Drupal 7 End of Life:

Why You Should Migrate to WordPress

The digital landscape is constantly evolving. New technologies emerge, and old ones fade away. But what happens when the platform supporting your website becomes redundant? That's the reality facing many businesses still using Drupal 7. And with its end-of-life date having already passed (5th January 2025), the urgency to make a move has never been higher.

Imagine your website suddenly becomes vulnerable to security risks, or you run into compatibility issues with no support in sight. Doesn’t sound good, does it? That’s the reality for those continuing with Drupal 7. As web standards and user expectations continue to rise, your website will struggle to keep up, putting it at risk.

It’s time to make a strategic decision. You might have heard about migrating to WordPress, and if you’re wondering why so many businesses are making the switch, you’re in the right place. Sure, you could upgrade to a newer version of Drupal, but we’re here to tell you why WordPress is still the better choice for your organisation. Let’s explore the benefits of WordPress and why sticking with an outdated version of Drupal is a gamble you don’t want to take.

What is Drupal?

Drupal is a free, open-source content management system (CMS) that's been around for quite some time, so much so that we've seen several versions come and go. Known for its robust security, Drupal is a popular choice for large, complex enterprise websites. In fact, big names like Harvard, IBM, NASA and Tesla currently rely on Drupal to power their websites. But here's the thing, Drupal is really geared towards developers. If you're not a coding expert, you might find it challenging to navigate. Plus, with its steep learning curve, it might not be the most accessible CMS for non-technical users.

Now, let’s talk specifically about Drupal 7. Released back in 2011, it quickly became a favourite among Drupal users and still holds the title of the most popular version of the CMS. However, as technology advanced, Drupal 7 started to show its age, with most of its websites already over 8 years old. So, while Drupal 7 has served many well over the years, the time has come to explore newer options that can keep up with the ever-evolving digital landscape.

What is WordPress?

If you're considering migrating from Drupal, you might be wondering what WordPress is all about. Well, it's a dynamic, open-source CMS that, like Drupal, doesn't come with any licensing fees. From what started as a simple blogging platform, WordPress has grown into a powerful CMS that drives over 500 million sites across the internet, including Vogue, Walt Disney Company and Meta. And it's still growing!

Thanks to its vast collection of themes and plugins, and intuitive interface, WordPress makes it easy for anyone to manage content without needing to dive into code. As one of the most popular CMSs in the world, it boasts a huge community of developers who are constantly improving it. Plus, if you work with a WordPress specialist (like us), the platform’s flexibility allows for complete customisation and integrations for a bespoke website. Another one of the great things about WordPress is that they don’t typically discontinue their products or versions, so you can stick around for the long haul. If you’re looking for a CMS that’s both powerful and easy to use, WordPress might just be the perfect fit.

What does the end of life for Drupal 7 mean for my business?

Now that Drupal 7 has reached its end of life, it's crucial to understand what this means for your business. Moving forward there will be no more feature developments or security updates, leaving your website vulnerable. And if your site hasn't been updated since Drupal 7 was released 14 years ago, then it's definitely time for a redesign. Sticking with the old version could open your site up to a range of issues…

Increased Security Risks

Without security updates, your site becomes a prime target for hackers and malware, making it vulnerable to cyber-attacks and data breaches. This is particularly concerning if you chose Drupal for its robust security feature to support data-rich sites. With approximately 180,000 websites still using Drupal 7, it’s clear that many are at risk.

Compatibility Issues

As your website ages, it will struggle to keep up with newer technologies, plugins, and browser updates. Developers will not continue to create software compatible with Drupal 7, meaning your site can quickly become an outdated experience for you and your visitors. You might start noticing broken functionalities, performance lags, as well as issues with meeting compliance standards. Even before its retirement, many members of the Drupal community began putting more effort into modules for Drupal 10 and 11.

Diminished Trust

In today’s demanding world of web, visitors expect fast, secure and reliable sites. Running your website on an outdated platform can seriously damage user trust and harm your business’s reputation, leading to a higher bounce rate as frustrated visitors leave your site. Plus, as time goes on, site owners will find it increasingly difficult to get the support they need. Resources, documentation, and experienced developers who can help with any issues you encounter will become scarce.

Despite Drupal 7’s popularity, the numbers tell a different story about its future. With just over 100,000 people using Drupal 10, and a mere 5,000 on Drupal 11, it’s clear that many are moving away from Drupal altogether. While the thought of migrating to a new CMS might seem daunting, it’s actually a great opportunity to give your website that refresh it is longing for, to make sure it meets the latest standards and aligns with your business needs.

