A staggering 14 years after its release in 2011, support for Drupal 7 is finally coming to an end on January 5, 2025. As we bid farewell to this trusted version, it's crucial for Drupal 7 users to understand the implications of end-of-life (EOL) and the benefits of upgrading to Drupal 10.
Understanding Drupal 7 end-of-life
Drupal 7 has been a robust and reliable CMS for over a decade. However, like all software, it has reached the end of its life cycle. Initially scheduled for November 2021, the EOL date for Drupal 7 was extended due to the global pandemic and community feedback. As of January 5, 2025, official support for Drupal 7 will cease, meaning no more security updates, bug fixes, or official support from the Drupal community.
The risks of staying on Drupal 7
Continuing to operate on Drupal 7 post-EOL can pose significant risks:
- Security vulnerabilities: Without regular updates, your website becomes a prime target for cyberattacks.
- Compliance issues: Many industries require up-to-date software for compliance with data protection regulations.
- Performance degradation: As web technologies advance, outdated platforms can struggle to deliver optimal performance.
- Lack of support: Community support will dwindle, making it harder to find solutions to issues that arise.
Given these risks, upgrading is not just about improving your website but also ensuring its security and compliance.
Why upgrade to Drupal 10?
Released in December 2022, Drupal 10 is the latest and greatest version of Drupal. Here are some compelling reasons to upgrade:
- Enhanced Security: Drupal 10 makes websites more secure by automatically updating its system and components. Built on the secure Symfony framework, it includes protections against common threats like cross-site scripting and SQL injection. It also allows detailed control over user permissions, reducing potential risks. Furthermore, Drupal 10 continuously tests for security issues, proactively fixing them to keep sites safe from new threats.
- Improved Performance: Drupal 10 leverages the Symfony 5 framework, known for its substantial performance enhancements compared to Drupal 7's architecture. This ensures websites built on Drupal 10 are secure, swift, and efficient, meeting modern performance standards seamlessly.
- Accessibility Features: Drupal 10 adds several automated testing tools to enhance accessibility for users with disabilities. Checks are performed against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 to ensure compliance with recommended contrast ratios, alt text, ARIA roles, and other standards that enable usage by those needing assistive technologies like screen readers.
- Better Mobile Support: Drupal 10 adopts a mobile-first philosophy in its design and architecture, providing a responsive mobile experience right out of the box without needing to build separate mobile themes. It uses the latest web development standards and best practices tailored for the mobile experience.
- AI Tool Integration: Upgrading to Drupal 10 unlocks access to Generative AI. The Drupal "OpenAI / ChatGPT / AI Search" Module can integrate AI features into Drupal, assisting with generating text content within the body of your articles and providing useful content analysis. By incorporating OpenAI capabilities, Drupal aims to revolutionise content and maintenance tasks.
View our demo that showcases the ChatGPT module features & functionality.
Get a free site audit on us
At Webcurl we have experience helping businesses upgrade to the latest versions of Drupal. Our team is offering a free site audit to help identify the best approach to upgrading your site and how we can help you with the next steps. In addition, we offer bespoke development, hosting and support to help keep your website up-to-date and running smoothly.
To arrange your site audit get in touch by filling in the form below.