Custom web applications
Business systems on Laravel or CodeIgniter with roles, workflows and reporting.
PHP development
PHP development. Practical, and easy to host.
PHP runs a large share of the web. We use it through Laravel and CodeIgniter for business applications, and maintain older PHP systems that still earn their keep.
Choosing PHP
A good fit when
- You have a PHP system that works and needs extending, securing or upgrading.
- Hosting must be simple and inexpensive, with developers easy to find.
- The product is a conventional web application: accounts, forms, records, reports.
Think again when
- The product is real-time at its core. Node.js is a more natural fit. See Node.js
- Your organisation is standardised on Microsoft. .NET will suit your team and tooling better. See .NET
01 / What we build
What we build with PHP.
APIs and back offices
PHP back ends behind mobile apps, with an admin panel for staff.
PHP version upgrades
Moving applications off unsupported PHP versions, with tests around the risky parts.
Legacy code takeover
Documenting, securing and gradually restructuring PHP that has outlived its authors.
02 / How it connects
What it connects to, and what to plan for.
Typical integrations
- MySQL and PostgreSQL
- Laravel and CodeIgniter
- WordPress and WooCommerce
- Payment gateways
- REST APIs
- Linux and cPanel hosting
Often scoped alongside
Plan for these
Unsupported versions
Each PHP release gets security fixes for a limited period. Many live systems run versions past it and need an upgrade first.
Uneven legacy code
Old PHP often mixes logic, queries and HTML. We agree what to restructure and what to leave alone.
Shared hosting limits
Cheap hosting restricts background jobs and server settings. Some features need a move to a proper server.
03 / Proof
PHP work you can check.
Client delivery / Agritech
UNIVIA: three products, one platform.
A farmer app, a partner app and a staff control panel for an agricultural supply chain. The stack includes PHP and ASP.NET with native mobile apps.
Read the UNIVIA case studyAlso in PHP: MyRecruiter (Laravel)
Further reading
Guides that go deeper.
Legacy System Modernization: Rewrite, Refactor or Replace?
A decision framework for legacy modernization — when to rewrite, refactor, replatform or replace, with cost ranges, risk profiles and a scoring model.
Read insight
When to Consider Laravel Microservices for Your Next Project at NSDBytes
When to choose Laravel microservices: architecture patterns, service communication, and scaling strategies for enterprise PHP applications.
Read insightA little clarity
PHP questions, answered plainly.
What is PHP development, and why is it widely used in web development?
PHP is a server-side language made for the web. It is widely used because it is easy to host, has mature frameworks such as Laravel, and powers WordPress. Modern PHP is typed and fast, a long way from the loose scripts that gave it a mixed reputation.
Can NSDBytes build custom PHP solutions for businesses?
Yes. Much of our published web work has a PHP back end, including UNIVIA, MyRecruiter and an HRMS for a corporate office. New builds normally use Laravel. We keep CodeIgniter or plain PHP where an existing system already uses them.
Is PHP suitable for e-commerce website development?
Yes. WooCommerce and Magento are both PHP, and a custom store can be built on Laravel. For most small and mid-sized shops a hosted platform such as Shopify is less work to run. Custom PHP makes sense when pricing, catalogue or fulfilment rules do not fit a standard platform.
How does NSDBytes ensure the security of PHP applications?
No one can guarantee security, so we work through the known risks: a supported PHP version, parameterised queries, escaped output, hashed passwords, CSRF protection, validated uploads and updated dependencies. Frameworks such as Laravel handle several of these by default. For a regulated product we work alongside the security assessor you appoint.
Can NSDBytes migrate existing websites to PHP?
Yes, though we first ask why. Moving a working system to another language is costly and only worth it for a clear reason, such as hosting cost or the developers available to you. More often the useful job is upgrading an old PHP version or moving loose PHP onto Laravel.
Start wherever you are
Bring the PHP system, in whatever state it is in.
Tell us what it does and what worries you about it. We will say what is worth fixing, upgrading or replacing before we quote.