Drupal
The CMS of large organizations and the public sector: when you inherit it, when you want out.
Drupal is no longer a heart choice, but it's still a massive reality: many local governments, ministries, large associations and universities in France have used it for 10+ years. Leaving abruptly isn't always possible; keeping it as-is is expensive. The right question isn't 'Drupal vs something else', it's 'what realistic path from where you are now'.
My take on Drupal: it's an excellent CMS when your site is genuinely very large: multiple active languages, dozens of editors, complex validation workflows, deep integration with an institutional information system.
For those cases, it has no open-source equivalent. The problem is that it's very often deployed on much smaller projects, where it becomes oversized, slow and costly to maintain.
The real Drupal expertise today is less about configuring it than honestly evaluating whether your site still deserves this tool, or whether to plan a clean exit.
- →Multilingual sites with 5+ active languages, 10+ editors and validation workflows
- →Deep integration with a complex IT system (LDAP, institutional SSO, multi-tenant)
- →Strong regulatory constraints (public sector, healthcare) where Drupal has 15 years of precedents
- →Stated commitment to staying on mature open-source PHP
- ×Simple editorial marketing site: Astro and headless Strapi cost a fraction
- ×Degraded performance with cache budget already maxed out
- ×Annual maintenance cost disproportionate to actual traffic
- ×Technical debt on outdated Drupal 7 or 8
- →TYPO3If you want an equally powerful CMS without depending on a third-party module ecosystemView page
- →StrapiTo go headless with a clean admin and a modern front-endView page
- →Next.js + AstroSimple editorial sites that no longer justify DrupalView page
- →Headless DrupalIf you want to preserve existing editorial investment and just modernize the front
- 01
Honest audit: does this site still deserve Drupal, or is it a legacy burden?
- 02
If yes: secured version upgrade (Drupal 10 LTS) with clean content migration
- 03
If no: content extraction, gradual migration, complete SEO redirects
- 04
Hybrid option: Drupal exposed as headless API, consumed by a modern front-end
Is Drupal still worth it?
For very large multilingual, multi-editor sites in the public sector or universities with complex workflows: yes, it has no real open-source equivalent. For a standard SMB editorial site, it's almost always oversized and too costly to maintain. The question isn't Drupal vs something else, it's the right tool for the right project.How much does it cost to migrate from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10?
It's actually more of a rebuild than an upgrade: Drupal 7 to 10 means migrating data, theme and modules. Expect €4,000 (mid-size site) to €20,000 (complex multi-module site). Often a good moment to question whether Drupal remains the right choice, or whether to plan a switch to a lighter stack.How do I migrate off Drupal without losing content?
Drupal stores everything in a database, which makes clean extraction entirely feasible: structured content export to JSON or markdown, import into the new stack (Strapi, Sanity, MDX). URLs are preserved via 301 redirects. SEO doesn't suffer if the migration is properly prepared.Is headless Drupal a good idea?
Yes, to preserve existing editorial investment while modernizing the front-end. Drupal exposes content via JSON:API, and a Next.js or Astro front consumes that data. You keep the editorial comfort for your team, you gain modern performance for your visitors. Good transition option.Is Drupal still secure?
Drupal has an excellent security track record on actively maintained versions (currently Drupal 10 LTS). Third-party modules are the main source of vulnerabilities, just like WordPress. Regular security audits and a strict update policy are essential. Drupal 7 is no longer maintained, continuing to run it is risky.
A project involving Drupal?
Describe your context: I'll suggest the right level of investment.
First callLet's talk aboutyour project.
Describe your need in a few lines. Reply within 24h to plan next steps, detailed quote within 48h.
- 24h response
- NDA on request