The (Non-Technical and Technical) History of Drupal Up to 2025

2025 marks Drupal's 25th anniversary, a milestone few open-source projects reach while remaining essential infrastructure for thousands of organizations worldwide.

But Drupal's journey hasn’t always been smooth. Technical pivots, community debates, and fundamental shifts shaped how the platform evolved to serve both developers and content creators. Each advancement came with hard-fought compromises and valuable lessons.

This article examines Drupal's transformation through two critical lenses: Developer Experience (DX) and Editorial Experience (EX). We'll explore how changing needs in these areas shaped the platform we use today.

At Octahedroid, we've worked through many of these transitions firsthand. Our contributions like Drupal Console and Drupal Decoupled emerged directly from real challenges we encountered. Beyond Drupal's technical story, this is about how practical needs drive meaningful innovation in technology.

Drupal’s Early Days: Built by Developers, for Developers

Back in 2000, Drupal began as a side project in a university dorm room. Dries Buytaert, a student at the University of Antwerp in Belgium, created a simple message board to stay connected with friends.

But what started as a personal experiment quickly grew into something more. When Buytaert open-sourced the code, developers around the world jumped in to collaborate, and Drupal was born.  

The platform’s early versions—Drupal 1.0 (2001) through Drupal 4.x—were built with flexibility in mind, allowing developers to create custom websites by writing PHP code and extending functionality through community-contributed modules.

But let’s be honest: the learning curve was steep. Without a graphical installer or user-friendly admin interface, building with Drupal often felt like solving a puzzle without all the pieces.

For content editors, the experience was even more limited. The admin interface was functional but far from intuitive, and customizing workflows required developer intervention.

Still, the platform’s open-source nature and active community made it an attractive option for those willing to invest the time and effort. 

The Shift Begins: Drupal 6 and 7 Open the Doors 

By the late 2000s, Drupal had begun to move beyond its developer-centric roots, evolving into a more accessible platform. 

With the release of Drupal 6 (2008) and Drupal 7 (2011), the system introduced a more modern admin interface, making it easier to manage content without needing to write code.

Drupal 7, in particular, marked a turning point. It introduced a graphical installer, improved custom content types, and streamlined permissions management—features that made the platform more appealing to content teams. 

However, the core system still required deep PHP knowledge, and customizing functionality often meant writing custom modules.

This era also saw Drupal’s rise as a platform for enterprise websites. Large organizations began adopting Drupal for its flexibility and scalability, but with that growth came increased complexity. 

As websites grew more sophisticated, both developers and content teams needed better tools and workflows to keep up.

Drupal 8: The Game-Changer (2015)

By the time Drupal 8 was released in 2015, the digital landscape had shifted. 

Responsive design was no longer optional, and developers were embracing modern coding practices like object-oriented programming. To stay competitive, Drupal needed a major overhaul—and that’s exactly what it delivered.

Built on the Symfony framework, Drupal 8 introduced object-oriented programming, Composer for dependency management, and Twig as its new templating engine. These changes aligned Drupal more closely with industry standards, making it easier to onboard new developers and integrate with other systems. 

For the first time, Drupal felt like a modern development platform.

On the editorial side, Drupal 8 brought major improvements as well. In-place editing made it easier to update content directly on the page, while enhanced multilingual support and responsive design ensured that websites looked great on any device. 

Still, migrating from Drupal 7 to 8 was no walk in the park. With the shift to a new architecture, many websites had to be rebuilt from scratch, a process that was both time-consuming and costly.

As of the latest numbers, roughly 40% of Drupal websites are still running Drupal 7 following the product’s end of life on January 5, 2025. 

This means that four out of ten Drupal operators are no longer receiving security updates, which poses considerable risks to their platforms. If you’re among this number and you’re ready to make the leap to the latest version, download our checklist to move from Drupal 7 to 11 here.

It was during the heyday of Drupal 8 that Octahedroid introduced Drupal Console, a platform designed to simplify the development process. Drupal Console is a command-line interface (CLI) tool that automates common tasks like generating boilerplate code, managing modules, and debugging applications. By streamlining these workflows, this tool saved developers countless hours, boosting productivity and reducing time-to-launch.

Drupal 9 and Beyond: Streamlining the Future

With the release of Drupal 9 (2020), the platform continued its evolution. This time it focused on streamlining the upgrade process. 

By building on Drupal 8’s foundation, the transition from version 8 to 9 was seamless—no more painful rebuilds or breaking changes would be required.

