Coldfusion in 2025: Powered by ColdBox
For years, ColdFusion has worn the label of a “legacy technology,” quietly humming in the backrooms of government offices, banks, and corporate intranets. But in 2025, the narrative has shifted – subtly but significantly. While it may not dominate tech headlines like Node.js or Python, ColdFusion is still very much alive and, in many ways, thriving. The reason? A modern, modular framework called ColdBox.
ColdFusion’s longevity is no accident. As digital ecosystems grow more complex, many companies are rediscovering the advantages of mature, secure, and time-tested platforms. Adobe ColdFusion, especially with its 2023 release, has proven it can remain relevant while adapting to today’s development standards. For developers seeking structure, speed, and easy testing, ColdBox has become the go-to framework that brings modern architecture to ColdFusion projects.
The ColdFusion Landscape: Resilient and Specialized
While ColdFusion no longer enjoys the broad popularity it once did, it retains a committed user base across industries where reliability, compliance, and security are paramount. According to the 2025 ModernCFML Developer Survey, over 300,000 active developers still use ColdFusion globally. ColdFusion have strong footprints in sectors like government (42%), healthcare (18%), and education (14%). A significant portion of these applications has been maintained for over a decade, and instead of rewriting them from scratch, many organizations are opting to modernize using tools like ColdBox.
The Adobe ColdFusion 2023 edition, codenamed Fortuna, recorded a 32% increase in downloads over the last two years. Much of this growth can be attributed to organizations modernizing their legacy systems—keeping the ColdFusion engine under the hood but adopting more contemporary practices through frameworks like ColdBox.
Introducing ColdBox: The Framework That Changed Everything
ColdFusion was once criticized for unstructured codebases and a lack of modularity. ColdBox answered those concerns head-on. Developed by Ortus Solutions, ColdBox has transformed how CFML applications are organized and built. It brings clarity, modularity, and best practices to the forefront.
ColdBox is a modular MVC framework. It introduces clean architecture and test-driven development into the ColdFusion world. It offers out-of-the-box support for enterprise needs like routing, dependency injection, ORM, logging, and more.
What’s remarkable is that ColdBox not only bridges the gap between legacy and modern development. It actively propels ColdFusion into CI/CD pipelines, containerized environments, and RESTful API development.
Adoption in Numbers
The impact of ColdBox on the ColdFusion ecosystem is measurable. As of mid-2025:
- Over 65% of new ColdFusion applications are built using ColdBox.
- The ForgeBox package manager now hosts over 1,000 ColdBox-compatible modules.
- Community contributions to the ColdBox ecosystem have grown by 40% year-over-year since 2023.
- Nearly 80% of developers using ColdBox also use TestBox for unit and BDD testing.
These statistics paint a clear picture: ColdBox has become the go-to framework for professional ColdFusion developers in the modern era.
Modern Developer Experience with ColdBox
One of the primary reasons ColdBox continues to grow is its developer-first ecosystem. Tools like CommandBox, a CLI for managing servers and packages, have radically transformed the ColdFusion development experience. Developers can now scaffold apps, install dependencies, spin up servers, and even automate testing—all from the command line.
TestBox, the unit testing framework bundled with ColdBox, supports both TDD and BDD workflows, encouraging best practices in development. It integrates seamlessly into CI pipelines, allowing teams to write robust test suites that catch regressions early.
Additionally, it supports asynchronous programming, event-driven architecture, and RESTful endpoint generation out-of-the-box. These features help ColdFusion compete with modern backend technologies not just in performance, but also in scalability and maintainability.
Is ColdFusion a Good Bet in 2025?
Despite ColdFusion’s aging reputation, it’s important to evaluate technology based on fit-for-purpose, not fashion. ColdFusion, especially when paired with ColdBox, excels in scenarios that demand rapid backend development, security compliance, and long-term maintainability.
While newer developers may gravitate toward JavaScript frameworks or Python for web development, ColdFusion offers a productivity advantage that’s hard to ignore—particularly for mid-sized teams building enterprise apps.
And with Adobe maintaining a clear roadmap through at least 2028 (and an LTS version available until 2031), the technology stack isn’t going anywhere soon.
Future-Proof Your Systems with ColdFusion Expertise
At LoreMine Technologies, we help businesses modernize and scale with expert ColdFusion development, combining legacy CFML experience with cutting-edge frameworks like ColdBox. Whether you’re upgrading existing systems or building from scratch, we deliver secure, high-performance solutions built for the future.
From legacy audits and ColdBox migrations to REST API development and cloud deployment, our team uses tools like CommandBox, TestBox, and ForgeBox to streamline development and integrate with modern tech stacks.
Don’t rewrite – revive and modernize your ColdFusion apps with us. We help reduce technical debt, improve maintainability, and keep your systems running at peak performance in industries where it matters most.
ColdFusion Has a Future - and ColdBox is Leading the Way
The idea that ColdFusion is outdated no longer holds true. In 2025, ColdFusion continues to power mission-critical applications, and with the rise of ColdBox, it has evolved into a powerful, maintainable, and scalable web platform.
For developers willing to embrace ColdBox, the rewards are clear: faster development, cleaner architecture, better testing practices, and modern deployment capabilities. And for organizations already invested in ColdFusion, ColdBox offers a low-risk, high-reward path to modernization.
It’s time to stop asking if ColdFusion is dying and start recognizing how ColdBox is helping it thrive.