Platform Modernization

Legacy Drupal Modernization

Modernize legacy Drupal 7, 8, 10, or 11 sites. Built with open-source tools we maintain on drupal.org.

Compare tiers

15+ years Drupal

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7-11 versions supported

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Acquia Certified

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2 tools on drupal.org

Three tiers of Drupal modernization

Every tier is production-ready. Tier 2 is our default for content-heavy sites—Drupal hybrid is often a stable end state.

Tier 1 · 4-12 weeks

Keep Drupal

When Drupal is the right tool

Optimize your existing Drupal site. Use mcp_tools for AI-powered development—build content types, views, and configurations through Claude or GPT.

Pros

+ No migration risk—editors keep familiar workflow
+ mcp_tools: 205 AI development tools on drupal.org
+ Best for: Drupal 10/11 sites with strong editorial teams

Cons

− PHP can't handle streaming LLM responses natively
− Drupal talent pool keeps shrinking
− Infrastructure costs higher than Jamstack

Tier 2 · 10-16 weeks

Headless / Hybrid

Default for content-heavy sites

Next.js frontend with Drupal as headless CMS. Use jsonapi_frontend for content delivery. Often a stable end state for content sites.

Pros

+ Sub-100ms pages via ISR/SSG—content is cacheable
+ jsonapi_frontend: permission-aware path resolution
+ Drupal hybrid is often a stable end state (unlike Rails)

Cons

− Personalized surfaces still hit Drupal (latency tax)
− Two systems to maintain (Drupal + Next.js)
− Requires content modeling alignment

Tier 3 · 12-20 weeks

Full Migration

Leave Drupal entirely

Migrate away from Drupal completely. Content moves to Sanity, Payload, or direct database. Full TypeScript stack.

Pros

+ No Drupal maintenance burden
+ Single TypeScript codebase, easier hiring
+ Best for: Drupal 7/8 EOL, full platform rebuild

Cons

− Higher upfront investment
− Content migration complexity
− Editors learn new CMS

How to choose

Content-heavy, mostly public pages? → Tier 2 (headless) is often a stable end state

Strong editorial team, Drupal 10/11? → Consider Tier 1 (keep Drupal + mcp_tools)

Drupal 7/8 EOL or full platform rebuild? → Tier 3 (leave Drupal entirely)

Unlike Rails, Drupal content is cacheable. Next.js fetches at build time or revalidates via ISR—users get static HTML. That's why Drupal hybrid is often a stable end state, not just a transition.

Built by CodeWheel

Open-source tools we maintain

mcp_tools

For Tier 1

205 MCP tools across 29 submodules. AI assistants build content types, configure views, manage users—all through natural language.

View on drupal.org →

jsonapi_frontend

For Tier 2

Permission-aware path resolution for headless Drupal. Unpublished content returns "not found"—attackers can't discover it exists.

View on drupal.org →

Learn more about our contrib work →

FAQ

Should we stay on Drupal or migrate to Next.js? +

Both tracks use our open-source tools. Stay on Drupal? Use mcp_tools for AI-powered development. Migrate to Next.js? Use jsonapi_frontend for headless content delivery. The 2-week assessment gives an honest recommendation.

What is mcp_tools? +

Our Drupal module with 205 MCP tools that let AI assistants like Claude build and configure your site. Create content types, set up views, manage permissions—all through natural language.

How does jsonapi_frontend work? +

It resolves paths to JSON:API resources with permission checks built in. Unpublished or restricted content returns 'not found'—attackers can't discover it exists. Better security than next-drupal.

Can you work with Drupal 7, 8, 10, or 11? +

Yes. Drupal 10/11 sites often keep Drupal and add AI with mcp_tools. Drupal 7/8 usually migrate to Next.js due to end-of-life concerns.

What happens to existing Drupal users? +

Staying on Drupal? Users stay put. Migrating to Next.js? We port user data to the new auth system (Clerk/Auth0) and keep SSO intact via SAML/OIDC.

Ready to modernize?

Start with an assessment. We'll audit your Drupal architecture and give you an honest recommendation—keep, headless, or migrate.

Request proposal