The verdict in three sentences
Since 5 January 2025, Drupal 7 has received no official security fixes: every month on it raises the risk for a public website that collects personal data. For a 600-page public body in Toronto, migrating to Drupal 10 or 11 costs 40,000 to 120,000 CAD in 2026, a WordPress rebuild 25,000 to 70,000 CAD, and extended D7 support is only a 12 to 18 month bridge. Ontario accessibility rules (AODA, WCAG 2.0 AA) apply to the new site, so the migration is the cheapest moment to fix accessibility.
Three realistic options in 2026
A typical public or member-based body in Toronto runs a content-rich site: member directory, program pages, regulatory news, registration forms, events. That structured content shapes the choice. Drupal 10/11 keeps the same logic of content types and taxonomies, which eases automated migration. WordPress is cheaper to maintain but requires rebuilding complex content with custom fields. A headless CMS (Strapi, Sanity, Directus) gives front-end flexibility but needs a team able to run it.
| Option | 2026 project cost (CAD) | Timeline | Annual maintenance | Fits when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drupal 10/11 migration | 40,000 - 120,000 | 4 - 7 months | 8,000 - 20,000 | Highly structured content, directory, many roles |
| WordPress rebuild | 25,000 - 70,000 | 3 - 5 months | 4,000 - 12,000 | Editorial site, autonomous comms team |
| Headless CMS + Next.js front end | 60,000 - 150,000 | 5 - 8 months | 10,000 - 25,000 | Several sites or apps to feed |
| Extended D7 support (HeroDevs or similar) | 5,000 - 22,000 / year | Immediate | Included | 12 - 18 month bridge while procuring |
| Status quo without support | 0 | None | High risk | Never advisable for a public body |
These are 2026 order-of-magnitude figures for Canadian agencies specialising in Drupal. For comparison, a similar migration for a French public body costs 20,000 to 50,000 EUR. The spread mainly comes from the number of contributed modules to replace and the quality of existing data.
What drives the quote
A migration is never a simple export. The cost drivers are well known and can be priced at audit stage. A 3 to 5 day upfront audit (5,000 to 9,000 CAD) prevents surprises and becomes the basis of your RFP.
| Line item | Typical effort | Indicative 2026 cost (CAD) |
|---|---|---|
| D7 audit (modules, content types, volume) | 3 - 5 days | 5,000 - 9,000 |
| Automated migration of 600 pages and media | 8 - 15 days | 12,000 - 24,000 |
| Replacing modules with no D10 equivalent | 3 - 10 days | 5,000 - 16,000 |
| New WCAG-compliant theme (AODA) | 10 - 20 days | 15,000 - 32,000 |
| Forms and back-office integrations (CRM, registry) | 5 - 12 days | 8,000 - 20,000 |
| Testing, editor training, go-live | 3 - 6 days | 5,000 - 10,000 |
Procurement: Ontario broader public sector bodies generally need an open competitive process above the Canadian Free Trade Agreement services threshold (in the 120,000 to 135,000 CAD range, revised every two years), and most organisations set a lower internal threshold (often 25,000 to 100,000 CAD) for invitational quotes from at least three vendors. Check your own procurement policy before scoping, because it often dictates the project's start date.
Mini case study
David, executive director of a Toronto professional body, runs a 620-page D7 site with a 9,000-member directory. He compares two three-year scenarios.
Scenario A: extended D7 support at 15,000 CAD a year for three years, then migration in 2029, so 45,000 CAD spent with no functional gain before the project. Scenario B: audit at 7,000 CAD, Drupal 10 migration at 78,000 CAD and maintenance at 12,000 CAD a year, so 121,000 CAD over three years for a secure, accessible, maintained site. Scenario A ends up costing a similar amount once the migration is finally paid for, without fixing accessibility or technical debt. He keeps one year of extended support at most, time to run the procurement.
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FAQ
Is Drupal 7 really risky after January 2025?
It no longer receives official fixes: any vulnerability found stays open unless you pay for extended support. For a public site collecting personal data, that is a direct privacy and reputation risk.
How much does a Drupal 7 to Drupal 10 migration cost in Canada?
For 600 pages, expect 40,000 to 120,000 CAD depending on modules to replace and design ambitions. A 150-page site can come in around 20,000 to 35,000 CAD.
Is WordPress a credible option for a public body?
Yes for a mostly editorial site, with a rebuild at 25,000 to 70,000 CAD and maintenance 30 to 40% cheaper. For a complex directory and many user roles, Drupal remains the better fit.
Does AODA apply to the new site?
Ontario organisations covered by AODA must meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA on their public websites. Building it into the migration costs far less than a corrective audit afterwards.
How long does the project take?
Plan 4 to 7 months for a full Drupal 10 migration, excluding procurement. Extended D7 support covers that window for 5,000 to 22,000 CAD a year.
Let's scope your project. Send us your D7 site URL and content volume, and we will price the audit, the best-fit migration path and a timeline that matches your procurement process. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
