Drupal 7 end of life: How to migrate to Drupal 10 or 11 in 2025

Drupal 7 reached its end of life on January 5, 2025. During its 14-year lifespan, the internet has undergone a dramatic transformation. Web accessibility legislation has strengthened, the GDPR has reshaped privacy requirements, mobile internet has become the dominant platform, and high-performance devices are now the standard.

Customer expectations have grown, too. Technology interactions have become automated, supported by CRM integrations and marketing tools that work seamlessly together.

Why new versions matter

These changes drive the release of new technology versions. When the world changes fundamentally, trying to force historic versions to fit becomes illogical. Instead, new versions are built with current communication methods at their core.

Drupal 7 was created in a world that looks unrecognisable now. By staying on D7, you remain anchored to that past.

If you want to stay secure, keep pace with innovation, meet consumer expectations, and achieve modern digital standards, you need to migrate your website to a CMS version built for current requirements.

What happens now Drupal 7 has reached end of life?

Support for Drupal 7 ended on January 5, 2025. Here's what this means for your organisation:

 

• The Drupal Security Team no longer provides support or Security Advisories for Drupal 7 core or contributed modules (additional components for your website), themes, or other projects

• The community at large no longer supports Drupal 7. They have stopped creating new projects, fixing bugs in existing projects, and writing documentation around Drupal 7

• Third-party scans may flag using Drupal 7 as insecure since it no longer receives support

• Best practice advises against using unsupported software, so we wouldn't recommend building new Drupal 7 sites

 

Your website hasn't suddenly become insecure, but continuing to use Drupal 7 poses increasing security risks. Commercial support is available through Drupal's Certified D7 End of Life Support Partners, but this is a temporary solution.

The current Drupal options

Currently, Drupal 10 and Drupal 11 are the supported versions. Drupal 11 was released on August 2, 2024, bringing the platform into the modern web.

Here's why you should migrate to current Drupal versions:

What happens now Drupal 7 has reached end of life?

Support for Drupal 7 ended on January 5, 2025. Here's what this means for your organisation:

 

• The Drupal Security Team no longer provides support or Security Advisories for Drupal 7 core or contributed modules (additional components for your website), themes, or other projects

• The community at large no longer supports Drupal 7. They have stopped creating new projects, fixing bugs in existing projects, and writing documentation around Drupal 7

• Third-party scans may flag using Drupal 7 as insecure since it no longer receives support

• Best practice advises against using unsupported software, so we wouldn't recommend building new Drupal 7 sites

 

Your website hasn't suddenly become insecure, but continuing to use Drupal 7 poses increasing security risks. Commercial support is available through Drupal's Certified D7 End of Life Support Partners, but this is a temporary solution.

The current Drupal options

Currently, Drupal 10 and Drupal 11 are the supported versions. Drupal 11 was released on August 2, 2024, bringing the platform into the modern web.

Here's why you should migrate to current Drupal versions:

• Content authoring experience designed with marketers in mind

• Drag and drop page builder capabilities

• Flexible page layouts with components

• Modern headless front end options

• Mobile-first by default

• Fast page load times, great for end-users and SEO alike

• Media library simplifying work with video, images and documents

• Social integration

• Easy data exchange with CRM, marketing and back-office systems

• WCAG 2.1 accessibility compliance

• Advanced personalisation capabilities

• Drupal Recipes for ready-made thematic packages

• Workspaces for safer content staging

How to decide your Drupal 7 strategy

Your path forward depends upon your organisation's attitude towards the Drupal 7 site. Which category does your site fall into?

Category 1 site owners

Your website:

• Is critical to our business operation

• Needs a redesign

• Requires additional features now or in the future to perform efficiently

• Must comply with accessibility and/or GDPR legislation

• Is in active development

Recommendation: Modern Drupal migration (Drupal 10 or 11)

Category 2 site owners

You:

• Have no plans to develop further features

• Will retire the site in the next 12-24 months

• will maintain the same content and design for a number of years

Recommendation: Drupal 7 Long Term Support programme (available until 2027 through commercial partners)

Category 1 site owners: Modern Drupal migration

To help you consider what approach to take, determine which of the next set of categories your site falls into. Each delivers all the benefits modern Drupal offers, but takes a different journey to get there.

