Difference Between Drupal 10 and Drupal 11

Drupal 11 is still under development, but several expected and confirmed differences between Drupal 10 and Drupal 11 highlight its advancements. Here’s a breakdown of key differences:

1. Core Dependencies and PHP Requirements

• Drupal 10 requires PHP 8.1 or higher.
• Drupal 11 is expected to require PHP 8.2 or higher, aligning with the latest PHP advancements.
• Key Difference: Drupal 11 will leverage the latest PHP versions, enhancing performance and security.

2. Symfony Upgrade

• Drupal 10 uses Symfony 6.2.
• Drupal 11 is expected to adopt Symfony 6.3 or higher, benefiting from new features and deprecated elements removed in Symfony 6.x.
• Key Difference: The upgrade to a newer Symfony version will improve performance, developer experience, and compatibility with modern web standards.

3. Twig Template Engine

• Drupal 10 uses Twig 3.x.
• Drupal 11 will utilize Twig 4.x.
• Key Difference: Twig 4.x introduces new features and better performance, streamlining theme development.

4. Front-End Modernization

• Drupal 10 focused on progressive enhancement with Olivero as the default theme.
• Drupal 11 is expected to further modernize front-end development, enhancing component-based theming and potentially integrating modern JavaScript frameworks.
• Key Difference: Drupal 11 will continue to advance modern front-end practices, integrating new tools and methodologies.

5. CKEditor 5

• Drupal 10 introduced CKEditor 5 as the default WYSIWYG editor.
• Drupal 11 will enhance CKEditor 5 with more customization options, plugins, and tighter core integration.
• Key Difference: A more robust editing experience with improved features and stability in CKEditor 5.

6. API and Developer Experience Enhancements

• Drupal 10 introduced APIs for decoupled architectures, including JSON and GraphQL support.
• Drupal 11 is expected to streamline API management, enhance GraphQL capabilities, and introduce new features for easier integration with external systems.
• Key Difference: Drupal 11 aims to empower decoupled and headless implementations, making them easier to manage.

7. Module and Theme Compatibility

• Drupal 10 ensured many contributed modules and themes were compatible with Drupal 9, though some required updates.
• Drupal 11 aims for stronger backward compatibility and smoother upgrades from Drupal 10, handling deprecations more gracefully.
• Key Difference: Easier upgrade paths and better compatibility for modules and themes in Drupal 11.

8. Security Improvements

• Drupal 10 introduced automated updates (experimental) and various security enhancements.
• Drupal 11 is expected to fully integrate automated updates and enhance core security measures.
• Key Difference: A greater focus on security by default, with improved support for automated security updates.

9. Performance Improvements

• Drupal 10 optimized performance with advancements in caching and database handling.
• Drupal 11 is expected to deliver even more performance enhancements through better PHP utilization and improved caching strategies.
• Key Difference: Drupal 11 is likely to provide superior out-of-the-box performance for high-traffic sites.

10. Content Authoring Experience

• Drupal 10 made significant strides in content authoring, introducing the Claro admin theme and improved layout builder.
• Drupal 11 is expected to further enhance content authoring, with more intuitive interfaces and improved media handling.
• Key Difference: Continued emphasis on making Drupal a powerful, user-friendly CMS for content creators.

11. New Initiatives

• Drupal 10 launched new initiatives like Project Browser and experimental Automatic Updates.
• Drupal 11 is expected to stabilize these initiatives and introduce new ones focused on user experience and decoupled architecture.
• Key Difference: Drupal 11 will build on the innovations from Drupal 10, making them more robust and accessible.

12. Upgrade Path

• Drupal 10 provides tools like Upgrade Status and Rector for transitioning from Drupal 9 to 10.
• Drupal 11 is anticipated to offer an even smoother upgrade path from Drupal 10, with improved tooling and fewer breaking changes.
• Key Difference: The transition from Drupal 10 to 11 is expected to be more straightforward, easing the burden on developers and site maintainers.