PhpStorm is JetBrains' dedicated commercial IDE for PHP development, currently around #20 in real-world usage (roughly 5.8% share). It's used by professional PHP teams because it understands PHP frameworks — Laravel, Symfony, WordPress — far more deeply than a general-purpose editor with a plugin bolted on.
📌 Quick facts
Type: IDE
Made by: JetBrains
License: Paid (annual/monthly subscription; free 30-day trial; free for students and open-source maintainers)
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Primary use case: Professional PHP web app development
Key features
- Framework-aware code completion and navigation for Laravel, Symfony, WordPress, Drupal, and Magento
- Built-in database tools and SQL editor (shares its engine with JetBrains' DataGrip)
- Integrated Xdebug and Zend Debugger support with visual, step-through debugging
- On-the-fly code quality inspections, quick-fixes, and safe refactoring across a whole codebase
- Built-in HTTP client, Docker/SSH remote interpreters, and Composer dependency management
- Git and GitHub integration, including reviewing pull requests without leaving the IDE
Getting started
PhpStorm is a paid product, typically installed and licensed through the JetBrains Toolbox App:
# 1. Install the JetBrains Toolbox App from jetbrains.com/toolbox
# 2. Use it to install PhpStorm (starts a free 30-day trial automatically)
# 3. Students/OSS maintainers: apply for a free license via jetbrains.com/community
🎯 Best for: professional teams building on Laravel, Symfony, or WordPress who want deep framework intelligence, integrated database tools, and a mature step-through debugger — more than a lightweight editor is built to offer.