Level 1/3: Your site is great as is

Your site functions with minimal issues. You want to spend little time planning and you're migrating for security and compliance reasons.

Recommendation: Lift and shift £

Maintain the same functionality and look-and-feel, but with modern Drupal.

Steps: A migration to Drupal 10 or 11.

Level 2/3: In need of a refresh

You need a visual refresh and want to evaluate some features, but on the whole, your site operates just fine.

Recommendation: Minor upgrade ££

A solution similar to your existing site, with a design refresh.

Steps: Short planning phase to deliver new wireframes, creative design, and a modern Drupal migration.

Level 3/3: Time for a big rethink

Your site doesn't meet your requirements or business goals. You need a complete rethink.

Recommendation: Major upgrade £££

A solution significantly different to your existing site with a totally new design.

Steps: A discovery, definition, and full design process before the modern Drupal migration.

Category 2 site owners: Drupal 7 long-term support

Staying on Drupal 7 is possible through extended support, with security updates available via subscription until January 5, 2027. This option is only suitable for sites with no development plans and a clear end-of-life timeline.

Over time this option becomes less attractive since innovation isn't available, and the burden to maintain a secure site will grow.

Drupal 10 vs Drupal 11: Which to choose?

Drupal 10 will be supported until December 9, 2026, when Drupal 12 is released. Drupal 11 was released in August 2024, introducing several exciting new features.

For most migrations, we recommend Drupal 11 because:

• Workspaces are now stable for better content management

• Performance improvements, including support for the latest versions of PHP

• New navigation menus that are more user-friendly

• Single Directory Components for better frontend development

Choose Drupal 10 if:

• You need maximum stability for a large, complex migration

• Your required modules aren't yet compatible with Drupal 11

• You prefer to migrate in stages

The good news is that upgrading from Drupal 10 to 11 is straightforward, unlike the complex migration from Drupal 7.

The new Drupal release cycle

Beginning with Drupal 10, a new major version will be released every two years. This predictable schedule makes planning easier. Drupal 12 is scheduled for release in 2026, and each version typically receives approximately four years of total support.

 

This new approach means:

 

• More predictable upgrade planning

• Easier transitions between versions

• Longer support periods for each version

Planning your Drupal migration

When deciding and planning for a migration, you must audit and consider the following:

 

• Integrations and third-party features

• Bespoke modules and design

• Front end styling and customer experience

• Live data systems

• Data housing and quality

• Page and content structure, volume, and quality

• Back office processes

• Workflows and approval systems

• Security

• Accessibility

 

We offer this service as both an initial review and an extensive audit. If you require these services, please inform us of your concerns and website address on our contact page.

Building a business case for a Drupal upgrade

Once you have identified the risks of Drupal 7, you may need to convince your colleagues, superiors, and peers. We have developed business cases for universities, the public sector, membership bodies, legal professionals, and not-for-profit organisations.

While the risks of security and accessibility are clear to most, the opportunity deficit is created first by your technical knowledge and finally by your creative application. Having worked with Drupal since its early days, we know the hidden potential of modern Drupal and can help you identify the business-critical opportunities a migration can bring.

Modern Drupal versions offer capabilities that weren't possible with Drupal 7, from advanced personalisation to seamless integrations with modern marketing tools. The question isn't whether to migrate, but how quickly you can capitalise on these opportunities.

Ready to make the move?

With Drupal 7 now officially end of life, there's never been a better time to modernise your website. Whether you choose the stability of Drupal 10 or the cutting-edge features of Drupal 11, you'll be investing in a platform built for the next decade of digital growth.