Why Build Your Own Runtime?
Bref is the most popular way to run PHP on AWS Lambda, and for good reason—it’s well-maintained and gets the job done. However, there are situations where building your own runtime makes sense: you need a specific PHP version before Bref supports it, you want particular extensions, or you simply prefer working with standard PHP patterns without additional abstractions.
This post documents a fully functional PHP 8.4 runtime running on ARM64, complete with performance benchmarks. Consider it a clearly documented alternative to Bref for teams who want complete control over their PHP Lambda environment.
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