To get started with PHP, you have a couple of options depending on where you want to run your PHP scripts.

If you choose to use a web hosting service, most hosts already support PHP. This means you can simply upload your PHP files to your hosting account, and the server will handle everything for you. It’s the easiest way to get going since you won't need to install anything special.

On the other hand, if you prefer setting up PHP on your own computer, you’ll need three things: PHP itself, a web server, and a database. A web server, like Apache, will run your PHP scripts, and a database, like MySQL, is used to store data. There are helpful packages like XAMPP (for Windows, Linux, and macOS) and Local by WP Engine which bundle all these tools together, making the setup much simpler. Check the links to learn how to install and use them.

For some quick testing or learning, you might even use an online PHP editor, such as the one provided by W3Schools. This allows you to write PHP code and see the results right in your browser without needing to install anything.

You can also run PHP scripts from the command line for advanced tasks like automated processes or text processing, where you don’t need a web server or browser. If you're interested in exploring it more deeply, resources and installation guides are available on the official PHP website.

And if you’re curious about which PHP version you're using, you can easily check it by running the simple PHP function phpversion() in your script.