Kiravo hosting platform changelog

Updates and improvements to the Kiravo platform. Newest entries at the top.

December 5, 2025 — PHP 8.5 is now available on all WordPress hosting packages

PHP 8.5 is now implemented and ready to use on our WordPress hosting packages. This update represents a natural step towards maintaining a modern and secure hosting environment for our clients’ projects.

How to change the PHP version

Updating to PHP 8.5 is done through your hosting control panel. The process is designed to be quick and intuitive.

1. Access your hosting control panel.
2. Click on the desired website.
3. Navigate to the Advanced > Developer Tools section.
4. Select PHP 8.5 from the list and press the Update button.

For a complete guide that ensures a smooth transition, we have prepared a detailed tutorial on changing the PHP version.

What PHP 8.5 brings

While performance improvements do exist, they are not spectacular. Most enhancements are primarily benefits for developers. They are presented in more detail on the official release page. In short, these are:

• Simpler array functions, such as array_first() and array_last(), simplify data manipulation within arrays.
• The Pipe Operator |> and the clone with modification syntax allow for writing more readable and logical code.
• The URI extension parses and modifies links according to standard rules, preventing security errors when handling web addresses.
• The #[\NoDiscard] attribute notifies you if you forget to use the result of an important function, reducing coding mistakes.
• Persistent handles reuse connections between requests without reinitializing them every time, saving time.
• The #[\Override] attribute on properties verifies correct overrides, and static closures work in constants for cleaner code.
• Fatal errors now display the full stack trace, helping quickly locate issues in large applications.

The end-user will notice a small difference in speed, while developers now have the necessary tools to write better code, which translates into the long-term stability and maintainability of the WordPress platform.

PHP 8.5 compatibility with the WordPress ecosystem

Any major software version change requires a cautious approach. Not all themes and plugins, especially older ones or those not recently updated, are fully compatible with PHP 8.5. Using a version that is too new may lead to site functionality errors.

For example, currently, the Imagick and Ioncube modules are not supported on PHP 8.5, pending the release of new versions by the providers of these modules.

Aspects to verify before updating

If you wish to switch to PHP 8.5, we recommend the following verification process.

Perform a backup. Before you begin, ensure you have a complete backup. Should a problem occur, you will be able to revert quickly to the previous version. You can follow our detailed video tutorial on how to perform a manual backup from our control panel.

WordPress, themes, and plugin updates. Before changing the PHP version, we recommend updating your main theme and all plugins to the latest available versions.

Test on a staging site. Our WordPress hosting includes a testing environment (staging). You can clone your live site to a staging site and change the PHP version there. This allows you to test the functionality without affecting the public site.

In case you observe errors after the update, the fastest solution is to temporarily revert to the PHP version you used previously.

November 11, 2025 — We’re upgrading our hosting platform to AMD EPYC Gen 4 & 5

Our premium clients already benefit from the high performance of our AMD EPYC Gen 2 and 3 servers. But in technology, standing still is falling behind.

True to our commitment to remaining at the forefront, we are announcing a new hardware renewal cycle. We have begun the process of migrating our entire premium WordPress hosting platform to the newest generation of servers, powered by AMD EPYC Gen 4 (“Genoa”) and Gen 5 (“Turin”) processors.

What does the EPYC Gen 4/5 series bring?

While moving from Intel Xeon to Gen 2 & 3 was an important step, the shift to Gen 4 and 5 introduces two key technologies that redefine server-level speed.

DDR5 RAM support. Our new servers utilize DDR5 RAM, which provides significantly more memory bandwidth and faster speeds than the previous DDR4 generation. In an environment optimized for WordPress, where database queries (MariaDB) and object caching (Redis) are critical, faster memory translates directly to more responsive data processing and a lower overall Time to First Byte (TTFB).

PCIe 5.0 support. Our platform uses 100% NVMe storage. The PCIe 5.0 standard, supported by these new processors, effectively doubles the available bandwidth to those storage devices. This completely removes the last potential bottleneck for file reads/writes, ensuring that data moves without congestion.

Zen 4/5 architecture. Beyond these core changes, the new architectures bring even greater single-core performance (IPC) — vital for fast PHP execution — and advanced hardware-level security features, further hardening the platform’s foundation.

A calm and seamless process

As always, our commitment to performance is matched by our commitment to stability. This upgrade process will be managed entirely by our team in a gradual and controlled manner.

