Last modified: September 20, 2009 01:53:59.

Zend Guard

Zend Guard (previously known as Zend Encoder) essentially works by obfuscating and encoding PHP scripts into Zend's proprietary and platform-independent "Zend Intermediate Code" format.

Zend encoded files require the Zend Optimizer to be installed on the server in order to run. Zend Optimizer runs on all major platforms (Linux, Windows, Mac OSX) and is freely available from the Zend website.

Its built-in licensing capabilities supports the most commonly used licensing models - i.e. concurrent users, time limited, IP address range, and server specific (Host ID/domain) licensing. As far as I am aware, Zend Guard is the only product that supports real-time concurrent usage. Zend Guard also provides advanced licensing options by allowing you to specify custom code.

Zend Guard can be purchased separately (USD$600 annual subscription), or, as a bundled app with Zend Studio for Eclipse (discounted at USD$799). Zend Guard seamlessly integrates with Zend Studio to provide one-click encoding.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. 3 Ways to Protect your Code: Obfuscate, Encrypt, Compile
  3. PHP Encoding Software
    1. Zend Guard
    2. SourceGuardian
    3. ionCube
    4. CodeLock
  4. Summary