Linux, Apache (or nginx), MySQL, modern PHP 8.3+. Custom CMSes, internal tools, legacy modernization. The foundation half the web quietly runs on — built right, it outlasts every framework that tried to replace it.
Why LAMP is still genuinely a good answer
Modern PHP — strict types, named arguments, readonly properties, enums, fibers, JIT — reads like a different language than the WordPress 4.x plugins your team probably associates with the word. PHPStan at level 9 catches type errors at build time. Composer-managed dependencies eliminate the “FTP-and-pray” deployment model. Laravel 11+ and Symfony 7+ are sharply maintained mainstream frameworks competitive with anything in the Node or Python ecosystems.
And the ops cost is genuinely lower. A Laravel app on a $30/month Hetzner VPS with MySQL handles workloads that would cost $400/month on AWS-managed-everything. For internal tools and content-heavy SaaS at small-to-medium scale, the math is unbeatable.
What we build
Laravel for greenfield apps
Custom CMSes where the editor workflow is non-standard. Internal tools with complex business-logic workflows. API-first products where ops simplicity matters more than the latest JavaScript ecosystem. Laravel Livewire for server-rendered interactivity that doesn’t require a React build pipeline.
Symfony for enterprise
When the project needs maximum framework flexibility, when integration with existing Symfony-based systems matters, or when the team genuinely prefers it. Symfony’s component ecosystem is one of PHP’s underrated strengths.
Custom MVC for small focused tools
Sometimes a 500-line custom-PHP routing layer is genuinely the right answer for a focused internal tool. We’ll write it. No framework overhead, no plugin maintenance, no upgrade cycles.
WordPress as application framework
When the editor experience is the requirement and a CMS is the right answer, WordPress with custom plugins (not page builders) gets you there fast. WP REST API + GraphQL for headless front-ends. WP-CLI for ops. Bedrock + Composer for proper dependency management.
What modern PHP actually looks like in our codebases
- PHP 8.3+ with strict types throughout. declare(strict_types=1) on every file. Type hints on every parameter and return.
- PHPStan level 9 or Psalm strict. Catches type errors before they reach production.
- Composer for dependency management. Lock files committed. Dependabot or Renovate for security updates.
- PSR-12 code style. Enforced via PHP CS Fixer in CI.
- Pest or PHPUnit for tests. Coverage gates in CI.
- Docker for local development. No more “works on my machine” chasing across team configs.
MySQL we’ll actually maintain
InnoDB schema design with proper indexing and partitioning. Read replicas for analytics workloads. Query analysis via slow-query log and pt-query-digest. MariaDB compatibility maintained. We can deploy on MySQL 8.x, MariaDB 11.x, or Aurora MySQL on AWS — whatever your ops constraints prefer.
When this stack genuinely fits
- Custom CMSes where the editor workflow is non-standard and WordPress/Sanity doesn’t quite fit
- Legacy PHP modernization (5.x to 8.x), security patching, dead-code removal
- Internal admin tools with complex business-logic workflows
- Cost-sensitive deployments where managed PaaS pricing makes no business sense
- Integration-heavy systems with SOAP, XML-RPC, or proprietary legacy APIs that PHP libraries already exist for
- WordPress at-scale work (10K+ posts, complex content models, custom plugin ecosystems)
Pricing
- Custom internal tool or admin platform: $25K–$80K, 6–14 weeks
- Legacy modernization (PHP 5.x/7.x → 8.x): $30K–$140K depending on codebase size, 8–20 weeks
- Custom CMS or publishing platform: $45K–$160K, 10–20 weeks
- WordPress-at-scale optimization & refactor: $15K–$60K, 4–10 weeks
Start a LAMP project
Tell us about it — current state of the codebase, what you need it to do, what the ops constraints are. connect@prizorai.com or the form. Most LAMP modernization work is under NDA — specifics happen on a private call.