Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) | Adobe ColdFusion (2025 release)

The 2025 release of Adobe ColdFusion redefines modern web application development with a secure, high-performance platform designed for the future. Accelerate development with enhanced containerization and DevOps capabilities, optimize scalability with next-level performance tuning, and ensure enterprise-grade security with cutting-edge security enhancements. Effortlessly integrate with cloud services, databases, and APIs while leveraging powerful spreadsheet, charting, and HTML-to-PDF improvements. Build and deploy robust, dynamic applications faster than ever—no matter the complexity.

The 2025 release of Adobe ColdFusion is built for developers, IT administrators, and enterprises looking to create high-performance, secure, and scalable web applications with minimal complexity. It is ideal for businesses, government agencies, and organizations that require enterprise-grade security, seamless cloud and API integrations, and advanced performance optimization. Whether you're a seasoned developer or a team looking to modernize applications with DevOps and containerization, ColdFusion provides the tools to build, deploy, and scale dynamic applications effortlessly.

ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML) is a powerful, intuitive scripting language designed for building dynamic web applications. It combines tag-based syntax, similar to HTML and XML, with extensive scripting capabilities, making it easy to learn while offering the flexibility to handle complex application logic.

Developers can enhance functionality by extending CFML with custom tags, reusable object-based components, and user-defined functions. CFML seamlessly integrates with Java, .NET, SOAP and REST web services, and modern APIs, ensuring interoperability across platforms. Additionally, ColdFusion enables on-the-fly PDF generation, form field integration, and digital signing, streamlining document workflows within applications.

The Adobe ColdFusion Builder Extension for Visual Studio Code is the recommended tool for developing ColdFusion applications. This powerful extension enables developers to edit and validate code, manage files and projects, debug applications, and scan for security vulnerabilities—all within the VS Code environment.

ColdFusion Builder Extension provides a unified, customizable, and extensible development experience, allowing seamless server management, project deployment, and code optimization. However, since ColdFusion pages are simple text files, just like HTML pages, you can also develop them using any text editor of your choice.

There are numerous online and in-person training resources available for learning ColdFusion. A great place to start is the Getting Started section of the ColdFusion Developer Center on Adobe Developer Connection. Discover the power ColdFusion has to offer by browsing code snippets, examining sample applications, and seeing new features in action. Adobe also offers several training and certification programs.

Adobe offers training and certification programs, including the Adobe Certified Professional: ColdFusion course, to help developers validate their expertise. Additionally, you can find on-demand training and event videos on the ColdFusion YouTube Channel to deepen your knowledge.

The ColdFusion Community Portal provides a collaborative space for developers to connect, share insights, and stay updated with best practices. For a structured learning experience, Learn CF in a Week, a community-driven training program, teaches the fundamentals of ColdFusion development in just seven days.

Adobe provides a list of trusted hosting partners offering ColdFusion hosting solutions. You can explore these options on the ColdFusion hosting partners page.

Additionally, Adobe ColdFusion is available as pre-configured AMI images on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and VMI instances on Microsoft Azure VMI and Google Cloud Platform, enabling seamless cloud deployment for your applications.

Adobe ColdFusion is built on the Java stack, making it a powerful and efficient application server for developing Java EE-based web applications. With seamless Java integration, ColdFusion allows you to invoke Java classes, access Java objects, and extend applications with Java libraries—directly from CFML.

The 2025 release of Adobe ColdFusion further enhances Java compatibility, enabling efficient interoperability between ColdFusion and Java components. For more details on Java integration, visit ColdFusion Help and Support.

With the 2025 release of Adobe ColdFusion, perpetual licensing is no longer available. To continue receiving the latest features, security updates, and performance enhancements, existing customers must transition to a subscription-based model. You can subscribe to Adobe ColdFusion under a flexible plan that ensures continuous access to the most up-to-date version, along with ongoing support and upgrades. Contact Adobe Sales to explore your subscription options and migrate to the latest version.

The 2025 release of Adobe ColdFusion brings powerful enhancements to performance, security, DevOps, and modern web development, making it the most advanced version yet. Leverage cutting-edge containerization and cloud-native integrations, optimize scalability with improved performance tuning, and ensure enterprise-grade security with the latest OWASP protection and encryption updates.

