Pick Drupal if you want core content moderation, JSON:API and a large set of contributed SEO modules. Pick TYPO3 if you want staged editing through Workspaces, bundled SEO and Redirects extensions, and published support dates for its LTS versions. Both are GPL, free of licence fees and expect developers.
The short version
Pick Drupal if you want a lean core extended by named contributed modules. Core ships Content Moderation, four translation modules and JSON:API, while URL aliases, meta tags and sitemaps come from named contributed modules, each with a Drupal.org project page. Updates go through Composer.
Pick TYPO3 if staged editing and long support windows lead your list. The Workspaces extension introduces custom stages and versioning, the SEO and Redirects system extensions cover meta fields, sitemaps and automatic redirects on slug changes, and get.typo3.org publishes support dates. The trade-off is a framework with a steep build effort and a 14.0 changelog listing over 100 breaking changes.
Both are GPL and free of licence fees, and both suit publishers with developers more than solo writers. Read the profiles for Drupal and TYPO3, or the comparison index. Everything here is from vendor documentation, not installs of our own.
At a glance
| Feature | Drupal | TYPO3 |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | GNU GPL version 2 or later | GNU GPL (GitHub lists GPL-2.0) |
| Latest version | 11.4.9 (9 October 2026); 12.0.0-beta1 is a pre-release | 14.3.8 LTS (9 October 2026) |
| Written in | PHP; 11.x requires 8.3.0 or later | PHP; 14.3.8 requires 8.2.0 up to 8.5.99 |
| Hosting | Apache, Nginx or others; Linux recommended; Composer required | Apache httpd, Nginx, IIS or Caddy |
| Databases | MariaDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite | MariaDB 10.4.3+, MySQL 8.0.17+, PostgreSQL 10.0+, SQLite 3.8.3+ |
| Editorial roles and workflow | Roles and permissions; core Content Moderation; Scheduler contributed | Workspaces extension with custom stages and versioning |
| SEO and structured data | Contributed Pathauto, Metatag, Simple XML Sitemap, Schema.org Metatag | SEO and Redirects system extensions; structured data not confirmed |
| Multilingual | Four core translation modules | Labels in XLIFF and content translated separately; detail not verified |
| Headless and API | JSON:API in core | Not verified |
| Typical cost | Software free; developer time | Software free; developer time; paid ELTS for old versions |
| Best for | Structured content, API use | Larger publishers wanting staged editing and long support |
Editorial workflow
Drupal’s Content Moderation module builds workflows from states such as Draft, Published and Archived and the transitions between them. A published version stays live while a working copy is reviewed, and a default Editorial workflow is created. Scheduling is the contributed Scheduler module, covering content, media and taxonomy terms.
TYPO3’s Workspaces extension introduces workflows with custom stages and versioning for a more granular editing and publishing process, and its documentation references scheduler tasks for publication timing. The editor is CKEditor, integrated by the rte_ckeditor extension. We have not opened the permission settings in detail and installed neither, so we cannot say which is heavier to configure.
The honest summary: Drupal’s states are simple to describe and TYPO3’s stages are described as more granular. If you need many custom review stages, trial Workspaces; if named states and roles are enough, Drupal’s core module may be.
Search, structured data and feeds
TYPO3’s SEO system extension offers special fields for search engine optimisation, HTML meta tag display and sitemaps. Its Redirects extension creates manual redirects, lists existing ones and creates redirects automatically on slug changes, which protects links when editors retitle stories.
Drupal reaches similar ground through modules. Pathauto generates URL aliases; Metatag handles titles, canonical URLs, descriptions, Open Graph and Twitter Cards; schema.org and JSON-LD sit in the separate Schema.org Metatag module; Simple XML Sitemap adds hreflang, image sitemaps and IndexNow. We did not verify Drupal’s redirect or feed behaviour, and the TYPO3 pages we opened do not describe JSON-LD or RSS output.
The pattern is bundled against assembled. Our features checklist lists what to test either way.
Hosting, performance and security
Drupal 11.x requires PHP 8.3.0 or later, supports four databases, recommends Linux and needs Composer. TYPO3 14.3.8 requires PHP 8.2.0 up to 8.5.99 and lists Apache httpd, Nginx, Microsoft IIS and Caddy. Check PHP versions with your host.
Support is where they differ most visibly. get.typo3.org shows free support for 14 LTS through 30 June 2029 and 13 LTS through 31 December 2027, and paid Extended Long Term Support for versions 12, 11 and 10. Drupal’s releases page says 10.6.x has security support until December 2026, and 12.0.0-beta1 is a testing release.
TYPO3 14.0 removed frontend asset concatenation and compression, so that work moves to your server, build or CDN. Drupal’s User Guide describes cache types such as render and views. We measured no performance for either.
Cost of ownership
Neither charges a licence fee. The cost is skilled people: developers who know Drupal modules and Composer, or TYPO3’s Fluid and extension development. Older TYPO3 versions can buy vendor-backed extended support. We have not verified public prices for hosts, agencies or support, so we give no figures. See the cost guide and licence guide.
Migrating between them
We did not open an official migration tool or guide for either direction, so we make no claim about one. A move is a rebuild: map content types, roles and workflow stages, languages, redirects and URL structure first. TYPO3’s Redirects extension and Drupal’s contributed modules are the places to look for URL handling. See the demo page for what we have run ourselves.
Which should you choose?
- Many review stages and a long support calendar: TYPO3.
- Content feeding an app through an API: Drupal, with JSON:API in core; we did not verify TYPO3’s API.
- A PHP 8.2 host you cannot upgrade soon: TYPO3 14.3.8 accepts 8.2; Drupal 11.x needs 8.3.
