Comparison
Folt vs PHP compatibility checkers
Static analysis inspects source without booting WordPress. Folt complements it by executing selected environments and collecting runtime evidence.
Folt vs php compatibility checkers
Syntax vs runtime execution
PHP compatibility tools scan for deprecated functions and parse errors. They cannot catch fatals triggered during activation, admin page loads, or checkout flows inside WordPress.
Folt vs php compatibility checkers
No WordPress context
Your plugin does not run in isolation — it hooks into core, themes, and other plugins. Folt activates your zip in real WordPress and crawls wp-admin and the frontend with headless Chromium.
Folt vs php compatibility checkers
No conflict matrix
Static analysis cannot execute a selected theme or conflict-plugin combination. Folt associates runtime failures with the exact environment that produced them.
Folt vs php compatibility checkers
No screenshots or console signals
Folt captures PHP fatals from debug.log, JavaScript console errors, and full-page screenshots — signals a linter will never surface.
Decision guide
Use both at different stages
Static analysis gives fast source-level feedback. Runtime matrix testing verifies behavior once WordPress, themes, and other plugins are actually running.
Choose Folt when…
- The risk depends on activation, admin, frontend, or checkout behavior.
- You need screenshots, browser-console output, or runtime stack traces.
- You want to identify the exact environment combination behind a regression.
Choose php compatibility checkers when…
- You need immediate feedback on every commit or pull request.
- You are enforcing coding standards, type rules, or deprecated API usage.
- The code cannot yet boot and source-level failures should be fixed first.
Questions to settle before choosing
- Can runtime testing replace static analysis?
- No. Linters and static analyzers catch broad classes of source problems quickly. Run them first, then use runtime coverage for behavior they cannot observe.
- What does Folt add to a PHP checker?
- It boots WordPress in each selected environment run, activates the uploaded plugin, exercises configured paths, and records runtime signals in one scan report.
- When should the matrix run?
- Use fast source checks continuously and run the relevant runtime coverage before a release or after changing compatibility-sensitive code.
$ folt scan ./your-plugin.zip
Test the combinations that matter before you ship.
100 environment runs per month on Free. No credit card required.
4 PHP versions · current and previous WordPress releases · 7 themes · 20 conflict plugins