Do you work with Symfony or Laravel?

Both. Most of Boldare’s PHP projects are built on Symfony, including e-commerce, travel and business data platforms. We also build in Laravel. We choose the framework based on your product, your team and your existing stack, not on habit.

How does AI speed up PHP development without lowering code quality?

AI helps our engineers with refactoring, framework migrations and writing tests. Experienced developers review and sign off every pull request, so speed never replaces review. Your team inherits code that has actually been checked, not just generated quickly.

Is PHP development a separate service, or part of a broader AI-native approach?

It’s part of how Boldare builds digital products overall. PHP developers work in one team with designers, frontend developers and QA, using AI-native delivery. Boldare has been building digital products since 2004 and has shipped more than 350 of them.

PHP Development Services

Q: Can you upgrade our legacy PHP application without a full rewrite?

Yes, in most cases. Boldare upgrades PHP and framework versions step by step, so your product keeps running and new features keep shipping. With AI-assisted tooling, we migrated one product from Symfony 4.4 to 7.4 in half the usual time. If a rewrite really is the better option for your codebase, we tell you before you commit budget.

Q: Can a PHP backend handle complex, high-traffic products?

Yes, if the architecture is right. For a UK fintech processing payments for Itaú Unibanco, Boldare built a PHP platform with microservices, CQRS and domain-driven design on AWS and Kubernetes. We design the architecture for where your product is going, not only for the MVP.

Boldare helps companies upgrade, refactor and extend PHP and Laravel systems. We keep your product running while we make it faster, safer and easier to grow.

Who has benefited from Boldare's expertise?

See the companies that trusted Boldare to get it done.

PHP Development: Without vs. With the Right Partner

PHP rarely fails. Outdated versions, postponed upgrades and missing ownership do. Here’s what changes when PHP development is handled end to end by one experienced team.

Without the right partner

Your app runs on an old PHP or Symfony version, and every upgrade gets pushed to next quarter
One developer understands the backend, and every change waits for them
The monolith slows down as traffic grows, and nobody knows which part to fix first
AI-generated code goes to production without anyone checking it for security and architecture
When the project ends, the knowledge leaves with the vendor

With Boldare onboard

Framework upgrades happen step by step while your product keeps running. We migrated one product from Symfony 4.4 to 7.4 in half the usual time with AI-assisted tooling
One cross-functional team owns the backend, from architecture to release
Architecture scales with the business. For a UK fintech processing payments for Itaú Unibanco, we built a PHP platform with microservices, CQRS and domain-driven design on AWS
AI speeds up delivery, and every line still goes through human code review
Documentation and handoff are part of the work, so your in-house team can take over when you’re ready

Ready to build a PHP application that holds up in production?

Book a free, no-commitment strategy session. Tell us about your PHP project, and a Boldare expert will get back to you within one business day.

Client PartnerAleksandra Krzyżakbusiness@boldare.com

Everything You Need to Ship a PHP Application That Holds Up in Production

Most PHP projects don’t fail because of the language. They fail because development, upgrades, testing and maintenance are handled by whoever is available, not by people who specialize in each part. Here’s how Boldare covers the full scope of PHP development, end to end.

PHP Development

PHP application development: backends, APIs and platforms built on Symfony and Laravel for products that need to grow without a rewrite.

• Proven frameworks. Applications built on Symfony and Laravel. We pick the framework for the project, not out of habit.
• API-first architecture. PHP backends that serve web and mobile frontends through clean APIs. We have used the API + SPA model since our early Symfony projects.
• Architecture for complex domains. Domain-driven design, CQRS and microservices when the business logic needs them, as in the payment platform we built for a UK fintech.
• Clear code patterns. Patterns such a Command Bus keep business logic separate from the framework, so the code stays easy to change.
• Databases that fit the load. MySQL, PostgreSQL and MariaDB, chosen and tuned for how your product uses data.
• Cross-functional teams. PHP developers work in one team with frontend developers, designers and QA, so the backend is built around real product needs.

Migration and Upgrades

PHP and framework upgrades that move your product to supported versions without stopping development.

• Step-by-step upgrades. We move to new PHP and framework versions in stages, so the product keeps running and new features keep shipping.
• Faster migrations with AI. We migrated one product from Symfony 4.4 to 7.4 in half the usual time with AI-assisted tooling.
• Legacy code takeover. We start with an audit of the existing code, then plan the upgrade around the riskiest parts first.
• Database migrations. We move data between database engines when performance requires it, as when we moved a modeling agency platform from MySQL to MariaDB.
• Containerized environments. We move legacy PHP applications to Docker, so every developer and every server runs the same setup.

AI-Assisted Development

AI-native PHP development: AI speeds up the work, and experienced engineers stay responsible for every decision.

• AI in daily delivery. Our teams use AI tools for code generation, refactoring and migrations, with human review before anything reaches production.
• Shared tooling. e build and publish our own AI tools, for example mcp-farmer for testing and auditing MCP servers, available on Boldare’s GitHub.
• Clear rules for AI use. We agree with you which repositories AI tools can work on and what happens to your code.
• Measured results. We track where AI saves time and where it doesn’t. Our Symfony 4.4 to 7.4 migration took half the usual time.
• Our own open-source tools. We build and publish AI tools on Boldare’s GitHub. mcp-farmer scaffolds, tests and audits MCP servers.
• AI for support work. Our ai-support-toolkit uses Claude Code skills to investigate Jira support tickets, with a person reviewing the final answer.

Testing and Quality

Automated tests and code review built into the process from the first sprint, not added after an incident.