Drupal 9 also introduced performance enhancements, accessibility improvements, and new features like Layout Builder and Media Library. These tools gave content teams greater control over page design and multimedia content, reducing their reliance on developers and speeding up content creation. Meanwhile, headless architecture and API-first design became more mainstream, allowing developers to create custom digital experiences without limitations.

Drupal in 2025: Navigating Competing Priorities 

So, where does Drupal stand today? The platform continues to excel in its core strengths - security, accessibility, and complex content modeling - while making incremental progress on usability.

Developers now have better tools for configuration management and deployment automation. Meanwhile, content teams still face a steeper learning curve than with competing platforms, despite improvements to the editorial interface.

The official direction appears focused on simplifying the editorial experience, sometimes at the expense of developer flexibility. 

However, the tension between improving usability for content creators while maintaining the robust developer ecosystem represents one of Drupal's ongoing challenges in 2025.

With the release of Drupal 10 in late 2022 and Drupal 11 expected in mid-2025, the platform has doubled down on usability and modernization with the following innovations:

• A cleaner, more modern UI with the new Claro admin theme and the Olivero front-end theme, delivering accessibility and design out of the box.
• CKEditor 5, offering a more powerful and user-friendly content editing experience, including better media handling, collaborative editing, and more advanced formatting tools.
• Enhanced configuration management, Symfony 6 support, and continued use of Composer, ensuring Drupal stays up-to-date with the latest PHP best practices.

Drupal 11 and Drupal CMS 

Looking ahead, Drupal 11 is set to focus heavily on simplification, with the goal of reducing complexity without compromising power. Features like automatic updates, improved starter templates, and a push toward API-first architecture are being refined to lower the barrier to entry for newcomers while keeping enterprise capabilities intact.

Perhaps the biggest development, though, is the evolution of Drupal CMS—a more curated, out-of-the-box distribution of Drupal aimed at delivering faster time-to-value. Backed by the Drupal Association, this initiative includes:

• Pre-configured content models and starter kits for common use cases (e.g., marketing sites, documentation portals).
• A modern, opinionated default setup to eliminate unnecessary decisions during setup.
• Seamless integrations with popular services like Content Hub, Layout Builder, and third-party APIs.

While this direction may attract new adopters, experienced Drupal developers have valid concerns about potential constraints on customization and flexibility that have traditionally been Drupal's strengths.

The State of Decoupled Drupal

The platform now finds itself at a pivotal moment, serving two increasingly divergent paths: traditional monolithic Drupal for content management and API-first architectures for multi-channel experiences. While both approaches have merit, it remains unclear whether Drupal can effectively support both directions long-term or if market pressures will eventually force a more decisive strategic focus.

At Octahedroid, we developed Drupal Decoupled to address the practical challenges organizations face when implementing headless architectures. 

By providing a one-click, preconfigured CMS with support for multiple frontend frameworks, we've simplified what was once a complex, resource-intensive process. Organizations can now leverage Drupal's content management strengths alongside modern frontend technologies without the traditional implementation barriers. Learn more about how Drupal Decoupled can benefit your projects here.

With all these competing priorities and as we move through 2025, the Drupal community faces difficult questions about its core identity. Will resources continue to split between improving the traditional monolithic experience and advancing decoupled capabilities? Can Drupal maintain its technical flexibility while meaningfully addressing its usability challenges? Or will emerging technologies and changing market demands eventually push Drupal to commit more fully to one direction?

These questions don't have simple answers, but they'll shape how Drupal positions itself in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Key Innovations Driving Drupal’s Growth

As Drupal navigates its strategic crossroads, several key innovations show promise in addressing the platform's most persistent challenges.

These initiatives - some community-driven, others emerging from specialized teams - represent critical opportunities for Drupal to maintain relevance in an increasingly competitive landscape:

1. Simplified Onboarding and Low-Code Solutions. 

Recognizing the importance of accessibility for non-developers, Drupal has refined its installation process, introduced more intuitive admin interfaces, and expanded its library of low-code and no-code tools. The latest Drupal Core updates offer drag-and-drop layouts, visual page builders, and pre-configured content models, reducing the reliance on custom coding for common tasks.

2. Headless and Decoupled Architectures.

Drupal’s leadership in headless CMS solutions continues to grow, with seamless integrations into modern front-end frameworks like React, Vue.js, and Next.js. This decoupled approach allows organizations to deliver content across websites, mobile apps, IoT devices, and more—while maintaining centralized content management.

