Preparing For Drupal 7 End Of Life: What You Need To Know

Drupal 7’s End of Life is approaching fast, and if you’re still using it, it’s time to take action. Continuing to use Drupal 7 beyond its support period can expose your website to security risks and compatibility issues.

In this blog post, we provide essential information to help you prepare for a smooth transition from Drupal 7, while keeping your website secure and future-proof.

Drupal 7 End Of Life: What Does It Mean?

The official end of support for Drupal 7 means that after 5 January 2025, it will no longer receive security updates or patches. For current users, this transition poses significant risks, especially for organisations handling sensitive information, such as government entities and non-profits. 

Continuing to use Drupal 7 after 5 January 2025 will expose your website to potential compatibility problems. Not addressing these risks could result in non-compliance with standards such as FedRAMP, PCI, HIPAA, and SOC 2.

Is Drupal 7 Vulnerable?

Yes, with the end of life approaching, Drupal 7 becomes increasingly vulnerable, particularly to situations that could compromise sensitive data.

Without ongoing security support, vulnerabilities may emerge, exposing data to potential breaches. Organisations must assess their reliance on Drupal 7 and upgrade for a secure future.

How Long Will Drupal 7 Be Supported?

Drupal 7 is officially supported until 5 January 2025. However, it’s important to note that after this date, there will be no more official security updates or support from the Drupal community. Many organisations are encouraging the upgrade to Drupal 10 for ongoing support and improved features. 

Major Differences Between Drupal 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11

Drupal 8 introduced many features now part of the core, such as CKEditor as the default WYSIWYG editor, improved media management, workflows, and multilingual capabilities. Drupal 9 enhanced accessibility and introduced new themes, while Drupal 10 offers a better backend UX, faster performance, and granular content access control. 

Note: We do not recommend updating to Drupal 8 due to its lack of long-term support. While migrating away from Drupal is an option, it is not the preferred path.

What Are Your Options?

Organisations still on Drupal 7 have 2 main pathways to consider.

Upgrade To A Newer Drupal

Upgrading to a newer version of Drupal is the most advisable route, instead of migrating to a new platform, like WordPress. An expert Drupal agency can help you upgrade safely without compromising data security. 

Upgrading to Drupal 10 ensures your website remains secure and supported. Drupal 10 is not close to end of life. This path future-proofs your website. Drupal 10 offers improved features, better performance, and long-term viability, while preserving much of the flexibility and power that Drupal users value. Drupal 10 would be the recommended upgrade for websites with a lot of content, complex structure, and high traffic. 

Migrate To An Alternative CMS

Migrating to an alternative CMS, like WordPress is not recommended. Drupal better supports complex content structures, custom workflows, and large-scale projects. WordPress often requires plugins for similar functionality, which can introduce maintenance challenges and security risks. Additionally, migration to a new CMS will be more complex and costlier, especially for custom features and content management. 

Here’s what Daniel Florido, Director and Technical Lead at Pixelstorm, had to say: “Drupal 10 and 11 have all the best features of WordPress built into Drupal core. You get a robust, secure CMS straight out of the box.”

We Suggest Upgrading Drupal 7 To Drupal 10 Or 11

Upgrading from Drupal 7 to either Drupal 10 or 11 offers a wealth of benefits.

The upgrade from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10 is not an in-place upgrade; a brand-new Drupal 10 site must be created. Content and configuration will need to be migrated. Think of this upgrade like a new website build. It’s a good time to reconsider your web design and make sure your website is as user-friendly as possible. 

Why Drupal Migration Is Crucial

Migrating to the latest Drupal release is essential to mitigate the risks associated with outdated platforms. Continuing to use Drupal 7 could lead to vulnerabilities, compliance issues, and a lack of community support, jeopardising sensitive data management.

Benefits And Challenges Of A Drupal 7 Migration

Organisations may have concerns about the cost and complexity of migrating. However, the benefits significantly outweigh these concerns. Migration enhances security, ensures compliance, and positions Drupal as a powerful tool for managing large volumes of content across government, SME, and NFP websites.

A professional Drupal Web Agency like Pixelstorm will mitigate all this risk for you through effective planning.

Benefits Of Migration 

• Enhanced Security: Newer versions provide better security features and regular updates.
• Improved Performance: Upgrading can lead to faster load times and better overall performance.
• Better Features: Access to the latest tools, themes, and functionalities enhances user experience.
• Ongoing Support: Migration to supported versions ensures access to community and support.
• Compliance: Aligning with current standards helps maintain compliance with regulations and best practices.

Challenges Of Migration 

• Cost: Migration can involve significant financial investment for development and resources.
• Complexity: The migration process can be technically challenging, requiring careful planning and execution, and expert support.
• Data Migration: Ensuring that all content, configurations, and settings transfer correctly can be complicated.

Purchase Extended Security Support For Drupal 7 

While some companies provide Extended Security Support (ESS) for Drupal 7, this option is essentially a temporary solution. Although it may offer limited security updates, relying on ESS is not advisable for organisations aiming for long-term stability and security. This approach can create a false sense of security, leaving websites exposed to vulnerabilities as they become increasingly outdated. 

Instead of depending on ESS, you should prioritise migrating to a more current version of Drupal to ensure robust security, ongoing support, and compliance with industry standards. A proactive upgrade web development strategy is the best way to maintain website integrity.

The Path Forward After Drupal 7

Organisations should begin planning their migration now, collaborating with experienced teams like Pixelstorm to ensure a seamless transition. We can help you strategise and implement your next steps effectively. Get in touch with the Pixelstorm team if you need an upgrade.