Beyond the Myth: 10+ Powerful Examples of Websites Built with Adobe ColdFusion

Whispers in the development community often ask, "Does anyone still use ColdFusion?" The question implies it's a relic, a fossil from a bygone era of the internet.

But what if the narrative is wrong? What if, instead of fading away, Adobe ColdFusion has simply focused on the niches where it has always excelled: high-security, data-intensive, and mission-critical applications?

The reality is that ColdFusion remains a powerhouse for a significant number of high-stakes organizations, particularly in government and enterprise sectors.

These aren't dusty, forgotten websites. They are robust, high-traffic platforms that handle sensitive data and complex business logic every single day. This article pulls back the curtain to reveal compelling, real-world examples of websites built on this resilient platform, proving that for the right job, ColdFusion isn't just surviving-it's thriving.

Key Takeaways

• 🎯 Niche Dominance: Adobe ColdFusion excels in specific sectors like government, finance, and education, where security, stability, and rapid application development (RAD) are paramount.
• 🏛️ High-Profile Users: Major government bodies, including parts of the U.S.

  National Library of Medicine, and large enterprises like the affiliate network ShareASale, rely on ColdFusion for their core web applications.

• 🔒 Security First: The platform's built-in security features and its architecture make it a trusted choice for applications that handle sensitive financial or personal data, reducing the risk of common vulnerabilities.
• 🔄 Modern & Relevant: Modern versions of ColdFusion (like the 2026 and upcoming 2025 releases) run on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), integrate seamlessly with APIs and modern front-ends, and offer robust performance, making it a viable choice for legacy system modernization.

Why Do High-Stakes Organizations Still Rely on ColdFusion?

Before diving into the examples, it's crucial to understand why CTOs and IT directors at major organizations continue to invest in ColdFusion.

The decision isn't based on nostalgia; it's a strategic choice rooted in four core pillars:

• 🛡️ Uncompromising Security: ColdFusion comes with a suite of built-in functions and automated tooling to help lock down applications against threats like cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection. For government and financial institutions, this out-of-the-box security is a significant advantage.
• ⚙️ Rock-Solid Stability: Running on the high-performance JVM, ColdFusion applications are known for their stability and uptime. This reliability is non-negotiable for platforms that serve millions of users or process critical transactions.
• 🚀 Rapid Application Development (RAD): ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML) is famously concise. Developers can often achieve in a few lines of code what might take dozens in other languages, drastically speeding up development cycles and reducing time-to-market.
• 🔗 Seamless Data Integration: From its inception, ColdFusion was designed to connect to databases and other systems with ease. This makes it ideal for building complex, data-driven applications that need to communicate with various legacy and modern data sources. This is a domain where the roles of a database developer are critical for success.

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🏛️ Government & Public Sector: The Bedrock of ColdFusion's Endurance

Section at a Glance: Government agencies choose ColdFusion for its long-term stability and proven security, making it a trusted platform for delivering essential public services and managing sensitive citizen data.

When an application must remain secure and functional for a decade or more, technology choices become extremely deliberate.

The public sector frequently turns to ColdFusion for this reason. Here are some prime examples.

Notable Government & Public Sector ColdFusion Websites

The common thread here is trust. These organizations cannot afford data breaches or significant downtime. Their choice of ColdFusion underscores its reputation as a secure and dependable platform for critical infrastructure.

Ensuring this level of reliability requires a stringent approach to quality assurance and software testing throughout the development lifecycle.

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🏢 Enterprise & E-commerce: Powering Complex Business Logic

Section at a Glance: In the corporate world, ColdFusion is valued for its ability to accelerate the development of complex, data-driven business applications and e-commerce platforms that require robust backend functionality.

While government values stability, the enterprise often prioritizes speed and integration. ColdFusion's RAD capabilities allow businesses to build and adapt complex internal tools and customer-facing platforms quickly.

Leading Enterprise & Commercial ColdFusion Websites

These examples prove that ColdFusion is more than capable of handling the demands of modern commerce and enterprise-level operations.

The key is leveraging its backend power while often pairing it with a modern front-end, adhering to the principles of responsive web design for a seamless user experience.

2025 Update: ColdFusion's Trajectory in the Age of AI

Looking ahead, ColdFusion is not standing still. The Adobe ColdFusion (2025 Release) continues to build on the platform's strengths while embracing modern development paradigms.

Its future isn't about competing with Node.js or Python for every startup project. Instead, its trajectory is focused on being the best-in-class solution for:

• Modernizing Legacy Systems: Providing a cost-effective and lower-risk path to upgrading older CF applications to a modern, secure, and performant architecture.
• API-First Development: Using ColdFusion to build powerful, secure REST APIs that serve data to modern JavaScript frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular.
• Cloud-Native Deployment: With official Docker images and support for cloud environments like AWS, ColdFusion is fully capable of operating in a modern, containerized infrastructure.

The strategy is clear: dominate the niche where security, data, and speed intersect. ColdFusion is positioned as the stable core of a larger, more complex digital ecosystem.

Conclusion: A Tool for a Specific, Demanding Job

The evidence is clear: Adobe ColdFusion is far from obsolete. It is a specialized tool trusted by organizations where the cost of failure is extremely high.

From managing public health data to processing millions in affiliate commissions, the websites built with ColdFusion demonstrate its enduring value in security, stability, and development efficiency.

While it may not generate the headlines of newer languages, it continues to power critical parts of the web, unseen but essential.

For any organization managing a legacy CF application or considering a new project with stringent security and data requirements, dismissing ColdFusion would be a strategic mistake.

This article has been reviewed by the Coders.dev Expert Team, comprised of certified software architects and project managers with CMMI Level 5 and ISO 27001 credentials.

Our expertise ensures you receive accurate, actionable insights for your most critical technology decisions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is ColdFusion still in demand in 2025?

Yes, while it is a niche market, there is steady demand for skilled ColdFusion developers, particularly for maintaining and modernizing existing applications in government, finance, and healthcare.

Companies with mission-critical systems built on CF are more likely to invest in modernizing them than undertaking a risky and expensive full migration, ensuring continued demand for CF expertise.

What is Adobe ColdFusion best used for?

ColdFusion excels at building data-driven web applications that require high security and rapid development. Its sweet spots include:

• Government portals and internal applications.
• Financial and e-commerce platforms handling sensitive transactions.
• Content management systems (CMS) for large organizations.
• Intranets and complex business process management tools.

How does ColdFusion compare to PHP or .NET?

Each platform has its strengths. PHP has a massive open-source community and is dominant in the small-to-medium business space.

.NET is a powerful, versatile framework deeply integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem, popular for large enterprise applications. ColdFusion's key differentiators are its unparalleled rapid application development (RAD) capabilities for data-centric tasks and its comprehensive, out-of-the-box security features, which often require third-party libraries or more complex configurations in other languages.

Is it difficult to find ColdFusion developers?

The pool of ColdFusion developers is smaller than for languages like JavaScript or Python. However, the community is experienced and dedicated.

For businesses, partnering with a specialized firm like Coders.dev provides access to a vetted team of expert ColdFusion developers without the challenges of direct hiring. Our talent marketplace model ensures you get seasoned professionals ready to tackle complex modernization and development projects.