The modern web runs on Open Source. The software itself remains freely available, but the infrastructure that sustains the ecosystem operates under fragile funding models. In a recent blog post, Drupal founder Dries Buytaert draws attention to a structural imbalance familiar across many open-source projects: the registries, repositories, CI systems, and update services developers rely on are widely treated as public goods, yet their costs are rarely shared proportionally by the organisations that depend on them.
In Drupal’s case, maintaining the ecosystem’s infrastructure costs roughly $3 million each year, covering servers, bandwidth, content delivery networks, software systems, and operational staff. When distributed across the installed base, that amounts to roughly $10 per active Drupal site annually. The Drupal Association currently operates with about $7.50 per site, leaving a modest but persistent gap. The shortfall does not immediately break systems, but it accumulates as technical debt: upgrades are postponed, legacy infrastructure remains in service longer than intended, and improvements move more slowly than the community might expect.
The deeper issue is structural rather than financial. Hundreds of thousands of sites rely on Drupal.org services, yet the cost of operating those systems remains largely disconnected from the organisations that benefit from them. Much of Drupal’s infrastructure is sustained through a combination of event revenue, sponsorship, corporate memberships, and generous in-kind contributions from partners such as AWS, the Oregon State University Open Source Lab, and Tag1. These contributions are invaluable, but they also illustrate how much the ecosystem depends on goodwill rather than predictable funding mechanisms.
Dries suggests that the next stage of maturity for open-source ecosystems may involve exploring models that better connect infrastructure usage with long-term sustainability. The software itself remains open and freely accessible, but the systems that support development, distribution, and updates must remain reliable as the ecosystem continues to grow. Raising the question now allows the Drupal community to discuss potential approaches calmly, before infrastructure pressures turn the conversation into an urgent problem.
The following stories highlight notable developments from across the Drupal ecosystem during the past week.
DISCOVER DRUPAL
EVENT
ORGANIZATION NEWS
DRUPAL COMMUNITY
Additional developments from across the Drupal ecosystem were published during the week. Readers may follow The DropTimes on LinkedIn, Twitter, Bluesky, and Facebook for continuing updates. The publication also maintains a presence on Drupal Slack in the #thedroptimes channel.
Thank you.
Alka Elizabeth
Sub-editor
The DropTimes
