Solution
PHP application modernisation
We modernise your PHP application while it stays in operation: with an update to a supported PHP version, or step by step, one area at a time, until the old application can be switched off. It starts with a fixed-price assessment that shows openly whether modernisation pays off or a standard product is the better fit. PHP application modernisation for SMEs in Switzerland and Liechtenstein whose customer portal, ordering system or internal administration runs on an outdated PHP version.
Who it is for: For SMEs with a custom-built PHP application or website, such as a customer portal, ordering system or internal administration, on PHP 8.2 or older or an outdated framework.
Starting point
How the process runs today
The application was built years ago by a developer or a small agency and has been running ever since. It is business-critical, but barely documented, has no automated tests and runs on a PHP or framework version that no longer receives security updates. Only one person knows the code. Every change takes longer and costs more. Meanwhile Excel lists appear alongside it, because the application no longer reflects today's process.
What it costs
- Newly discovered security vulnerabilities stay open, because the PHP version no longer receives updates.
- If the only developer is unavailable, nobody can change the application safely.
- Every extension becomes more expensive and riskier, because tests and documentation are missing.
- Data is transferred by hand into the ERP or the accounting system.
Process
What the process looks like afterwards
01
Assessment
We review server, PHP version, framework, code, data and interfaces and talk to the users. Result: a recommendation, a stage plan and a cost ceiling.
02
Secure it now
The old application is moved to a supported PHP version or access to it is restricted. This keeps it secure for as long as it runs.
03
Biggest pain point first
The area causing the most pain is rebuilt first, for example order entry. Everything else keeps running in the old system.
04
Shared data
The old and new applications work with the same data via an interface. Nobody maintains anything twice.
05
Data migration and redirects
Data is cleaned up and migrated in trial runs. Old URLs redirect permanently to the new pages, so that links keep working and Google rankings are preserved.
06
Switch off the old application
Once the last area has been replaced, the old application is switched off. The new solution is maintained and updated regularly.
What does PHP application modernisation cost?
That depends on the route. There are four realistic routes for old PHP applications. Which one fits depends on the state of the code, how important the application is to your business and whether your process is still right.
The table compares the price ranges at a glance. Not every case needs a project: if the code is maintainable, an update is often enough.
Four routes at a glance
| Route | Suitable if | Price range |
|---|---|---|
| Update | the code is maintainable and the process is still right | time and materials, CHF 150 to 250 per hour |
| Modernise step by step | the application has grown and is business-critical | CHF 40,000 to 150,000, spread over stages |
| Replace with standard software | a standard product covers around 80 percent of your process | licence and roll-out, CHF 3,000 to 15,000 per integration |
| Rebuild | the code cannot be saved and the process is changing significantly | CHF 25,000 to 100,000, larger platforms above that |
| Assessment as a preliminary study | before any of these decisions | CHF 4,000 to 9,000, fixed price, 2 to 3 weeks |
First step: an assessment of your PHP application
Before you invest, we review your application in a preliminary study at a fixed price of CHF 4,000 to 9,000. It takes two to three weeks. We record server, PHP version, framework, database and interfaces, read the code, talk to the users and analyse the data.
Often it turns out that an update is enough. If so, we tell you. Afterwards you decide freely whether and with whom to implement. You receive:
- a recommendation for one of the four routes, with reasons
- immediate measures to keep the old application secure
- a stage plan that starts with the biggest pain point
- a cost ceiling for the implementation
Modernising step by step while the business keeps running
Weeks 1 to 3
Fixed-price assessment
Technical review, code review, interviews with the users and data analysis. Result: a recommendation, a stage plan and a cost ceiling.
Straight afterwards
Secure the old application
Update to a supported PHP version or restricted access. As long as the old application is online, it has to stay secure.
Stage 1
The most important area first
One area is rebuilt and goes live. Everything else keeps running in the old system, and both use the same data.
Further stages
One area at a time
Each stage is manageable, usable early and can be rolled back if problems arise.
Final stage
Migration and switch-off
The remaining data is migrated and old URLs redirect. Then the old application is switched off.
Ongoing
Maintenance and updates
Security updates belong in a maintenance contract. Typically this is 15 to 20 percent of the project cost per year.
What happens to data, URLs and Google rankings?
Your data moves with you. After many years of operation there are duplicates, empty mandatory fields and special cases. We clean them up before the migration and check the result in trial runs before switching over. Rules that exist only in the old code, such as pricing rules, are documented in the assessment.
If the application is publicly accessible, for example as a website or customer portal, Google and your customers know its addresses. Every old URL therefore receives a permanent redirect to the matching new page. This way links and bookmarks still lead to the right place, and Google can assign the rankings of the old pages to the new ones. After the switch we monitor error pages and rankings, for example in Google Search Console.
From practice: an old PHP website replaced by a B2B shop
A manufacturer of curtain and drapery tapes from Vorarlberg ran a website with a shop that was more than ten years old. It ran on a PHP application with a framework from 2012 that has not received security updates for years. Every extension became more expensive and riskier, and replacing it was cheaper than patching it further.
The new platform is connected directly to the SAP system. Items, prices and stock levels come automatically from the ERP, business customers see their own prices, and orders go to the customer and the sales team without anyone keying them in.
Integrations
Which systems are connected
After modernisation, the application can be connected directly to your ERP or accounting system, such as Abacus, bexio or SAP. This ends the rekeying of data between systems.
- ERP and accounting
- Abacus
- bexio
Make or buy
Off-the-shelf or custom?
Off-the-shelf software is enough if
- A standard software product or a module of your ERP covers around 80 percent of your process.
- The rest of your process is not a competitive advantage, and you can adapt to the product.
- The application is not business-critical. Then securing it is enough, or you switch it off.
Finished products for this case: Modules of your ERP and industry solutions, and for websites and shops ready-made systems such as Shopify.
Custom is worth it if
- The application has grown over years, is business-critical and covers processes that no standard product knows.
- A day of downtime costs revenue or customers, so switching over on a single cut-off date is out of the question.
- The code contains pricing rules or special cases that are not documented anywhere.
- The application should be connected to the ERP, shop or accounting system instead of rekeying data.
Effort
Price range and duration
- Price range
- CHF 40'000 to 150'000
- Duration
- 3 to 8 months
Non-binding estimate, excl. VAT.
What drives the effort
The range applies to step-by-step modernisation in stages. A plain PHP update is charged on a time and materials basis, around CHF 2,500 to 10,000 for a custom application on a current framework. The assessment costs a fixed price of CHF 4,000 to 9,000.
The price becomes binding after the fixed-price discovery phase.
PHP application modernisation
Frequently asked questions
How long can we keep running an old PHP application securely?
Only as long as its PHP version receives security updates and someone can still change the code safely. PHP 8.2 receives no security updates from 1 January 2027, and PHP 8.1 and older already received no regular updates for the critical vulnerabilities of October 2026. Depending on the state of the application, the next step is to update it, modernise it step by step or replace it.
Is it worth simply updating an old PHP application?
Yes, if the code is maintainable and the application still fits the way you work. In that case an update is the cheapest option and removes the immediate security risk. If the code has no tests, no documentation and depends on one person, an update only postpones the problem. A short code review shows which case applies.
Do we have to move away from PHP when we rebuild?
No. Current PHP versions are a well-maintained basis for business applications. We build with .NET, Next.js and PostgreSQL, so a rebuild by us means switching technology. That makes most sense when you are rebuilding anyway. If your code is in good shape and a partner maintains it reliably, switching is not a goal in itself.
Let us talk about your case.
20 minutes are enough to find out whether a custom solution is worth it for you.