ionCube PHP Encoder

PHP Encoder 10

Version 10.2 of the ionCube PHP Encoder is the industry standard solution to protect PHP scripts, making it quick, simple and easy to protect your PHP source code from observation, theft and change.

The ionCube Encoder compiles sourcecode to bytecode, can obfuscate and encrypt compiled code if desired, and has features to protect decryption keys in various ways, including a unique approach of algorithmic non-stored keys we call Dynamic Keys.

In addition, PHP licensing features built into the Pro and Cerberus editions allow PHP scripts to be licensed, restricting where PHP code can run and whether it has an expiry time.

The PHP Encoder is available for Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and macOS, all editions feature command line Encoders for easy automation, and the Windows and macOS Encoders also include a GUI.

ionCube Encoded files can be used on the most widely used operating systems up to PHP 7.4. Support for other platforms is available on request.

Which Encoder do I Need?

The following guide will help you choose the right Encoder edition for your needs.

Website Owners: Basic, but consider Pro or Cerberus
To protect code related to configuration and customer data on your own website from those who have access, such as hosting company, admins, and hackers, the entry-level Basic version may suffice. The restriction features of Pro and Cerberus will be worth considering though.

Product Developers: Pro or Cerberus
Pro and Cerberus provide protection PLUS the ability to create license files for your products. License files can protect against unauthorised use by locking code to specific machines and can also time expire, which is ideal for releasing trial versions. The native licensing features offer benefits over PHP based licensing, and has features to support adding ones own licensing ideas on top.

Website Designers: Pro, consider Cerberus
As a designer, you may wish to provide early versions of your work to the client before completion. You want the code to run, but not forever. Pro and Cerberus allow you protect your files to expire at some point in the future, allowing clients to try protected code for a limited time.

Enterprise Customers: Pro or Cerberus + Standard/Premium Support
We would recommend Pro or Cerberus plus a support plan so you have code protection, you can restrict files to authorised machines, and you have access to support cover beyond the limited initial free support.

Continuous Integration: Pro and Cerberus CI Edition
The CI Edition suits users encoding as part of a CI pipeline, where flexibility of temporary machine licenses is beneficial. This product comes with 2 license slots, more can be purchased as required, and license activation and deactivation can be used to control a license at the start and end of session. License allocations are also released every 24 hours and can be activated for a new instance if a previous session failed before license deactivation.

Website Agency wanting to offer encoding as a service?
Please contact sales to ask about our Agency Edition.

Please view our product comparison for a summary and pricing.

With the ionCube Encoder, you can...

  • Protect PHP scripts with compiled bytecode for best performance and protection.
  • Use optional encryption keys that are not stored but generated only when needed (Dynamic Keys). Our unique feature gives greatly increased protection over alternatives that store a decryption key in the protected file or that do not offer encryption at all.
  • Produce encoded PHP files to run on PHP 7.4 and earlier.
  • Use PHP language features up to PHP 7.2.
  • Encrypt non-PHP files such as XML and templates.
  • Generate license files to restrict access to encoded files (Pro/Cerberus editions).
  • Enable one way transformation (obfuscation) of variables and function, method and class names.
  • Encode PHP shell scripts.
  • Prevent file tampering through use of digital signatures.
  • Prevent replacement of encoded files by others.
  • Generate files to expire on a given date or after a time period (Pro/Cerberus editions).
  • Restrict files to run on any combination of IP addresses and/or server names (Pro/Cerberus editions).
  • Restrict files to run on specific MAC addresses (Cerberus edition).
  • Integrate with the ionCube Package Foundry.
  • Add readable comments to encoded files for custom copyright, license details etc.
  • Have custom messages and custom handling when files expire or aren't permissioned to run.
  • And more!