Xdebug
Xdebug: A focused PHP debugger with remote sessions, profiling, tracing, and coverage analysis. Ranked #5 of 27 in Debuggers by our editors (8.6/10); pricing: Free plan; best for PHP web application debugging.
At a glance
- Editor score8.6 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forPHP web application debugging
- Free planYes
- Paid from£200/user/yr
- Supported languagesPHP
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Interactive and remote debugging with conditional and exception breakpoints
- Profiling, tracing, stack traces, and code coverage in one PHP extension
- Works with Visual Studio Code, PhpStorm, Eclipse, and other listed tools
Where it doesn't
- Focused on PHP rather than multi-language debugging
- Advanced support requires a paid annual subscription
- The Community plan provides low issue priority and Stack Overflow support
Our verdict on Xdebug
Xdebug is an open-source PHP extension for developers who need more than basic error messages. It supports interactive step debugging through an IDE or editor, remote debugging connections, conditional and exception breakpoints, enhanced error reporting, stack traces, function tracing, application profiling, and code coverage analysis. It can connect PHP applications to debugging clients on the same or another machine, including container-based and remote development setups. Xdebug runs in PHP environments on Linux, macOS, Windows, and other Unix-like systems, with command-line debugging also available.
Its strongest fit is a PHP workflow already centered on an editor or IDE. Listed integrations include Visual Studio Code, PhpStorm, Eclipse, KDevelop, NetBeans, and VIM, giving teams several ways to work with breakpoints and remote sessions. The feature set also extends beyond interactive debugging: profiling can help inspect application behavior, while tracing, stack traces, and coverage analysis support investigation and code review. Developers working in PHP web applications or PHP command-line environments should find this breadth more useful than a narrow breakpoint-only tool.
The software itself is open source, and the Community plan is available as the free entry point with Stack Overflow technical support, low issue priority, and a monthly news post. Pro costs £200 per developer per year, billed annually, and adds email support, medium issue priority, newsletter opt-in, and invoicing. Business costs £1,000 per year, billed annually, and adds high issue priority, email support, a one-hour presentation or workshop, newsletter opt-in, and invoicing. These paid tiers are commercial support subscriptions rather than required software licenses. Choose Xdebug for PHP-focused debugging across local, remote, web, and CLI environments; teams needing another programming language or a different debugging ecosystem should look elsewhere.
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Xdebug pricing
All 3 Xdebug plans and prices →
Xdebug fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | £200/user/yr |
| Supported languages | PHP |
| Target platforms | Linux, macOS, Windows, web/CLI PHP environments |
| Remote debugging | Yes |
| Conditional breakpoints | Yes |
| Exception breakpoints | Yes |
| Time-travel debugging | Not verified |
| Core dump debugging | Not verified |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Support | Email, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 6 integrations: Visual Studio Code, PhpStorm, Eclipse, KDevelop, NetBeans, VIM |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | xdebug.org |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Xdebug integrations
Xdebug lists 6 integrations on its own site.
- Visual Studio Code
- PhpStorm
- Eclipse
- KDevelop
- NetBeans
- VIM
Alternatives to Xdebug
- GDBA free, open-source debugger with unusually broad language, target, and remote-debugging coverage.9.4
- LLDBA capable, free debugger for C/C++ and Apple-platform development.9.2
- WinDbgA free, deeply capable debugger for Windows applications, drivers, and crash analysis.9.0
Xdebug vs the competition
Compare Xdebug with any tool side by side →
Also Ranked In
Xdebug is ranked in 2 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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