3. Enhanced Security and Compliance.

With cybersecurity threats on the rise, Drupal remains a top choice for organizations requiring strict data protection and compliance. Its built-in security features, regular updates, and large community of security experts ensure that sensitive information remains safe. Additionally, Drupal’s adherence to GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulatory frameworks reinforces its position in government and healthcare sectors.

4. Personalization and AI Integration.

Here’s a big one. Leveraging artificial intelligence, Drupal now offers advanced personalization features that deliver tailored content experiences based on user behavior and preferences. Built-in machine learning capabilities help optimize content delivery, automate workflows, and improve user engagement.

5. Sustainability and Performance.

In response to growing environmental concerns, Drupal has prioritized energy-efficient hosting, optimized code performance, and sustainable development practices. These efforts not only reduce carbon footprints but also improve website speed, SEO performance, and user experience.

Drupal’s Community and Ecosystem: The Not-So-Secret Sauce

Drupal’s open-source community remains one of its greatest strengths—and in 2025, it’s more active, inclusive, and innovative than ever.

A More Inclusive and Collaborative Community

The Drupal Diversity & Inclusion (DDI) initiative has grown into a pillar of the community, offering mentorship programs, inclusive events, and accessibility advocacy. DrupalCon events now consistently feature D&I Summits, with sessions focused on topics like neurodiversity in tech, gender inclusivity, and equitable access to open source. The Contributor Mentoring Program continues to bring in hundreds of new contributors each year, lowering barriers for people from all backgrounds.

Faster Innovation Through Continuous Delivery

Thanks to Drupal’s continuous innovation model, new features are rolled into core every six months, enabling faster iteration and community-driven development. This has led to the quick adoption of technologies like Symfony 6, CKEditor 5, automatic updates, and support for decoupled and headless architectures—all while maintaining a high standard of stability and security.

Better Documentation and Knowledge Sharing

Community-led documentation sprints and strategic initiatives like Discover Drupal and Drupal Ladder have drastically improved onboarding for new users. In 2025, Drupal.org offers:

• Step-by-step learning paths for developers, content editors, and site builders.
• Multilingual, accessible documentation.
• Embedded video walkthroughs and live tutorials.

Tools like Project Browser and Starter Templates simplify module discovery and site setup, giving less technical users an easier entry point into Drupal's ecosystem.

A Growing Universe of Contrib Projects

The ecosystem of contributed modules, themes, and distributions continues to grow and evolve. With over 50,000 projects, Drupal supports a broad range of industries:

• E-commerce: Platforms like Drupal Commerce offer enterprise-grade solutions with headless support.
• Media & Publishing: Distributions like Thunder provide customizable workflows and multimedia tools.
• Education: Solutions like OpenEDU and Varbase for Education cater to universities and learning institutions.
• Government & NGOs: Systems like GovCMS and Drupal for Gov align with public-sector needs, including security, accessibility, and multilingual support.

Real Collaboration Across the Ecosystem

Major hosting providers (Acquia, Pantheon, Platform.sh), module maintainers, and individual developers now collaborate more closely than ever, with GitLab-powered contribution workflows on Drupal.org helping streamline reviews, testing, and deployment. The Drupal Association continues to provide vital support through funding, infrastructure, and strategic vision.

Drupal’s Advantages Over Other CMS

Despite the challenges and strategic questions facing Drupal, the platform maintains distinct advantages that continue to make it the right choice for specific use cases. While no CMS is perfect for every scenario, Drupal's technical foundation provides clear benefits for organizations with complex content needs:

• Flexibility: Unlike platforms with rigid templates, Drupal provides unparalleled flexibility in content modeling, user roles, and workflows.
• Scalability: Drupal scales effortlessly from small websites to complex, multi-site ecosystems serving millions of users.
• Security: With a proven track record in security, Drupal is trusted by governments, financial institutions, and global enterprises.
• API-First Architecture: Its API-first approach enables seamless integration with third-party services and future-proof content delivery.

Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Drupal?

If history has taught us anything, it’s that Drupal never stands still.

As AI and machine learning continue to reshape digital experiences, expect Drupal to evolve with smarter personalization, predictive analytics, and even more seamless integrations. Meanwhile, the headless revolution shows no signs of slowing down—opening up new frontiers for interactive content and immersive user experiences. 

At Octahedroid, we’re excited to keep pushing the boundaries, helping developers build faster, empowering content teams to do more, and shaping the next chapter of Drupal’s story.

Contact us today if you’d like any help with your Drupal or decoupled architecture projects.