend Platform	Discontinued	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
Windows Cache	Maintained	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	Yes	?

Compatibility chart

PHP accelerators	Availability	Windows	Linux	FreeBSD	macOS	NetBSD	Solaris	IIS	Apache	Nginx	5.2	5.3	5.4	5.5	5.6	7.0	7.1	7.2	7.3	7.4	8.0 to 8.4
PHP accelerators	Availability	OS						Web servers			PHP version
APC	Discontinued	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	Yes	?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
eAccelerator	Discontinued	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
ionCube	Discontinued	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	Yes	?	Yes	?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Turck MMCache	Discontinued	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
XCache	Discontinued	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	?	?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Nusphere PhpExpress	Discontinued	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	?	?	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Zend OPcache (ex. Zend Optimizer+)	Maintained	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	?	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Zend Platform	Discontinued	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Windows Cache	Maintained	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	?	?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No

Other products

Zend Guard Loader, once called Zend Optimizer, is a free tool made by Zend Technologies. It helps run special files that were changed by Zend Guard, but it does not make PHP run faster or store extra copies of PHP code.