Now we know that switching to a newer version of Drupal might seem like the logical choice. But, with Drupal 10's end-of-life already set for 2026, it may not be worth the cost and time to move everything over. Drupal's commitment to a 2-year cycle with no backward compatibility means you'd be looking at rebuilding your site almost every four years. There's a reason so many people have stuck with Drupal 7 for so long. Upgrading from an older version like Drupal 7 to Drupal 10 isn't as simple as just hitting update. It often requires a full rebuild to accommodate major version changes to dependencies. Given these challenges, it's understandable why many site owners are considering switching to a different CMS entirely.

6 reasons you should migrate to WordPress

If you're still using Drupal, especially Drupal 7, you might be feeling the pressure to make a move. We know that change can be intimidating, especially when it comes to something as important as your website. But migrating to WordPress could be the fresh start you need - it's already considered one of the best alternatives to Drupal. And while moving to WordPress might mean a complete rebuild, it's a worthwhile investment for your website's future. Here's why so many people are making the switch to WordPress.

Ease of Use

WordPress is celebrated for its ease of use, making it a top choice for beginners, thanks to its low barrier to entry. Its intuitive dashboard and the Gutenberg block editor make it simple to add pages, allowing users to see their designs as they build them. This means you can update content and create pages without needing a developer. Even the smallest of changes in Drupal often require a developer’s assistance, making WordPress the superior choice for teams wanting to manage content in-house.

And we can’t mention Gutenberg without talking about patterns. WordPress lets you create custom blocks and patterns that can be reused across multiple pages. These are all fully customisable, offering more flexibility than a generic template, and you’re not confined to just these premade patterns. For those wanting a unique look, WordPress offers extensive customisation options. Working with a developer, like us, can tailor your site to fit your exact needs. But with the detailed training we provide with all our CMS solutions, and WordPress’ user-friendly platform, many clients find that they can make edits to their site on their own. We’re here for those extra technical tweaks, whenever you need us.

Scalability & Customisation

WordPress often gets pigeonholed as a platform just for small blogs. But, this couldn’t be further from the truth. It powers some of the largest websites in the world. Unlike Drupal, which requires more technical expertise and time to develop customisation, WordPress offers a more user-friendly approach. It’s designed to grow alongside your business, handling everything from simple blogs to complex enterprise-level sites with ease.

Both WordPress and Drupal offer the flexibility of a multisite option, allowing you to manage multiple websites from a single installation, but WordPress makes this process more straightforward. As your website evolves, you can easily add new features and functionalities without compromising performance. However, while WordPress makes it easy to continuously expand your site, it’s wise to work with a developer to ensure that the addition of plugins doesn’t slow it down.
When it comes to plugins, WordPress offers over 60,000 options for you to choose from, making it easy to customise your site quickly. Whether you need SEO tools, analytics, e-commerce capabilities, or social sharing options, WordPress has got you covered. While Drupal’s module system is robust, WordPress plugins are generally easier to install and configure. However, for optimal performance, investing in a custom build by expert developers, like us, is often the best approach.

Security

When it comes to content management systems (CMS), security is a big deal. Drupal is often praised for its strong security features, which is why big names like Tesla and NASA use it. But let’s be real, if Drupal were as popular as WordPress, it might face similar security challenges, simply because of its increased visibility.

WordPress sometimes gets a bad reputation for security, but it’s not always what it seems. Many security issues actually come from human error, like using third-party tools, plugins, and poorly coded themes that can introduce vulnerabilities. And while we boast about WordPress’ huge plugin catalogue available, it can open up your site to issues. That’s why we suggest keeping plugins to a minimum and working with a developer before adding new ones. The real security risks come when website owners and third-party plugins leave gaps, but with the right precautions, WordPress is a safe bet.

Plus, WordPress sites are more frequently targeted by hackers, kind of like how Microsoft PCs are more often hacked than Macs, simply because there are more of them out there. You cannot become the most popular CMS in the world with countless security vulnerabilities. It just simply isn’t sustainable.
Keeping your WordPress site secure is all about regular maintenance, too. This means choosing reputable plugins, keeping everything up-to-date, and running the latest version of WordPress. If that sounds like a lot, don’t worry. Partnering with an agency that offers hosting and maintenance packages can take the stress off your shoulders.

