Drupal 7 End of Life: Should I Upgrade or Migrate?
tl;dr
- Drupal 7 reaches end-of-life January 5, 2025
- Options include upgrading to Drupal 10, migrating to another CMS, or extending support
- Security risks increase significantly after end-of-life
- Upgrade costs depend on site complexity and custom code
- Assessment needed before choosing upgrade path
- Understanding what Drupal 7’s end of life date means for businesses
If your organization relies on Drupal 7, you're not alone. It currently powers about 15% of the top 10,000 websites worldwide. (1) This is why all Drupal 7 users need to know about a fast-approaching event. Drupal 7 is reaching its end of life on January 5, 2025, creating some urgency for website owners.
Drupal 7 has been around since 2011, making it one of the longest supported versions in Drupal's history. Organizations have built complex websites, custom functionality, and entire digital ecosystems around it.
However, as Kevin Goldberg, CEO of IS2 Digital, puts it, "Even though end of life doesn't mean software death. It does means that the organizations supporting the software will no longer be releasing bug fixes and security patches -- so you must act as quickly as possible to prevent the inevitability of hackers finding security holes to exploit."
Understanding the Security Implications
Running software that's reached its end-of-life is like leaving your front door unlocked in a neighborhood where everyone knows you're not home.
According to Goldberg, "With each passing day after the end of life, you're simply increasing the risk of being hacked."
When a security breach happens, the fallout typically unfolds in three stages, and each one can hit your organization harder than the last:
1. The Immediate Chaos
The first 24-48 hours after a breach are brutal. You will likely have to completely take your website offline, meaning your digital presence vanishes. For e-commerce sites, this translates to immediate lost sales. This could be thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars per day. Your team also drops everything to handle the emergency, racking up potential overtime costs and pulling resources from other critical projects.
2. The Recovery Scramble
Think of this stage as digital damage control. Your tech team needs to clean out corrupted code like they're debugging a virus, which means combing through potentially thousands of files. If you're lucky, you have recent backups to restore from.
Goldberg notes, "I once had a client who hadn't backed up their site for over a month, so the rollback was quite significant." Without good backups, you're looking at a complete rebuild from scratch, which can take weeks or months.
3. The Long-term Aftermath
This is where the real pain sets in. Your brand reputation takes a hit. After all, nobody likes hearing that their data might have been compromised. Customer trust, which takes years to build, can evaporate overnight. The costs of rebuilding that trust through customer communications, additional security measures, and potential legal obligations can dwarf the initial technical recovery expenses. Some organizations never fully recover from a major breach.
Moving Forward
The transition away from Drupal 7 is more than just a simple update. Given how much Drupal's architecture has evolved since version 7, it's more like moving to an entirely new platform. Think of it as trying to upgrade a flip phone directly to the latest smartphone. There's a lot that's changed under the hood.
The timing is especially critical because many organizations have delayed this decision, hoping to squeeze more life out of their existing systems. However, with January 2025 fast approaching, the window for careful planning and execution is shrinking. Security experts are particularly concerned because Drupal's open-source nature means that once security patches stop, any vulnerabilities become public knowledge that hackers can exploit.
All of these consequences become more likely with each passing day you're running end-of-life software. It's not a matter of if you'll face these issues, but when.
What are your options if you're running Drupal 7?
Let's break down the four main paths forward:
1. Upgrading to Drupal 10
Think of this as moving to the newest model in a car line you already know and trust. You're staying in the Drupal family, but you're getting a significant upgrade (4). The latest version comes with all the bells and whistles. The new version offers better security and modern features, and you won't have to worry about support ending anytime soon. Plus, your team already knows the basics of Drupal, which helps.
However, Drupal 10 is almost completely rebuilt from the ground up(5). It's like that new car has an entirely different engine and dashboard. You'll need to relearn some things, and the upgrade process isn't just clicking a button. It's more like renovating your house while you're still living in it. The cost can be significant, but the long-term benefits outweigh the initial investment for many organizations.
2. Moving to another CMS
Maybe you've been eyeing WordPress or another platform. This option is like moving to a completely different house (6). You get to start fresh, potentially save some money, and maybe get features you've always wanted but couldn't have in Drupal 7.
However, moving platforms means learning an entirely new system (7). Your content needs to be carefully packed up and moved over, and sometimes, things don't fit quite the same way in the new space. Your team will need training, and some of your custom functionality might need to be rebuilt from scratch.
3. Extended Support Through Pantheon
Pantheon has thrown organizations a lifeline here (8). By hosting with them, you get an extra two years of security support for your Drupal 7 site. It's like getting an extended warranty on your old car. It buys you time to consider your next move more carefully.
This is a temporary solution, but it could be perfect if you need more time to plan or if you have other major business initiatives that make a 2025 migration impossible.
4. Stay Put and Hope For the Best
Although we at iS2 Digital do not recommend this approach, it is an option. This is like deciding not to fix your brakes because they haven't failed yet (9). Your site will keep running after the end-of-life date, but you're taking on massive security risks. Every day that passes increases your vulnerability to attacks, and the technical debt keeps piling up.
The Bottom Line
While Drupal 7's end-of-life deadline might feel like a looming challenge, it presents a unique opportunity to modernize your digital infrastructure. Think of it as a strategic pivot point. It's the perfect time to evaluate your current digital ecosystem and align it with your organization's future goals.
The key to success isn't rushing into a decision. It's about making an informed choice based on thorough assessment and strategic planning. Whether you need the enterprise-level capabilities of Drupal 10 or this is your opportunity to explore other platforms, the important thing is choosing a path that supports your long-term business objectives.
If you're finding it challenging to navigate these decisions, the team at iS2 Digital is here to help. We've guided hundreds of organizations through similar transitions, and we understand the balance between technical requirements and business needs. Whether you need a consultation on your migration strategy or comprehensive support throughout the process, contact us.
References
- A 10-Step Guide for Upgrading Drupal 7 to Drupal 10 - Salsa Digital
- Upgrading from Drupal 6 or Drupal
- What Does It Take to Upgrade from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10
- Migrate to Drupal 9 or 10, Drupalize.me
- Our Approach to Upgrading Drupal 7 Sites to Drupal 10, Brainsum
- How to Prepare and Upgrade to Drupal 10
- Step by Step Guide to Upgrading to Drupal 10, Symetris
- Extend the life of your Drupal 7 site with confidence, Pantheon
- Upgrade Drupal 6/7/8/9 to 10
- Ultimate Guide: Migrate Drupal 7 to Drupal 9, Axelerant
