Does Anyone Use ColdFusion Anymore? A CTO's Guide to a Misunderstood Technology

Let's cut to the chase. You're here because you have a ColdFusion application, you've heard the whispers of it being a "dead language," and you need to know if your critical systems are built on a digital dinosaur.

The short answer is no, ColdFusion is not dead. The long answer is more nuanced and far more interesting for any technology leader managing a complex application portfolio.

While it may not dominate headlines like Python or JavaScript, Adobe ColdFusion-and its powerful open-source sibling, Lucee-remains a resilient and surprisingly potent force in specific sectors.

It powers mission-critical applications in government, finance, and education, environments where stability and long-term data integrity are paramount. The conversation isn't about whether it's dead; it's about understanding its modern role and how to strategically manage it for maximum value and minimal risk.

Key Takeaways

• 🎯 Niche but Alive: ColdFusion is not dead; it has evolved into a niche technology.

  It is actively used by hundreds of companies and government agencies, particularly for legacy systems that are critical and complex to migrate.

• 🏛️ Strongholds in Government & Enterprise: Key sectors like federal and state government, finance, and higher education continue to rely on ColdFusion for its stability, data handling capabilities, and the sheer cost-prohibitive nature of rewriting decades of business logic.
• 🔐 Security is Paramount: The primary risk associated with ColdFusion isn't the language itself, but running old, unpatched versions.

  Modern, supported versions of Adobe ColdFusion and Lucee receive regular security updates to address vulnerabilities.

• 💡 The Real Question is Strategy: For businesses with CFML applications, the critical decision isn't about the language's popularity, but about strategy: Should you maintain, modernize, or migrate? Each path has distinct costs, risks, and benefits.
• 🧑‍💻 The Talent Challenge is Real: The pool of expert ColdFusion developers is shrinking.

  Accessing vetted, experienced talent is the biggest operational challenge, making a partnership with a specialized talent marketplace a strategic advantage.

Beyond the Hype: The Reality of ColdFusion in 2025

The narrative that ColdFusion is "dead" is a classic case of confusing mainstream popularity with utility. It was designed for rapid application development, connecting HTML to databases with remarkable ease.

This efficiency led to its widespread adoption for data-driven websites and internal applications throughout the late 90s and 2000s.

Many of those applications were never replaced because they simply... work. They contain complex, business-specific logic that has been refined over decades.

For the organizations that run them, the risk and expense of a ground-up rewrite often outweigh the benefits of moving to a trendier tech stack. This is the core reason for ColdFusion's persistence. It's not about being the new hotness; it's about being the reliable engine for established, critical systems.

You can find good examples of websites built using Adobe Coldfusion that are still running strong today.

Who Still Uses ColdFusion and Why?

The user base for ColdFusion has consolidated into several key areas where its strengths are most valued:

• 🏢 Government Agencies: From federal to local levels, government entities are significant users.

  The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care is one such example.

  These organizations value stability and have applications with lifecycles measured in decades, not years.

• 🎓 Higher Education: Universities often have a sprawling ecosystem of internal applications for student records, course management, and administrative tasks, many of which were originally built with ColdFusion.
• 🏦 Finance and Insurance: Companies in these sectors have complex data processing and reporting requirements.

  Many legacy CFML applications handle these tasks reliably and securely.

• 📦 Established Enterprises: Large corporations, including names like Toyota and General Motors, have been reported as using ColdFusion for certain applications.

  These are often internal systems that are deeply embedded in operational workflows.

The common thread is this: these are not startups building a new social media app. They are established organizations where the cost of failure is high and the business logic embedded in their applications is a valuable asset.

The Modern CFML Ecosystem: It's More Than Just Adobe

A critical point often missed in the discussion is that ColdFusion is not a monolith. The underlying language is CFML (ColdFusion Markup Language), and it runs on two modern, competing platforms:

1. Adobe ColdFusion: The commercial, enterprise-focused product from Adobe. The latest version (as of this writing, ColdFusion 2026) includes performance monitoring toolsets, a REST API playground, and robust security features. It's a fully supported, enterprise-grade platform.
2. Lucee: A free, open-source CFML engine that has gained significant traction. Lucee is known for being lightweight, fast, and highly configurable. It's a popular choice for modernizing ColdFusion applications without the Adobe licensing costs.

