How Much Does Drupal Cost To Maintain?
IntermediateQuick Answer
TL;DR
Drupal is free open-source software, but maintenance costs are significant: hosting runs $50-2,000+/month, and you'll need Drupal developers ($80-200/hour) for updates, security patches, module maintenance, and version upgrades. Annual maintenance budgets typically range from $5,000-50,000+ depending on site complexity. Major version upgrades (like Drupal 9 to 10) can cost $10,000-100,000+ in development time.
Key Takeaways
- Developer costs: specialized Drupal developers command premium rates
- Update and security maintenance: core updates, module patches, security fixes
- Major version upgrades: planning and budgeting for migration costs