Drupal 9
is it time?

Drupal 8 vs Drupal 9 | Drupal 8 to 9

Buzz around the Drupal 9 release in 2020 is making everyone on Drupal 8 or 7 sites ask questions about what the upgrade means for them, and how to begin. As a Drupal development company that has experienced every Drupal launch since versions 6, this ain't our first rodeo. We're here to help.

Drupal 9 Faqs What you need to know

  • Drupal 9 was released on June 3, 2020. But now what?

    Alongside the Drupal 9 release on June 3, 2020, there was also a minor Drupal 8 long-term support release. Now, Drupal 9 is ready to download, setup, and start building!

    Start fresh with a Drupal 9 site from scratch
    Upgrade from an existing Drupal 8.9 site
  • Not a ton, tbh. But it's more about the long game.

    Drupal 9 is not a huge leap forward in terms of features. However, what it does do is clean out a lot of legacy code and set a firmer foundation for future Drupal 9 features including layout, admin, and update enhancements.

    Automatic updates
    Improve Layout features
    Improved headless support
  • Nah, dawg. Unfortunately, there is no Drupal 7 to Drupal 9 upgrade.

    Similar to the jump between Drupal 8 and 9, the code base has changed too dramatically for an upgrade from Drupal 7.  But where there is crisis there is opportunity in the form of a fresh start and content migration. 

    No Drupal 7 to Drupal 9 path
    Full rebuild required
    Content can be migrated

Drupal 8 vs Drupal 9 - Still Drupal, but better

LESS CODE

Drupal 9 sees a deprecation of a lot of Drupal 8 code that is no longer needed, improving efficiency.

Long-Term Security

As security updates for Drupal 8 begin to wane, getting on Drupal 9 will ensure your site is ready for future updates through 2021. 

Core Media Update

If your Drupal 8 site is a little older, you may not be equipped with the latest and greatest responsive media functionality. 

Drupal 9 upgrade what time is the right time?

Available since July 2020, Drupal 9 is a good choice for new sites assuming the following:

  • You're building a fresh Drupal site (ex: coming from D7 or another CMS)
  • You have a limited need for numerous contributed modules (aka using out of the box Drupal)

However, for some sites it might make sense to stick with Drupal 8 for a while if:

  • You're already on Drupal 8 and your site uses a lot of contributed modules (they'll need some time to catch up)
  • You anticipate needing a lot of modules immediately. Best to build on Drupal 8 then upgrade later

Drupal 9 Readiness — Is your D8 site primed?

While the upgrade path for Drupal 8 to Drupal 9 is smooth, it's not bulletproof. Heavily customized sites, or older Drupal 8 sites will need a little bit of love before being 100% ready to upgrade.

We recommend a Drupal 9 readiness tune-up that can help get sites ready that includes:

  • Core media updates and next-gen responsive images

  • Compatibility scan to ID and fix code issues

  • Update to Drupal 9!

Drupal Readiness
acqua preferred partner
Acquia Drupal Expert Certified
drupal association premium supporting partner
Acquia Engage Winner 2017

Drupal Experts Since Version 5

As Acquia Partners and Drupal developers with over 10+ years of experience with Drupal, we've been through all the major versions and Drupal 9 is no different. If you're looking to get the most out of your Drupal investment, or get up to speed with the latest and great Drupal has to offer, we can help.  

Ready to start?