PHP Website Templates: How They Work, Hosting Needs and 3 Picks
By Manob Editorial ·
A PHP website template is an HTML template whose pages are .php files, so the server can pull a shared header, menu and footer into every page. It needs a host that runs PHP, but a simple one needs no database. Manob has three, on Bootstrap 5: Techguru for IT firms, Gardnma for landscapers, Lsicool for AC and car repair.
What is a PHP website template?
In the browser, a PHP template looks like any HTML template. The difference is on the server: each page is a .php file, and PHP runs the short commands inside before the page is sent. In most templates those commands pull in the parts every page shares, such as the header, menu and footer, with an include line.
<?php include 'header.php'; ?>
<main>
<h1>Our services</h1>
<p>Page content goes here.</p>
</main>
<?php include 'footer.php'; ?>Add a menu link to header.php and every page shows it. In a plain HTML template, the same change means editing every file. A PHP template usually has no database or admin panel, so you edit content in code, as with HTML; our guide to editing a Bootstrap template covers text, images, colors and the grid.
How does a PHP template compare with HTML and WordPress?
| Feature | HTML template | PHP template | WordPress theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Any host, static hosts included | A host that runs PHP | PHP plus a MySQL or MariaDB database |
| Shared header and footer | Copied into every page | One file, included on every page | Part of the theme |
| Admin panel | None | Usually none | Yes |
| Who edits content | Someone who edits code | Someone who edits code | Anyone with a login |
| Upkeep | Almost none | A supported PHP version on the host | Core, theme and plugin updates |
WordPress is itself written in PHP, and its requirements page adds a MySQL or MariaDB database. A PHP template sits in between: it needs more than a static host and much less than WordPress. Our comparison of HTML templates vs WordPress themes covers the editing and cost trade-offs.
What hosting does a PHP template need?
- A host that runs PHP. Shared hosting almost always does, and it's all an include-based template needs; our VPS vs shared hosting comparison explains when you'd outgrow it.
- Not a static-only host. Hosts that publish a folder or a Git repository as it is don't run PHP, so your pages would download as files, show raw code or not load.
- A supported PHP version. Choose one php.net still lists as supported. None of the three listings below names a minimum, so click through every page after upload.
- A database only if the template asks for one. None of the three listings below mentions one.
To preview on your computer, don't double-click the files: the browser can't run PHP, so the shared parts won't appear. With PHP installed, run php -S localhost:8000 in the template folder and open localhost:8000. PHP's built-in web server is meant for development and testing, and php.net warns against using it on a public network. To publish, upload the files to your host's public folder by SFTP; our guide to deploying a website covers the domain and HTTPS.
When is a plain HTML template enough?
- Choose HTML when the site has a handful of pages and the menu rarely changes. Pasting a header change into eight files takes minutes, and HTML runs on any host, free static hosts included. One catch: if an HTML template's contact form uses a PHP mail script, that file needs a PHP host too. Our HTML5 templates hub compares templates by industry.
- Choose PHP when dozens of pages share one menu and footer, which is where includes save the most time. Techguru, the largest pick below, has 34 inner pages.
- Choose WordPress when people who don't code will publish posts, change prices or add pages. Neither of the other two gives them a dashboard.
The three PHP templates on Manob
PHP templates are a small shelf on Manob: three, from one seller, with near-identical spec sheets. Each listing names PHP, HTML, CSS and JS files, three home versions, Bootstrap 5, an Owl Carousel slider, CSS3 animations, documentation and commented code. None mentions a database, an admin panel or a contact form script, and none includes the demo images in the download. The descriptions even share a stray product name ("Constrion"), so judge each one by its demo.
| Template | Type | Built with | Price from | Live demo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Techguru - Technology & IT Solutions PHP Template | PHP template | — | $15 | Demo |
| Gardnma - Gardening and Landscaping PHP Template | PHP template | — | $15 | Demo |
| Lsicool- AC & CAR Repair PHP Template | PHP template | — | $15 | Demo |
Techguru: best for an IT services firm or tech startup
Techguru's listing aims it at IT solutions firms, startups, agencies, and marketing and consulting companies. It's the largest of the three, with 3 home versions and 34 inner pages, which leaves room for a page per service. It's based on Bootstrap 5 and uses the Space Grotesk and Marcellus fonts with Font Awesome and Flaticon icons.
