How to Run Multiple PHP Versions on Windows and Switch Easily

When working on modern PHP projects like those built with Laravel , you will eventually run into version conflicts. One project may require PHP 8.3 , while another older project may still run on PHP 8.1 or 8.2 . If your system only has one PHP version installed, you will constantly run into errors like: Composer detected issues in your platform: Your Composer dependencies require a PHP version ">= 8.3.0". You are running 8.2.12. Instead of reinstalling PHP every time you switch projects, the better solution is to install multiple PHP versions and switch between them instantly. One of the easiest ways to achieve this on Windows is by using Scoop , a lightweight package manager designed for developers. Below is a simple and clean setup. 1. Install Scoop Open PowerShell and run: Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser irm get.scoop.sh | iex Confirm installation: scoop --version Scoop installs tools into your user directory and avoids the common permission problems that occur w