Enhancements in spreadsheet, charting, and HTML-to-PDF capabilities allow for richer data handling and seamless reporting, while DevOps-focused tools streamline application deployment and management.

For a full list of features, click here.

With the new release of Adobe ColdFusion, perpetual licensing is no longer available. ColdFusion is now offered as a subscription-based model, available for purchase online from Adobe or through Adobe’s network of partners and resellers. Contact Adobe Sales to explore the best subscription plan for your business.

No. Adobe ColdFusion (2025 release) uses CFML (ColdFusion Markup Language), making it easy to build powerful web applications without requiring Java expertise. ColdFusion allows developers to leverage the power of Java application servers without needing to learn complex technologies like Java, JavaServer Pages (JSP), Java Servlets, or Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB).

For Java developers, ColdFusion offers seamless Java integration, allowing the use of existing Java libraries and classes since ColdFusion applications compile directly to Java Virtual Machine (JVM) bytecode, just like Java source code.

Yes. Adobe ColdFusion fully supports .NET integration, enabling CFML applications to interact with local or remote Microsoft .NET assembly classes as CFML objects. Developers can:

Access and control Microsoft Office applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Utilize existing .NET components within ColdFusion applications.
Create and integrate custom .NET assemblies to extend ColdFusion functionality where needed.

The Adobe ColdFusion Builder Extension for Visual Studio Code is the recommended tool for ColdFusion development. This extension allows developers to:

Edit and validate code with intelligent assistance.
Manage files and projects efficiently within VS Code.
Debug applications and scan for security vulnerabilities directly in the IDE.

ColdFusion Builder Extension provides a unified, customizable, and extensible development environment, enabling seamless server management, project deployment, and performance monitoring. However, since ColdFusion pages are simple text files (similar to HTML), you can also develop applications using any standard text editor.

Gain full control and optimization over your ColdFusion applications with the powerful Performance Monitoring Toolset. This standalone, low-overhead server provides end-to-end visibility, enabling you to monitor and troubleshoot server, database, and network issues in real time—before they impact users.

With the 2025 release of Adobe ColdFusion, perpetual licensing is no longer available. Adobe ColdFusion is now offered through a subscription-based model, ensuring continuous access to the latest updates, security patches, and performance enhancements.

Pricing varies based on the edition, Adobe Enterprise price is at $2930 and ColdFusion Standard at $760. Contact Adobe Sales for detailed pricing and subscription options tailored to your requirements.

Named User Licensing (NUL) is a user-based licensing model where each individual user is assigned a license through their Adobe ID or enterprise login. This model ensures that the software is linked to a specific user rather than a machine, enabling access across multiple devices and cloud-based features.

Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL) is designed for secure, controlled environments where internet access is limited or restricted. It allows organizations to deploy Adobe software without requiring users to sign in, but it restricts access to certain online features that require cloud connectivity.

Feature	Named User Licensing (NUL)	Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL)
User-Based vs. Machine-Based	Assigned to individual users (user-based)	Assigned to machines or environments (device-based)
Authentication	Requires Adobe ID login for activation and access	Does not require user login but restricts cloud-dependent features
Internet Connectivity	Requires periodic internet access for license validation	Can operate offline but lacks cloud services and certain online functionalities
Cloud Features	Full access to cloud-based services and storage	Limited or no access to cloud-dependent features
License Management	Managed through the Adobe Admin Console per user	Managed by IT teams via deployment packages
Ideal Use Case	Best for individuals and teams who require cloud collaboration and flexible access	Best for secure environments that limit internet access but require Adobe software functionality

Choose NUL if:

Your users need cloud-based features such as Adobe storage, shared libraries, and collaboration tools.
You require multi-device access, allowing users to install and use the software on different devices with a single license.

Choose FRL if:

You work in high-security, offline, or restricted network environments where continuous internet access is not possible.
You need a machine-based licensing model without requiring user authentication.
You want to control feature availability, restricting certain cloud-based functionalities while maintaining core software capabilities.

If your users need personalized access, cloud collaboration, and multi-device support, NUL is the best option.
If your environment requires controlled access, offline operation, and security restrictions, FRL is the preferred choice.
If your organization has both cloud and restricted users, a hybrid approach combining NUL and FRL may be ideal.

Your M&S contract remains valid until its expiration date. You will get the subscription offer of the 2025 release until the contract expiration date. After that, we encourage you to transition to the ColdFusion subscription, which provides continuous updates, premium support, and streamlined licensing.

