Ludovic Frank

December 16, 2025

PHP Everywhere

What if PHP could go far beyond the web? Mehmet T. AKALIN believed it — and he made it happen.

For years, PHP was stuck on the server side. Need a high-performance CLI tool? You had to use Go. Embedded code in an iOS app? Swift was mandatory. An autonomous AI agent on the client side? Python took all the space.

But Mehmet (T. AKALIN on Dev) already knew PHP inside out. So he took on a challenge: free PHP from its chains.

Here's what he built:

  • php2ir — compiles PHP into native binary with LLVM optimizations.
  • php-ios — packages PHP into a native iOS app, App Store ready.
  • microphp — runs PHP on an ESP32 for IoT projects.
  • php2wasm — executes PHP in the browser via WebAssembly.

And to unify it all: px, the CLI that compiles for all environments. With a universe.toml file and a single px build command, you get a standalone, lightweight, secure binary.

No more mandatory server. No more PHP-FPM. PHP becomes portable, native, ready for mobile, edge computing, and AI agents.

PHP is no longer just a scripting language. It's a systems language — ready to face the future.
Try php-universe. Dare to build differently. What if we redefined what PHP can do?

About Ludovic Frank

Passionate web developer living in France, creator of projects like ViteUneTable, Coupéo, LFNY, LFQR, LFMDP, LFUnminfy, LFColors, LFSocial, LFMaps and LFGitignore.

Always interested in trying out new things.

In addition to occasionally writing on this platform, I also maintain my own blog.