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Drupal

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Contentful

Drupal vs Contentful

Drupal vs Contentful: which is right for your project? Drupal is enterprise php cms for complex content architectures. Contentful is api-first headless cms for omnichannel content. We compare features, performance, and pricing.

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TL;DR — Our Recommendation

It depends — Drupal and Contentful serve different use cases well. Choose Drupal for Large organizations needing complex content structures and strict access control. Choose Contentful for Enterprises needing to deliver content across web, mobile, and IoT channels.

Official docs: Drupal Documentation · Contentful Documentation

Feature by Feature Comparison

Feature	Drupal	Contentful
Ease of Use	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Performance	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Flexibility	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cost Value	⭐⭐⭐	⭐
Scalability	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ecosystem	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pros & Cons

Drupal

Pros

Powerful content modeling with custom entity types and fields
Enterprise-grade access control and user permissions
Built-in multilingual support for global sites
Strong security track record used by governments and universities

Cons

Steep learning curve — requires developer expertise
Fewer themes and modules compared to WordPress
Major version upgrades (e.g. Drupal 7→10) are complex migrations
Slow without aggressive caching configuration

Contentful

Pros

Powerful content modeling with structured content types
Global CDN-backed API delivers content at edge speed
Rich ecosystem of integrations (Algolia, Netlify, Vercel)
Excellent SDKs for every major language and framework

Cons

Expensive — free tier is very limited, paid starts at $300/month
Editing experience is functional but not beautiful
No built-in preview or visual editing (requires custom setup)
Vendor lock-in with proprietary content storage

Platform Details

Detail	Drupal	Contentful
Language / Stack	PHP	API-based (any frontend)
Type	traditional cms	headless cms
Pricing	Free (self-hosted)	Free / $300+/month
Open Source	Yes	No
Best For	Large organizations needing complex content structures and strict access control	Enterprises needing to deliver content across web, mobile, and IoT channels
Export Method	JSON:API module or Views data export	Content Management API or CLI export

When to Choose Each Platform

Choose Drupal if…

You need large organizations needing complex content structures and strict access control
Your team is comfortable with PHP
You want an open-source solution with full code ownership

Choose Contentful if…

You need enterprises needing to deliver content across web, mobile, and iot channels
Your team is comfortable with API-based (any frontend)

Which Should You Pick?

The right choice between Drupal and Contentful depends on three things: your team's technical skills, your project timeline, and your long-term content strategy.

These platforms take fundamentally different approaches. Drupal is a traditional cms built with PHP, while Contentful is a headless cms built with API-based (any frontend). That architectural difference shapes everything from daily content editing workflows to deployment and hosting costs. If your team includes non-developers who need to publish content frequently, Drupal's familiar editing interface may save you onboarding time.

From a cost perspective, Drupal is open-source (Free (self-hosted)), while Contentful (Free / $300+/month) carries ongoing license costs. Factor in plugin or extension costs, developer rates for each tech stack, and whether you need managed hosting or can self-host.

Whichever you choose, migrating between them is straightforward. LeaveWP supports migration between 60+ platforms, so you're never locked in regardless of which you pick today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Drupal better than Contentful?

They're closely matched (20/30 vs 22/30). Drupal is best for Large organizations needing complex content structures and strict access control, while Contentful excels for Enterprises needing to deliver content across web, mobile, and IoT channels. Your choice should depend on your team's skills and project requirements.

Can I migrate from Drupal to Contentful?

Yes. Export your Drupal content via JSON:API module or Views data export, then import it into Contentful. LeaveWP can help automate this process while preserving your SEO metadata and URL structure.

What are the main differences between Drupal and Contentful?

Drupal is enterprise php cms for complex content architectures, while Contentful is api-first headless cms for omnichannel content. Key differences: ease of use (Drupal: 2/5, Contentful: 3/5), pricing (Free (self-hosted) vs Free / $300+/month), and ecosystem size (Drupal: 3/5, Contentful: 4/5).

How much does Drupal cost compared to Contentful?

Drupal: Free (self-hosted). Contentful: Free / $300+/month. Drupal is open-source and free to self-host, while Contentful is a paid platform.

Which is easier to learn, Drupal or Contentful?

Contentful is easier to pick up (3/5 vs 2/5). Powerful content modeling with structured content types. Drupal Steep learning curve — requires developer expertise.

Which performs better, Drupal or Contentful?

Contentful has the performance edge (5/5 vs 3/5). Contentful has Global CDN-backed API delivers content at edge speed. Drupal Slow without aggressive caching configuration.

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