Techguru - Technology & IT Solutions PHP Template is a responsive Bootstrap 5 PHP template for IT solutions companies, startups, agencies, and marketing, consulting and service…
Gardnma: best for a landscaping or lawn care company
Gardnma's listing names gardening and landscaping companies, lawn services, agriculture firms and landscape architects. You get 3 home versions and 17 inner pages on Bootstrap 5, with an Owl Carousel slider and the Saira Semi Condensed and Poppins fonts. Landscaping sells on photos, so budget for shots of your own finished yards.
Gardnma - Gardening and Landscaping PHP Template is a responsive Bootstrap 5 PHP template for gardening and landscaping companies, lawn services, agriculture firms and landscape…
Lsicool: best for an AC or car repair shop
Lsicool's listing names AC and car repair companies as its fit, though its feature list also calls it a multipurpose PHP template. It has 3 home versions and 16 inner pages, the fewest here, on Bootstrap 5 with an Owl Carousel slider and the same fonts as Gardnma. The listing doesn't name the inner pages, so check the demo for the service, pricing and appointment pages a repair shop needs.
Lsicool- AC & CAR Repair PHP Template is a responsive Bootstrap 5 PHP template for AC and car repair companies that also suits corporate, business and agency sites, with 3 home…
For the same trades in other formats, see our IT solutions, landscaping, HVAC and auto repair roundups.
How do you turn a free HTML template into a PHP template?
You can build one from any HTML template whose license allows changes:
- Rename each page from .html to .php and update the links between pages.
- Cut everything from the top of one page to the end of the menu into header.php, and everything from the footer down into footer.php.
- In every page, replace those blocks with
<?php include 'header.php'; ?>and<?php include 'footer.php'; ?>. - Give each page its own title:
<?php $title = 'About us'; include 'header.php'; ?>
<!-- in header.php -->
<title><?php echo $title; ?></title>Then run php -S localhost:8000 and click through every page. Use require instead if a missing file should stop the page; include only raises a warning.
Before you buy: preview, license and support
Every item on Manob can be previewed before you buy, so open each demo on your phone; our template preview checklist lists what to check. Every product is manually reviewed before it's approved. The Regular License covers one end product whose end users aren't charged, such as your company's website; the Extended License is for an end product whose users are charged. Each purchase includes 6 months of seller support through the built-in ticket system, and you can extend it.
When to look elsewhere
- You need it free. All three PHP templates on Manob are paid, though each costs under $25. As of October 2026, the WordPress.org theme directory lists about 8,700 free themes, which run on PHP but only inside WordPress. Or convert a free HTML template as shown above.
- Your trade isn't IT, landscaping or repair. Pick one of Manob's HTML site templates for your trade and add includes yourself.
- You need logins, bookings or payments. A template is only the front end. Accounts and stored data need a PHP framework or a custom build; see our guide to MVP web development.
- People who don't code will run the site. Choose a WordPress theme so they can edit pages from the dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
Are there free PHP website templates?
Not on Manob, though its three PHP templates each cost under $25. WordPress.org's free themes run on PHP but need WordPress, and you can turn a free HTML template into PHP with include files.
Can I open a PHP template without a server?
Not properly. A browser can't run PHP, so the file downloads, shows code or loses its header and footer. Run php -S localhost:8000 in the template folder instead.
Is a PHP template the same as a WordPress theme?
No. A WordPress theme only works inside WordPress, with its database and admin panel. A PHP template is a set of pages you edit in code and upload to any PHP host.
Do PHP website templates need a database?
Only if the template stores content, such as a blog with an admin panel. One that just includes a shared header and footer needs none, and none of Manob's three PHP listings mentions one.
Can I put a PHP template on a static host?
No. Static hosts never run PHP. Use shared hosting or a VPS with PHP, or convert the pages back to plain HTML.