As with all computer systems, for the best features, performance and security it's important to keep website software up to date. But this takes time and effort, so we are often asked 'how often do I need to update'?
The Drupal project has just announced an updated release schedule, which makes this clearer and in this article we'll explain what it all means.
On Drupal 10? You’ve got plenty of time
If you've just upgraded to Drupal 10, you probably don't want to think about upgrading again just yet. The good news is that the newly released update schedule from the Drupal project team makes clear that you shouldn't have to undertake a major upgrade until the middle of 2026.
What’s ahead in Drupal’s timeline?
The new schedule, which you can see an example of below, intends to explain the regular release and security support schedule for the Drupal platform.
You can read more about it on the Drupal.org site, but in summary the new schedule shows that:
- A new major version of Drupal will be released every two years on even years (2024, 2026, 2028, etc).
- Each major version of Drupal will be supported with security until 2 major versions have been released.
- This means that any major version of Drupal should be supported for around 4 years.
The exact release dates will vary depending on a number of factors, but if your site is running on Drupal 10, this means that it is supported with security updates until roughly June 2026.
This is great news for you if you are trying to manage long-term budgets and want to keep your site up to date and secure in the best possible way.
So I can wait 4 years before updating my site?
No. You can wait 4 years before a major upgrade process, but between these, you still need to keep your site secure and bug free. And if you're an ambitious organisation you're likely to want to make other changes to improve the design, user experience and features of the site.
We always recommend a regular maintenance package which will keep your site secure and bug free. You can read about our security and improvement packages here.
What if I want to upgrade early?
Drupal is supported by a network of thousands of software developers like those at Versantus, and benefits from regular new features and improvements which allow organisations like yours to deliver better experiences and outcomes for their users.
Some new features will become available only on the newer versions of Drupal, and so if there is a feature you want that's not available on your version of Drupal, you might want to upgrade early so you can take advantage of it.
Upgrading early can bring big benefits, but can also mean you're using less well tested software, so if you're considering trying out a new and exciting feature, it's important that you discuss the pros and cons of using a 'latest' version with professionals like us.
If you've not upgraded to Drupal 10 yet… start NOW!
If your site is still using Drupal 7, 8, or 9, you should be upgrading it right away. Version 8 and 9 are no longer supported with security updates, and so are at risk of attack. Drupal 7 has an extended support option until 2025, but security updates for it are becoming less regular and therefore it is also vulnerable.
About Versantus
As a leading Drupal agency, we help to provide organisations around the world with ideas, advice, development, design and marketing support that helps them build ambitious and high-impact digital products and services. We're geeky, fun, data-driven and smart - if you have an interesting idea or challenge, give us a call.