Both platforms run on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). This is a crucial technical detail. As you may know, Coldfusion is written in Java, which means it can seamlessly integrate with the vast ecosystem of Java libraries and tools.

Modern CFML applications can easily expose and consume REST APIs, run in Docker containers, and be deployed to cloud platforms like AWS and Azure. The idea that ColdFusion is an isolated island is simply outdated.

The CTO's Dilemma: A Framework for Your ColdFusion Application

If you're managing a ColdFusion application, you have three strategic paths. The right choice depends entirely on your business goals, budget, and risk tolerance.

Take Your Business to New Heights With Our Services!

• User acceptance Testers
• Coldfusion Developers

The Elephant in the Room: Finding Expert ColdFusion Talent

Let's be direct: finding, vetting, and retaining skilled ColdFusion developers is difficult. The talent pool is smaller and more experienced, which means they are in high demand.

This is often the single biggest factor that forces companies into a risky migration they aren't ready for.

This is where a new model becomes essential. Instead of a frantic search for a single full-time employee, technology leaders are turning to specialized talent marketplaces.

By partnering with a firm that has a pre-vetted bench of senior ColdFusion experts, you gain immediate access to the skills you need to maintain, modernize, or carefully migrate your application. It transforms the talent shortage from a blocker into a manageable operational expense. If you need to augment your team with proven experts, you can hire Coldfusion developers who are ready to tackle these challenges.

2025 Update: Security and Performance at the Forefront

As we move through 2025, the focus in the ColdFusion world remains squarely on security and performance. The U.S.

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) continues to emphasize the importance of patching ColdFusion servers, highlighting that the risk comes from neglect, not the technology itself. Adobe's latest releases and Lucee's development roadmap both prioritize security enhancements, API performance, and better cloud integration.

The key takeaway for leaders is that modern CFML is a secure and performant platform, but it requires diligent maintenance.

For those looking to squeeze every bit of speed out of their applications, exploring the best Coldfusion web application performance tuning practices is a critical step.

Conclusion: ColdFusion is a Business Decision, Not a Meme

So, does anyone use ColdFusion anymore? Absolutely. Smart organizations recognize that the value of an application lies in the business logic it contains, not the popularity of its programming language.

ColdFusion has proven to be a durable, reliable platform for mission-critical systems, and modern CFML engines provide a clear path forward for performance and security.

The challenge is not the technology; it's the strategy and the talent. By making an informed decision to maintain, modernize, or migrate, and by securing a partner with access to elite ColdFusion expertise, you can ensure your legacy application remains a powerful business asset for years to come.

This article has been reviewed by the Coders.dev Expert Team, comprised of CMMI Level 5 and SOC 2 accredited professionals with deep expertise in legacy system modernization and secure software development.

Our commitment is to provide actionable insights for technology leaders.

Take Your Business to New Heights With Our Services!

• Coldfusion Developers
• User acceptance Testers

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ColdFusion a dying language?

No, it's more accurate to say it's a mature, niche language. While it's not growing in popularity like newer languages, it has a stable and dedicated user base in specific industries like government, finance, and education.

Adobe continues to release and support new versions of Adobe ColdFusion, and the open-source Lucee project is actively developed.

Is ColdFusion secure?

A modern, patched ColdFusion application is secure. The security vulnerabilities that make headlines are almost always related to older, unpatched, and unsupported versions of the software.

Following security best practices, applying updates from Adobe or Lucee promptly, and conducting regular code audits are essential, just as they are for any web technology.

Why is it so hard to find ColdFusion developers?

The talent pool for ColdFusion is smaller because most new developers learn more mainstream languages like Python, Java, or JavaScript.

The developers who do have deep ColdFusion experience are often senior-level professionals who are highly valued and not actively looking for work. This scarcity makes traditional recruiting difficult and expensive.

Should I migrate my application away from ColdFusion?

Not necessarily. A migration is a major undertaking with significant risks and costs. You should first evaluate a 'Modernize' strategy.

This could involve updating your ColdFusion engine, improving the code, creating APIs to connect with other services, and enhancing performance. A full migration should only be considered if the application's core business logic is fundamentally obsolete or the technical debt makes it impossible to maintain.

Can ColdFusion run in the cloud?

Yes. Modern ColdFusion applications can be containerized using Docker and deployed on any major cloud provider, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

Because it runs on the JVM, it fits well into modern DevOps and cloud-native deployment pipelines.