How to Install and Configure FrankenPHP for Magento 2

Introduction

If you want a faster and more efficient PHP runtime, this is it install and configure FrankenPHP for Magento 2.

This modern PHP application server combines performance and simplicity in one package. Additionally, it handles concurrent requests with minimal configuration effort.

In this guide, we’ll explore every step — from installation to system-level configuration — to make FrankenPHP production-ready for your Magento 2 projects.

What is FrankenPHP?

FrankenPHP is a next generation PHP server built Caddyoffers speed, security, and simplicity.

Unlike PHP-FPM, FrankenPHP serves requests directly — skipping the overhead of FastCGI for better performance.

Besides thatit supports HTTP/3 support, Automatic HTTPSAnd modern worker based architecturemaking it ideal for high performance Magento 2 environments.

Why Use FrankenPHP for Magento 2?

Performance Improvements: Handles requests faster than PHP-FPM.
Simpler Setup: No dependency on Apache or Nginx.
Built-in HTTPS: Equipped with automatic TLS and HTTP/3.
Better Resource Efficiency: Uses fewer processes to manage concurrent requests.

Additionally, it simplifies Magento hosting by combining the web server and PHP engine into one binary.

Advantages of FrankenPHP compared to Apache and Nginx

FrankenPHP offers several advantages over Apache and Nginx:

Better Performance: No FastCGI overhead; requests are processed natively.
Simpler Configuration: A single binary handles all requests.
Built-in HTTPS & HTTP/3: No external configuration required.
Lower Memory Usage: Efficient request handling for modern cloud environments.
Quick Start: Faster initialization compared to multi-service setup.

As a resultFrankenPHP simplifies your Magento 2 hosting and increases speed significantly.

Disadvantages of FrankenPHP compared to Apache and Nginx

Despite its advantages, FrankenPHP still has several disadvantages:

Limited Production Adoption: This is still relatively new compared to Apache/Nginx.
Small Community Support: Fewer community guides and fixes available.
Feature Gaps: Some advanced rewrite rules or modules are not yet supported.
Compatibility Issues: Not all hosting panels or tools support it natively.

HoweverFrankenPHP provides speed and simplicity, although it still lacks the maturity and ecosystem of Apache and Nginx.

Step 1: Install FrankenPHP

Run the following command to download and install FrankenPHP:

curl -fsSL  -o /usr/local/bin/frankenphp
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/frankenphp

Installation verification:

frankenphp --version

Step 2: Create Required Directories and Configuration Files

To keep FrankenPHP running smoothly as a system service, create the following directories and files:

1️⃣ Create Directory

sudo mkdir -p /etc/frankenphp
sudo mkdir -p /var/log/frankenphp
sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/frankenphp

/etc/frankenphp → Save the FrankenPHP configuration file.
/var/log/frankenphp/ → Contains logs for monitoring and debugging.
/var/lib/frankenphp → Used as data directory for runtime files.

Besides thatthis directory ensures proper separation of configuration, logs, and data.

2️⃣ Create and Configure /etc/frankenphp/Caddyfile

This is the main FrankenPHP configuration file.

File Path:
/etc/frankenphp/Caddyfile

Contents:

{
    frankenphp {
        # Enable worker mode for better performance (optional)
        # worker
    }
    
    # Allow self-signed certificates but disable automatic HTTPS for domains without explicit TLS
    auto_https disable_redirects
}

:8080 {
    root * /var/www/html
    
    # Enable compression for better performance
    encode zstd br gzip
    
    # Default handling for non-Magento files
    php_server
    file_server browse
}

# HTTPS Virtual Host for Magento248 on port 8080
magento248.local:8080 {
    root * /var/www/html/userprojects/Magento248/pub
    
    # Use self-signed certificate for local development
    tls internal
    
    # Enable compression for better performance
    encode zstd br gzip
    
    # Handle static files first
    @static {
        path *.css *.js *.png *.jpg *.jpeg *.gif *.ico *.svg *.woff *.woff2 *.ttf *.eot *.otf *.pdf
        path /static/* /media/* /opt/*
    }
    handle @static {
        file_server
    }
    
    # For all other requests, try file then index.php
    try_files {path} {path}/ /index.php
    
    # Execute PHP
    php_server
}

✅ Explanation:

The first block handles basic PHP requests and serving static files.
The second block is special Magento 2 virtual host running on the port 8080 with HTTPS enabled.
Compression added for better page load speed.

Even more sothis configuration ensures smooth Magento 2 performance.

3️⃣ Create Systemd Service File

This allows FrankenPHP to start automatically at system boot.

File Path:
/etc/systemd/system/frankenphp.service

Contents:

[Unit]
Description=FrankenPHP Application Server
Documentation=
After=network.target network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target systemd-networkd-wait-online.service

[Service]
Type=notify
User=custom.user
Group=customgroup
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/frankenphp run --config /etc/frankenphp/Caddyfile
ExecReload=/bin/kill -USR1 $MAINPID
TimeoutStopSec=5s
LimitNOFILE=1048576
LimitNPROC=1048576
PrivateTmp=true
ProtectSystem=full
AmbientCapabilities=CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE
Environment=XDG_DATA_HOME=/var/lib/frankenphp
Environment=XDG_CONFIG_HOME=/etc/frankenphp

# Restart policy
Restart=on-abnormal
RestartSec=5s
StartLimitBurst=5
StartLimitInterval=60s

# Logging
StandardOutput=journal
StandardError=journal
SyslogIdentifier=frankenphp

# Security settings
NoNewPrivileges=true
ProtectControlGroups=true
ProtectKernelModules=true
ProtectKernelTunables=true
RestrictRealtime=true
RestrictSUIDSGID=true
RemoveIPC=true
RestrictNamespaces=true

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Then run:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable frankenphp
sudo systemctl start frankenphp
sudo systemctl status frankenphp

As a resultFrankenPHP starts on boot and logs errors correctly.

✅ Explanation:

This service configuration ensures FrankenPHP starts at boot, runs safely, logs properly, and restarts automatically if it crashes.

Step 3: Configure Magento for FrankenPHP

1. First, Set Base URL:

bin/magento setup:store-config:set --base-url="
bin/magento setup:store-config:set --base-url-secure="

2. Next, Flush Cache:

bin/magento cache:flush

Finallytest shop at https://magento248.local:8080. It should load smoothly via FrankenPHP.

Notes: If you get it Database Connection Failure error
Then you may need to update the db connection host:
env.php: ‘host’ => ‘localhost’ → ‘host’ => ‘127.0.0.1’

Conclusion

That’s it — you’ve now learned how install and configure FrankenPHP for Magento 2including systemd service settings, directory structure, and configuration details.

This approach improves performance, improves manageability, and introduces modern PHP serving technology.

Additionally, while FrankenPHP is still new compared to Apache and Nginx, it is quickly growing into a powerful and efficient option for modern Magento deployments.

Ready to improve your Magento 2 performance? Try FrankenPHP and enjoy a faster and cleaner hosting stack!