Support

While WordPress might not offer a dedicated support line or 24/7 chat, the community more than makes up for it. There are countless forums and resources, from users and developers, sharing solutions and advice. Whether you’re dealing with a bug, or just need help with integrating a feature, there’s likely already a forum thread or documentation to guide you.

Thanks to its popularity, WordPress offers a vast pool of developers ready to assist you. Plus, WordPress’s automatic updates for core software and plugins mean that your site stays secure and up-to-date with minimal effort on your part. But if you prefer a more hands-on approach, you can manage updates manually too. As experts, we recommend reviewing updates yourself to prevent any potential vulnerabilities from creeping in. And for those who want a bit more personalised support, partnering with a specialist can be incredibly beneficial. We offer expert maintenance services, reducing the workload for your in-house team and providing peace of mind. With regular backups and expert oversight, you can avoid the headaches of content loss or broken code during updates.

Unlike WordPress, Drupal isn’t backwards compatible, which can be a bit of a hassle when it comes to updates. While WordPress updates are pretty seamless and frequent, Drupal updates might require some major changes to your site’s codebase, leading to compatibility issues. This means updates can be more complex and time-consuming, often needing a developer’s touch. While Drupal has some great features, its update process can be a bit more challenging compared to WordPress’s straightforward approach.

Costs

When it comes to building a feature-rich website without overspending, WordPress stands out as a top choice. Its active community continuously develops a wide range of plugins and themes that meet modern demands, without the increased costs associated with custom development. This means you can still achieve a dynamic and engaging website whilst keeping your budget intact.

For those using Drupal, the challenges of upgrading to a newer version are well-known. Often a complete rebuild is necessary, and with Drupal’s two-year lifecycle, maintaining an updated site can become costly. Switching to WordPress could be a smart move, as it offers a simpler and more cost-effective update process. Plus, like Drupal, WordPress is an open-source platform, so you don’t have to worry about licensing fees.

WordPress’s development ecosystem is rich with resources, which helps reduce both upfront and long-term costs compared to CMSs like Drupal which require more developer input. We’ll set up your WordPress site to be user-friendly for your in-house content teams, eliminating the constant need for a developer to handle minor adjustments – a common issue for Drupal users. This ease of management makes WordPress a cheaper fit for enterprise-level solutions, offering both agility and scalability that Drupal struggles to match. Plus, using Drupal at an enterprise level often comes with higher costs which can be avoided with WordPress.

SEO

SEO doesn’t have to be complicated, especially with WordPress on your side. Its user-friendly design makes it incredibly easy for Google to interact with your site. Take sitemaps for example, WordPress will automatically generate this for you, aiding in efficient indexing. Drupal users will recognise this feature, but that just means you don’t have to sacrifice the benefits of that CMS if you do choose to move to WordPress.

WordPress is renowned for its SEO-friendly architecture, which significantly boosts your site’s visibility and performance on search engines. Even without the use of plugins, WordPress is structured to support effective SEO with built-in features like permalinks, title tags, and alt text for images.

But if you do want to take advantage of WordPress’s array of plugins, there are plenty of options out there. This shows their dedication to leveraging the best tools available for SEO, rather than attempting to handle it all internally and potentially achieving subpar results. Plus, the simplicity of adding these plugins, along with WordPress’s user-friendly interface, makes it a fantastic option for users who want to apply SEO strategies without needing a lot of technical know-how.

Advantages summary

WordPress

Easy to use, especially for beginners and non-technical users
Has a huge support community with a range of free resources available
Lower ongoing costs
SEO-friendly
Open-source with no licensing fees

Drupal

Greater management of user controls
Built-in multi-language support is included with the core installation
Enhanced security due to fewer vulnerability risks
Has an in-depth taxonomy system
Open-source with no licensing fees

The end of life for Drupal 7 presents a unique opportunity to rethink your website's future. With the necessity of a full rebuild looming if you choose to upgrade to Drupal 10 or 11, it's the perfect moment to explore other CMS options.

Unsurprisingly, we recommend WordPress - all day, any day. While Drupal has great opportunities for customisation and security, WordPress stands out for its ease of use, making it a more user-friendly choice for your team.

Our expert web developers can create a site perfectly aligned with your brand, equipped with all the advanced features you want. But most importantly, pretty much any of your staff will be able to use it with no problem at all once it’s up and running.

Many businesses have already made the leap, partnering with experienced agencies to enjoy benefits like faster employee onboarding, thanks to thorough CMS training, and a better user experience for content teams.

So, why not take this chance to make a change that could benefit you in the long run?

Let's start a project... Let's start a project...