The migration will be performed live, requiring no downtime for your website. You will be notified in your client area in advance of your scheduled migration window, and the only effect you will feel is an even faster platform.

September 3, 2025 — An update to our backup service

We have added a new function to our website backup service. Alongside the existing options to create manual backups and restore from automatic snapshots, you can now download a complete backup of your website. This allows you to store a copy locally.

You will find the new download website data option in the main section of your website on our hosting control panel.

We’ve written a comprehensive tutorial on our blog and created a video tutorial on YouTube that shows you how to download your website.

August 14, 2025 — Security update: our WAF is now proxy-aware

We are focused on providing a secure and stable environment for your services. To that end, we have released two important updates for our Web Application Firewall (WAF).

First, the WAF can now more accurately identify the source of web traffic. When requests pass through trusted proxy services, such as Cloudflare or Fastly, it can be difficult to see the original client’s IP address. Our module now correctly identifies this original IP, allowing it to stop malicious traffic that might otherwise have been masked.

Second, we have implemented full IPv6 support. We have observed that a significant volume of automated attacks, including brute-force and DDoS attacks, now originates from IPv6 sources. This update ensures our WAF can filter and block these threats effectively, providing a more complete layer of protection.

These updates are now active across our network. You don’t need to take any action.

August 11, 2025 — We’re moving to European providers

Over the past few months, we implemented several important changes to the infrastructure and tools we use at Kiravo. The goal was simple: reduce our reliance on non-European providers and consolidate our operations with stable, efficient partners that align with EU regulations.

Cloud infrastructure

We’re migrating away from AWS, DigitalOcean, and Vultr, and moving to three European cloud providers: Hetzner (Germany), UpCloud (Finland), and Scaleway (France).

This brings clear benefits: better response times for European visitors, improved control over resources, more predictable pricing, and stricter GDPR compliance. These providers also allow us greater flexibility in configuring and scaling hosting environments based on individual client needs.

Domain management

We’re migrating away from eNom and Namecheap and consolidating all domain registrations under Openprovider, based in the Netherlands.

This brings multiple long-term advantages: centralised management under a single provider, better pricing as volume increases, free WHOIS privacy for most TLDs, included DNS hosting, and a more stable API for automation.

Billing and client management system

We’ve already moved from WHMCS to HostBill, a billing and automation platform developed in Poland.

HostBill offers improved integration with our existing stack, enhanced control over internal workflows, and a more stable and secure client area. In the medium term, it allows us to automate more processes and improve communication with our clients.

Why change?

We have nothing against American companies, but we are from the EU, and 99% of our customers are from the EU. We want to support European companies, and also:

• WHMCS has tripled its prices in the past 4 years. Hostbill is saving us money, and has more features and finer tuning.
• Upcloud offers superior performance in all tests, compared to any other cloud provider, and a 99.999% uptime guarantee.
• Hetzner offers competitive pricing and provides sufficient performance and uptime for smaller projects and our budget-conscious clients.
• OpenProvider has better pricing and features than Enom and Namecheap.

How this impacts you

These changes will not cause any downtime or service disruption. Everything will continue to run as usual.

What will change is the client area, which will move to a new, more modern interface. We’ll be publishing both video and written tutorials to help you become familiar with the new system, including how to manage services, domains, invoices, and support tickets.

August 4, 2025 — A new hosting location: Frankfurt, Germany

We have expanded our hosting options to include a new location in Frankfurt, Germany.

This data center operates on 100% renewable energy. It is engineered for high availability and meets rigorous international standards for security, energy management, and quality.

We selected this facility for its reliable infrastructure and its commitment to sustainability. The Frankfurt location is a fast, stable, and eco-friendly option for your services. It is now available for selection with all our hosting plans.

For more information on selecting the Germany location when adding a new website to our platform, check out our tutorial.

July 22, 2025 — PHP updated on all servers

We have updated the PHP versions available for all websites hosted on our platform. The following versions are now active:

• PHP 8.4.10
• PHP 8.3.23
• PHP 8.2.29
• PHP 8.1.33

These releases include important security patches, performance enhancements, and stability improvements. This maintenance helps ensure a secure and reliable environment for your applications.

You can change the PHP version for your website from our hosting control panel. For more information, you can refer to our video tutorial on YouTube or read the text tutorial on our blog.