Why Node.js is Replacing Drupal in 2025

What is Drupal?

Drupal is an open-source content management system (CMS) built with PHP. It was designed to help people create and manage content-rich websites and web apps. Drupal is known as a powerful platform for organizing and managing content, users, and workflows from a unique dashboard.

From small businesses to enterprises and government institutions, Drupal is used by businesses of all sizes thanks to its flexibility and scalability.

What can you do with Drupal?

Although Drupal is a Content Management System, it isn’t used just for blogs. Drupal is a fully versatile platform that can empower everything from eCommerce to government portals. Below, Drupfan Drupal developers highlight its key ares of usage:

• Content Management: Drupal allows us to easily create, edit, and organize digital content.
• eCommerce: Running an online store? Drupal Commerce offers tools to manage products, orders, and payments while integrating with popular payment and shipping providers.
• Social networking: Need to build an online community? Drupal supports user management, profiles, and social interactions for networking platforms.
• Government websites: Many government institutions rely on Drupal for secure, scalable websites that handle public services and internal workflows.
• Education: Schools and universities use Drupal to build website courses, manage schedules and student data for a seamless learning experience.

To cut the long story short, Drupal used to be a Swiss Army knife for web development.

What is Node.js?

Node.js is a cross-platform JavaScript-based environment used for the development of complex,dynamic websites and web apps.

Due to its event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, Node.js has become a preferred technology for developers working with real-time applications like chat apps, crypto platforms, and online gaming. Plus, it’s cross-platform, meaning Node solutions look and function as expected throughout different operating systems.

What can you do with Node.js?

Node.js is a perfect technology choice for building fast, scalable applications and sites. Below, the Node.js team at Drupfan outlines what it’s great for:

• Scalable network apps: Use Node to build an app that handles thousands (or even millions) of users without compromising performance and effectiveness? Node.js is designed for speed and scalability, making it a perfect platform for high-traffic applications and websites.
• APIs on the fly: Node.js makes creating APIs integrations an easy task. It’s lightweight, handles requests efficiently, and can handle a high volume of traffic without slowing down.
• Real-time web apps: Whether it’s chat apps, live notifications, or multiplayer online games, Node.js covers everything up.
• Command-line tools: Developers use Node.js to build command-line tools that simplify workflows and automate outline dev tasks.
• Microservice architecture: Node.js is good for microservices: small, independent services that work together to create powerful applications.

Summing up, if you need something fast, scalable, and capable of handling real-time data, Node.js is the way to go!

Why Node.js is taking over Drupal in 2025?

Some time ago, Drupal used to be the go-to choice for building websites with complex data structure. Its unique architecture was able to handle large-scale content management workflows and tasks. But as of 2025, there is a tendency for web developers to change Drupal tech stack in favor of Node.js.

Let’s review what is happening in the world of web development and why Node.js is taking over Drupal in more detail.

1. The web is about experiences

Back in Drupal’s heyday, websites were mostly static or content-driven. You’d click a link, load a page, read an article. Simple. But today? The modern web is dynamic, interactive, and real-time. Users expect instant updates, seamless interactions, and web apps that behave more like native software.

Think about apps like Slack, Uber, or even your favorite live-streaming service. These aren’t just websites: they’re real-time experiences. And that’s where Drupal stumbles. It was built for structured content, not for managing the complex, event-driven workflows that modern apps demand.

Node.js, on the other hand, thrives in this environment. Its non-blocking, event-driven architecture makes it perfect for real-time applications, where speed and responsiveness are key.

2. Full-Stack JavaScript is changing the game

Let’s be real, developers love efficiency. And one of the biggest advantages of Node.js is that it allows you to use JavaScript on both the front-end and the back-end. No more juggling multiple languages, switching contexts, or dealing with the inefficiencies of integrating PHP-based Drupal with modern JavaScript frameworks.

With Node.js, everything speaks the same language, making development faster, smoother, and more maintainable. Teams can work more cohesively, codebases become more streamlined, and hiring talent gets easier.

Drupal, unfortunately, still lives in the PHP world. While it’s tried to modernize, it just doesn’t offer the same full-stack synergy that Node.js does.

3. Microservices & API-first architectures are the future

The monolithic approach that Drupal relies on is becoming a thing of the past. Today, businesses are shifting to microservices and API-driven development, where different services handle different tasks and communicate with each other.

Need a payment service? Plug it in. Need a chatbot? Drop it in. Want to add machine learning features? Easy.

This level of modularity is where Node.js shines. It makes building and scaling flexible, component-based architectures effortless. Drupal, on the other hand, was designed for content-heavy websites with a more traditional structure. It can be forced into an API-first model, but it’s not built for it.

4. DevOps & cloud-native adoption

Modern development is about deploying, scaling, and maintaining applications efficiently. Node.js is custom-made for cloud-native environments, with lightweight, container-friendly architecture that makes it easy to deploy and scale on platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure.

Drupal, with its heavier footprint and database-driven nature, doesn’t integrate as seamlessly into cloud-based workflows. It can be done, sure, but it’s not as smooth as with Node.js, which is designed with modern DevOps principles in mind.

5. Speed & scalability

Yes, Node.js is faster. Yes, it’s more scalable. But the real question is: what kind of applications need that speed and scalability?

Drupal excels at managing massive content-heavy sites. But in a world where speed and real-time interactions define user experience, traditional CMS platforms are struggling to keep up.

Meanwhile, Node.js powers everything from real-time trading apps to collaborative tools like Google Docs clones.

Final thoughts

Drupal isn’t dead. It still has a place for content-heavy, enterprise-grade websites. But the industry is shifting. Users expect dynamic, interactive, and real-time experiences, and that’s where Node.js is dominating.

The rise of JavaScript-first development, microservices, cloud-native infrastructure, and real-time web apps all point to one thing: Drupal is holding onto an old paradigm, while Node.js is shaping the future.

So, is it any surprise that developers are making the switch?