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drupal-console

Drupal Console is a command-line tool for Drupal developers that generates boilerplate code, manages Drupal instances, and provides debugging capabilities. The project is now in sunset mode as its features have been absorbed by Drush, the community's preferred CLI tool.

Source: GitHub — github.com/hechoendrupal/drupal-console
932
GitHub stars
546
Forks
PHP
Primary language
GPL-2.0
License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

FieldValue
Repositoryhechoendrupal/drupal-console
Ownerhechoendrupal
Primary languagePHP
LicenseGPL-2.0 — OSI-approved
Stars932
Forks546
Open issues259
Latest release1.9.10 (2022-10-02)
Last updated2025-04-22
Sourcehttps://github.com/hechoendrupal/drupal-console

What drupal-console is

Built in PHP with Symfony components, Drupal Console offers 200+ commands for code generation, module scaffolding, and Drupal interaction. The project maintains a stable 1.9.x release but is no longer actively developed, with the maintainers recommending migration to Drush.

Quickstart

Get the drupal-console source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash
git clone https://github.com/hechoendrupal/drupal-console.gitcd drupal-console# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

Legacy Drupal 8 Projects Still Requiring CLI Automation

Teams maintaining existing Drupal 8+ codebases that have invested heavily in Drupal Console workflows and have not yet migrated to Drush can continue using the tool for boilerplate generation and module scaffolding.

Interactive Drupal Development Workflows

Developers who prefer interactive, prompt-based CLI interfaces for code generation over Drush's command syntax may find Drupal Console's UX advantages valuable for rapid development cycles.

Multilingual Drupal Development Teams

Organizations with international teams can benefit from Drupal Console's support for 19 languages, reducing onboarding friction for non-English-speaking developers.

Implementation considerations

  • Requires PHP 5.5.9 or higher; verify Drupal version compatibility with 1.9.10 release (targets Drupal 8+).
  • Installation via Composer recommended; global launcher executable optional but enhances usability.
  • Shell autocomplete setup (Bash, Zsh, Fish) requires manual configuration via `drupal init`.
  • No active maintenance means reliance on community-maintained forks or migration planning to Drush.
  • Existing project workflows should be documented before sunset period ends to ensure team continuity.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

  • Starting New Drupal Projects — Projects launching with modern Drupal should adopt Drush, which has absorbed Drupal Console's innovations and receives active maintenance and community support.
  • Requiring Active Security Patches and Maintenance — The project is in sunset mode with no planned feature development or security updates. Organizations requiring guaranteed vendor support should evaluate alternatives.
  • Upgrading to Drupal 10+ — Drupal Console's latest release (1.9.10, October 2022) predates Drupal 10 and may lack commands or compatibility for newer Drupal versions. Drush is the official path forward.
  • Enterprise Applications Requiring SLAs — Production-critical systems should not rely on sunsetted tools without maintenance guarantees or vendor support agreements.

License & commercial use

Licensed under GPL-2.0 (GNU General Public License v2.0), a copyleft open-source license requiring derivative works to remain open source under the same terms.

GPL-2.0 permits commercial use, but any modifications must be distributed under GPL-2.0. Organizations modifying and distributing Drupal Console must provide source code access. Requires review for proprietary tooling integration.

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

SignalAssessment
MaintenanceStale
DocumentationAdequate
License clarityClear
Deployment complexityLow
DEV.co fitPossible
Assessment confidenceHigh
Security considerations

No active security patches are planned. Organizations should assess whether any public vulnerabilities exist in 1.9.10 and evaluate the timeline for full migration to Drush. Sunset status means security fixes will not be provided; rely on community forks or risk exposure.

Alternatives to consider

Drush

Drush is the official Drupal CLI and active successor. It has absorbed interactive features from Drupal Console, receives regular security updates, and is recommended by the Drupal community and Drupal Console maintainers.

Symfony Console (raw)

Teams already using Symfony can build custom CLI tools directly using Symfony Console component, offering greater control but requiring more development effort than Drush.

Custom PHP Scripts / Composer Scripts

Organizations can automate boilerplate generation and Drupal interactions via custom PHP or Composer hooks, trading convenience for full control over workflows.

Software development agency

Build on drupal-console with DEV.co software developers

Drupal Console is sunsetted in favor of Drush. If you're building a Drupal project or modernizing tooling, we can help assess the right CLI strategy and plan your migration path.

Talk to DEV.co

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drupal-console FAQ

Is Drupal Console still maintained?
No. The project is officially in sunset mode. The maintainers recommend migrating to Drush, which has absorbed Drupal Console's innovations and receives active maintenance.
Will my Drupal 8 projects break if I use Drupal Console?
Likely not for existing Drupal 8 projects, but version 1.9.10 (Oct 2022) may lack support for Drupal 9+ and Drupal 10. Test compatibility and plan migration to Drush.
Can I still install and use Drupal Console?
Yes, the package is available on Packagist and can be installed via Composer. However, no new features or security patches will be released.
What should teams currently using Drupal Console do?
Evaluate the cost of migrating to Drush (the recommended successor) against the risk of running unsupported software. For new projects, start with Drush.

Work with a software development agency

DEV.co helps companies turn open-source tools like drupal-console into production software. Our software development services cover the full lifecycle — architecture, web development, integration, and maintenance — delivered by software developers and web developers who ship. Engage our software development agency to implement or customize it for your ai coding agents stack.

Evaluating Drupal CLI Tools?

Drupal Console is sunsetted in favor of Drush. If you're building a Drupal project or modernizing tooling, we can help assess the right CLI strategy and plan your migration path.