• Automated testing. Unit and integration tests for business logic, run automatically on every change.
• Static analysis.Tools that catch type errors and risky code before review.
• Code review. Every change is reviewed by another engineer, including code written with AI.
• Unit tests. Business logic covered by automated unit tests.
• Security checks. Code reviewed against common vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
• Performance testing. Load checks before releases that are expected to bring more traffic.

Deployment

Repeatable deployments on cloud infrastructure, so releases are routine, not risky events.

• Containers. PHP applications packaged with Docker for the same setup on every environment.
• Cloud and orchestration. Deployments on AWS and Kubernetes when the product needs to scale.
• CI/CD pipelines. Automated build, test and release steps for every change.
• Separate environments. Development, staging and production, so changes are checked before users see them.
• Monitoring. Logs and alerts set up so problems are spotted before users report them.

Long-Term Support

Ongoing maintenance and development for PHP products after launch, with a clear path to handoff when you’re ready.

• Maintenance and updates. Security patches, dependency updates and PHP version upgrades on a regular schedule.
• Performance work. We find and fix slow queries and bottlenecks as traffic grows.
• Knowledge transfer. Documentation and handoff are part of the work, so your in-house team can take over development.
• Continued development. The same team that built the product keeps adding features after launch.
• Since 2004. Boldare has been building digital products for over 20 years, with more than 350 products shipped.

From integration to production: Guides for engineering teams building with AI

The engineering decisions behind AI systems that actually ship. Architecture patterns, integration approaches, and production lessons from real deployments.

CASE STUDY

Open bank-based, real-time payment solution for a UK fintech startup

ARTICLE

TOP 3 products we've built in PHP

CASE STUDY

We've built complexed search travel offers

Trusted by product teams across industries

Here's what clients say about working with us.

Norbert Baumann

VP R&D – Sonnen

"They treat the customer portal as their product and this resulted in the high quality of their work."

Head of Software Development

Prisma

"They had a very short ramp-up time and were dedicated to delivering."

Zvonko Grujic

Director Digital Engineering – Maxeon Solar Technologies

"I feel that my opinions and observations matter and that the team will adjust their actions based on our feedback."

Jerome Defillon

Chief Technology Officer – Novolyze

"We were impressed with their capacity to embrace an unknown domain and challenge the strong assumptions presented."

Fabio Zecchini

Chief Technology Officer – Musement TUI Group

Boldare delivers results that meet our standards and expectations."

Christian Jennewein

Head of Engineering – BlaBlaCar

"Their customer-focused, Agile approach inspired us, and we discovered that we shared a similar mindset."

Allan Wilson

President - Team Alert

"I was really impressed with how much they cared about our product."

Why Boldare for PHP Development?

Choosing a PHP partner means betting on things that are hard to check in a portfolio review: how upgrade risk gets handled, who owns quality end to end, whether AI tooling is real or just a slide, and whether the team will still be there in two years. Here’s where Boldare stands on each.

1Your product outlives the framework versionPHP, Symfony and Laravel all release new versions on a fixed schedule, and older versions stop getting security fixes. The hard call is knowing when to upgrade and how far to go. Working with Boldare means that call gets made by a team that has been building digital products since 2004 and has shipped more than 350 of them, not by whoever wants to try the newest framework this year.

2Your backend doesn’t fall apart between design, dev and QAWhen design, development and testing sit with three different vendors, the backend is often the first thing to drift away from what the product actually needs. With one team owning all three, you get one point of contact and no gaps where responsibility for a bug gets passed around.

3Your upgrade doesn’t turn into a rewrite you didn’t budget for“We’ll modernize your legacy PHP” is easy to promise and hard to deliver without breaking things. You get a step-by-step upgrade plan that keeps the product running, and an honest answer up front if a rewrite is the better call for your codebase. With AI-assisted tooling, we migrated one product from Symfony 4.4 to 7.4 in half the usual time.

4Your delivery speed doesn’t come at the cost of code you can trustAI-assisted development can mean real speed, or it can mean unreviewed code shipped faster. You get an AI-assisted SDLC where AI helps with refactoring, migrations and tests, and a person signs off on every pull request. Your team inherits code that has actually been checked, not just generated quickly.

5Your architecture grows with your businessA PHP backend that works for an MVP can slow down once real traffic and complex rules arrive. You get architecture chosen for where the product is going. For a UK fintech processing payments for Itaú Unibanco, we built a PHP platform with microservices, CQRS and domain-driven design on AWS and Kubernetes.

6Your application keeps working after launch, without you having to chase anyonePHP versions, frameworks and dependencies keep changing, and an application nobody looks after becomes a security risk within months. You get ongoing support as standard, so keeping the backend safe and up to date isn’t an extra line item you have to negotiate later. When you’re ready to take development in-house, we hand it over with full documentation.

PHP Development – FAQ

Straight answers to the questions CTOs and product leads ask most before choosing a PHP development partner: legacy upgrades, framework choice, AI-assisted code quality, scalability and what happens after launch.

Yes. PHP runs most of the websites whose server-side language is known, according to W3Techs. Modern PHP 8 has strict typing, good performance and mature frameworks like Symfony and Laravel. It’s a strong choice for web applications, SaaS platforms and APIs, especially when you need a large hiring pool and a stable ecosystem.

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Boldare S.A. z siedzibą w Gliwicach, przy ul. Zwycięstwa 52, zarejestrowana w Sądzie Rejonowym w Gliwicach, X Wydział Gospodarczy Krajowego Rejestru Sądowego pod nr KRS 0000914518, NIP 6312698829, REGON 38958555. Wysokość kapitału zakładowego i wpłaconego 100 000,00 zł.