- Heavy use of contributed SEO modules: Drupal.
- A small team or solo writer: neither; see WordPress vs Drupal and Drupal vs Joomla.
Questions people ask
Is TYPO3 harder than Drupal?
Both expect developers. TYPO3's documentation describes a framework built on Extbase, Fluid and PSR-14 events, and Drupal needs Composer for installs and updates. We did not install either, so we cannot rank the learning curves, only say both need skilled setup.
Which has better editorial workflow, Drupal or TYPO3?
Both document staged editing. Drupal's core Content Moderation module has Draft, Published and Archived states and a default Editorial workflow. TYPO3's Workspaces extension adds custom stages and versioning. Which suits you depends on how many review steps your desk needs.
Which has clearer support dates?
TYPO3, from what we opened. get.typo3.org lists free support for 14 LTS through 30 June 2029 and 13 LTS through 31 December 2027, with paid Extended Long Term Support for older versions. Drupal's releases page says 10.6.x has security support until December 2026.
Do Drupal and TYPO3 produce XML sitemaps?
Both can. TYPO3's SEO system extension offers meta tag fields and sitemaps. In Drupal, sitemaps come from the contributed Simple XML Sitemap module, with hreflang and image support. Check output against Google's documentation.
Which is better for multilingual news?
Drupal documents four core translation modules for language, interface, configuration and content. TYPO3 separates label and content translation, and its 14.0 changelog lists multi-language selection in the page and list modules. We did not verify TYPO3's linked-translation workflow.
Sources
- The tag list of the Drupal repository shows Drupal 11.4.9, dated 9 October 2026, as the newest stable tag, ahead of 12.0.0-beta1 dated 30 September 2026, which is a pre-release. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The Drupal.org core releases page lists Drupal 11.4.9, 11.3.18 and 10.6.18 as bugfix releases, 12.0.0-beta1 as a testing release, and says Drupal 10.6.x receives security support until December 2026. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- Drupal, and all contributed files that are derivative works of Drupal hosted on Drupal.org, are licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The composer.json of the Drupal core repository's 11.x branch requires PHP 8.3.0 or later and describes Drupal as an open source content management platform powering millions of websites and applications. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- Drupal's system requirements page lists MariaDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQLite as database servers, says Drupal works on Apache, Nginx and other web servers, recommends Linux or a similar operating system for hosting with Windows supported only for development, and says Composer is needed for installation and updates. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The core Content Moderation module expands the unpublished and published states with workflows made of states such as Draft, Published and Archived and the transitions between them, lets a published version stay live while a working copy is reviewed, and creates a default workflow called Editorial when enabled. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The contributed Scheduler module lets editors schedule content, media, commerce products and taxonomy terms for publishing and unpublishing at specified dates and times in the future. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The contributed Pathauto module automatically generates URL path aliases for nodes, taxonomy terms and users without requiring a manual path alias, and the project page reports 470,202 sites using it. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The contributed Metatag module provides meta tags including page titles, canonical URLs, descriptions, Open Graph and Twitter Cards; its page says schema.org and JSON-LD support is provided by the separate Schema.org Metatag module. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The contributed Simple XML Sitemap module generates multilingual sitemaps for entities, views and custom links, supports hreflang and image sitemaps, and supports the IndexNow protocol. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The Drupal User Guide says the base language of Drupal software is English, that the core Language module is needed to use another language, and that the core Interface Translation, Configuration Translation and Content Translation modules cover interface text, configuration text and content respectively. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The JSON:API module is part of Drupal core; it implements the JSON:API specification for Drupal entities and provides a zero-configuration, opinionated way to allow RESTful CRUD for a site's content. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- get.typo3.org lists TYPO3 14 LTS as the current stable version at 14.3.8, released 9 October 2026, with free support through 30 June 2029, and TYPO3 13 LTS at 13.4.36 with free support through 31 December 2027. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- TYPO3 14.3.8 requires PHP 8.2.0 up to 8.5.99, and supports MariaDB 10.4.3 or later, MySQL 8.0.17 or later, PostgreSQL 10.0 or later and SQLite 3.8.3 or later, on Apache httpd, Nginx, Microsoft IIS or Caddy Server. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- get.typo3.org says older versions 12, 11 and 10 are available with Extended Long Term Support (ELTS) for additional years of vendor-backed security updates. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The TYPO3 repository README says TYPO3 is an open source PHP based web content management system released under the GNU GPL, copyright 1999-2026 by Kasper Skårhøj; GitHub lists the licence as GPL-2.0. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The TYPO3 Explained documentation describes TYPO3 as a CMS and framework with a modular extension system built around Extbase, Fluid templating and PSR-14 events, covering backend, frontend, authentication, workspaces and versioning. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The TYPO3 Workspaces extension introduces workflows with custom stages and versioning for a more granular editing and publishing process, and its documentation references scheduler tasks for publication timing. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The TYPO3 SEO system extension offers special fields for search engine optimization purposes, HTML meta tags display and sitemaps. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The TYPO3 Redirects extension makes it possible to create manual redirects, list existing redirects and automatically create redirects on slug changes. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- TYPO3 documentation separates two kinds of text needing translation, labels and messages (stored in XLIFF files) and content; the default language is en_US and the TYPO3 Core ships with English labels only. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The TYPO3 rte_ckeditor extension integrates CKEditor as a rich text editor into the TYPO3 backend. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- The TYPO3 14.0 changelog lists over 100 breaking changes and 80+ features, including removal of frontend asset concatenation and compression, Fluid 5.0, and multi-language selection in the page and list modules. — source, checked 10 October 2026.