On October 6, 2026, the PHP Group released three release candidates: PHP 8.6.0 RC3, 8.5.12 RC1, and 8.4.27 RC1. Each release candidate focuses on bug-fixes and memory-safety corrections without introducing new features or CVEs, with 8.6.0 RC3 addressing 21 issues and 8.4.27 RC1 addressing 30. The major release, 8.6.0, has completed its feature freeze and includes fixes for various memory-safety issues, while the maintenance branches are in their bug-fix phase with no new features. These candidates are intended for testing, and if no critical bugs are found, the final versions will be released in the coming weeks

PHP Releases 8.6.0 RC3, 8.5.12 RC1 and 8.4.27 RC1 Across All Active Branches

The PHP Group tagged three release candidates on 6 October 2026 in a single sweep, covering its development line (8.6.0 RC3) and both maintenance branches (8.5.12 RC1 and 8.4.27 RC1). Each carries an official NEWS entry and ships bug-fix and memory-safety corrections only, with no new features or CVEs. 8.6.0 RC3 leads with 21 areas of fixes after its feature freeze, while 8.4.27 RC1 touches the widest set at 30. If tests surface no blocking bugs, the last RC in each line becomes the final release, so plan to upgrade to the GA versions before the maintenance lines reach end-of-life.

PHP Releases 8.6.0 RC3, 8.5.12 RC1 and 8.4.27 RC1 Across All Active Branches @ Linux Compatible