How to download and use PhpStorm for free legally

The are a lot of free and open-source integrated development environments for PHP language. For example, you can use for free tools like Komodo, Eclipse PDT, NetBeans IDE, Atom.

Those are great, but there are also paid products that provide additional features. One of the best IDE for PHP is PhpStrom by JetBrains.

If you are just learning the PHP and don't have an opportunity to pay US $199.00 every year than you can use this great software for free. And I am not talking about cracks, torrents, etc. There is a legal way to do it.


What is EAP?

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EAP is Early Access Program. This is a special beta–testing program by JetBrains for developers, who want to try new features before they appear in release version of the software.

Here is the description I took at official EAP page of PhpStorm:

"At JetBrains, we believe that to make great tools for developers, we should listen to and involve developers. Our Early Access Program (EAP) lets our development community participate in the product discussions and influence development planning, from the very early stages."

"This is an early access version of the product. You expressly acknowledge that this version of the product may not be reliable, may not work as intended and may contain errors. Any use of the EAP product is at your own risk."

What are the differences compared to original paid version?

There are a few key differences compared to paid version:

  • EAP version is free to download and use legally — JetBrains provides links on their official website;
  • EAP version may contain new features — features that you may not get even with paid one;
  • EAP version has errors & bugs — but most of the time it will work just fine. Especially, if you are using common features;
  • EAP version has limited working time — major release are published every month. That means you must download new version every ~30 days to continue use PhpStorm for free.

As you can see, there are some advantages & disadvantages, but you get brilliant IDE for PHP for free and absolutely legally.

PhpStrom EAP subscription note

Where to download EAP version of PhpStorm?

Just use this link to download the latest EAP version of PhpStorm for any platform (Windows, macOS, Linux):

JetBrains PhpStorm EAP download page

On the same page you will find the list of changes of current EAP version + list and links for previous releases.

To download the installation file for a different platform you need to click on the arrow button and select your operational system. Then you can click on Download. After installing the icon of the PhpStorm will contain an EAP yellow label.

Get other JetBrains products for free

EAP program works for other JetBrains products, so you can also use them for free:

And many more. Here is the full list of JetBrains products. Just add /nextversion/ to the end of certain product page to get EAP version download link. Some products may need a license to download even the EAP version. In this case, you will have an option to download the community edition, which is also free (but with limited features).

JetBrains Products Grid

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23 March 2020 24 March 2020 27438


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