Drupal 9 Vs. 10 Vs. 11 Features Comparison

Drupal, one of the most powerful and flexible content management systems (CMS), has seen significant updates over the years. As it evolves, each version brings new features, improvements, and optimisations. In this Drupal 9 vs. 10 vs. 11 features comparison, we will dive into the differences, advantages, and updates each version offers. Whether you’re planning to upgrade your existing Drupal website or considering a new build, this comparison will guide your decision-making process.

Drupal 9 Features: Stability and a Solid Foundation

Drupal 9, released in June 2020, marked the beginning of a new phase in Drupal development. While it built upon the features of Drupal 8, it mainly focused on stabilizing the platform and ensuring long-term compatibility with modern web technologies. Here are the key features of Drupal 9:

• Updated Codebase: One of the most significant changes in Drupal 9 was the removal of deprecated code from Drupal 8. This made the codebase cleaner, easier to maintain, and more secure for developers.
• Updated Dependencies: With Drupal 9, third-party libraries such as Symfony 4 and Twig were upgraded to newer versions, ensuring that the platform remained compatible with the latest web standards, including improved performance and security.
• Media Management: The introduction of the enhanced media library allowed content managers to easily manage and embed media assets like images, videos, and documents. This feature was highly beneficial for sites that rely heavily on visual content.
• Content Authoring: Drupal 9 continued to offer a strong content management experience, with a focus on creating a streamlined interface for non-technical users. The updated authoring tools helped improve productivity for content creators.

While Drupal 9 brought stability and essential improvements, it was essentially a bridge between Drupal 8 and future versions, such as Drupal 10 and Drupal 11.

Drupal 10 Features: A Modern Overhaul

Drupal 10, released in December 2022, introduced several major updates, further enhancing user experience, performance, and developer tools. Some of the standout features of Drupal 10 include:

• CKEditor 5: A major upgrade in Drupal 10 was the introduction of CKEditor 5, replacing the previous version. This new version offers a more modern and powerful content editing experience, with real-time collaboration features, better media embedding, and an overall improved user interface for content creators.
• Olivero Admin Theme: The default admin theme in Drupal 10 was replaced with Olivero, a clean, modern, and accessible theme. This update drastically improved the admin interface, making it more user-friendly and visually appealing, particularly for non-technical users.
• Symfony 6 and PHP 8 Support: Drupal 10 moved to Symfony 6 and PHP 8, providing enhanced performance, security, and compatibility with modern web standards. This upgrade also ensures better integration with newer technologies, making Drupal 10 more future-proof.
• StarterKit Theme: The Starter Kit theme in Drupal 10 made it easier for developers to create custom themes by providing a flexible base theme that follows Drupal’s best practices for creating themes.
• Improved Accessibility: With increased attention on accessibility, Drupal 10 introduced improvements to make websites built on the platform more accessible to users with disabilities. This includes compliance with the WCAG 2.1 accessibility guidelines.

Overall, Drupal 10 is a more modern and user-friendly version, providing significant improvements in performance, content management, and theme flexibility.

Drupal 11 Features: What’s Coming Next?

Drupal 11 is released in August 2024, and while it’s still in development, several exciting new features are. Here’s what we have observed:

• Mobile-First Design: With the increasing importance of mobile devices, Drupal 11 will focus heavily on mobile-first design, ensuring that Drupal websites provide a seamless user experience across smartphones, tablets, and desktops.
• Advanced Media Management: Drupal 11 will continue to refine media management, adding more advanced features such as better integration with third-party platforms and more robust tools for managing media libraries.
• Improved Content Workflows: Drupal 11 is expected to offer more advanced tools for content staging, approval, and moderation, allowing larger teams to manage content more efficiently.
• Modern Framework Integrations: With Drupal 11, deeper integration with modern frameworks like React, Vue.js, and GraphQL is anticipated, offering developers more flexibility in building dynamic, API-driven websites.
• Optimised Performance: Expect further improvements in website speed, caching, and performance. Drupal 11 will likely include enhancements that ensure faster load times and improved scalability for high-traffic websites.

These features in Drupal 11 will push the platform to the forefront of modern web development, providing users with even more powerful tools and capabilities.

Drupal 9 Vs. 10 Vs. 11 Features Comparison

Here’s a quick Drupal 9 vs. 10 vs. 11 features comparison in table form to give you a clearer idea of the main differences: