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?

Let's Talk