Adobe ColdFusion (2025 release) is available in two editions:

Enterprise Edition – Designed for large-scale applications with advanced security, scalability, and API management.
Standard Edition – Ideal for moderate-traffic websites and web applications on a single server.

Pricing is based on subscription licensing, ensuring continuous updates and support. Contact Adobe Sales for pricing details.

Note:

The Developer Edition is available for free, offering a full-featured ColdFusion server for development use only.

ColdFusion Enterprise Edition is designed for high-performance, mission-critical applications, offering clustering, load balancing, enhanced security, and API management. It provides deep insights into application performance and supports virtualized and cloud deployments.

ColdFusion Standard Edition is best suited for moderate-traffic applications, providing a robust development platform with essential ColdFusion features. Some advanced capabilities, such as clustering and API Manager, are exclusive to the Enterprise Edition.

For a detailed comparison, visit the ColdFusion product editions page.

ColdFusion licensing for containerized environments follows the ColdFusion End User Licensing Agreement (EULA). Each containerized instance of ColdFusion must be individually licensed.

For example, if two ColdFusion containers are running on a single VM, both must be licensed separately based on that VM instance. Contact Adobe for detailed licensing terms.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) | Adobe ColdFusion (2025 release)

Basic

Installation, deployment, and platforms

Integration with other products and technologies

ColdFusion and Performance Monitoring Toolset

Pricing and purchasing information

Adobe Named User Licensing (NUL) vs. Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL)

Customers with Existing M&S

Pricing, editions, and upgrading

Account Management

Help and subscription

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) | Adobe ColdFusion (2025 release)

Basic

What is the 2025 Release of Adobe ColdFusion?

Who Should Use the 2025 Release of Adobe ColdFusion?

What is ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML)?

Do I Need Any Tools to Develop Applications in the 2025 Release of Adobe ColdFusion?

How Can I Learn to Develop Web Applications with the 2025 Release of Adobe ColdFusion?

Is Printed Documentation Included with the 2025 Release of Adobe ColdFusion Standard?

Where Can I Find ColdFusion Hosting?

I Am a Java Developer. How Can I Take Advantage of ColdFusion?

I Already Have a License for an Earlier Version of Adobe ColdFusion. What Are My Upgrade Options?

What Are the New Features in the 2025 Release of Adobe ColdFusion?

Installation, deployment, and platforms

Which Java EE Servers Are Supported?

Which Databases Are Supported?

Which Web Servers Are Supported?

Does the 2025 Release of Adobe ColdFusion Have 32-Bit Support?

How Do I Purchase the 2025 Release of Adobe ColdFusion?

I Have an Active ColdFusion Subscription. How Can I Upgrade to the 2025 Release?

Integration with other products and technologies

Do I Need to Know Java to Use Adobe ColdFusion?

Does Adobe ColdFusion Work with .NET?

What Tools Do I Need to Develop Adobe ColdFusion Applications?

ColdFusion and Performance Monitoring Toolset

Why Do You Need the Performance Monitoring Toolset?

Is the Performance Monitoring Toolset Available in the Standard Edition?

Should I Install the Performance Monitoring Toolset on the Same Machine as the Server?

Pricing and purchasing information

How Much Does a New License for the 2025 Release of Adobe ColdFusion Cost?

Does Adobe Offer Educational Pricing for the 2025 Release of Adobe ColdFusion?

Can I Try the 2025 Release of Adobe ColdFusion Before I Buy It?

Adobe Named User Licensing (NUL) vs. Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL)

What is Named User Licensing (NUL)?

What is Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL)?

What are the key differences between NUL and FRL?

When should I choose NUL over FRL?

Can FRL be used in environments with no internet access?

Can NUL and FRL be used together in the same organization?

What happens if an NUL user loses internet access?

Does FRL allow software updates?

Can FRL users access Adobe cloud storage?

How do I determine whether my organization needs NUL or FRL?

Customers with Existing M&S

What happens to my current M&S contract now that ColdFusion is moving to a subscription model?

Can I convert my M&S contract into a subscription before it expires?

Will I still receive security patches and updates during my existing M&S term?

Will I need to rewrite my existing applications if I switch to subscription?

How does subscription licensing compare financially to M&S?

Whom should I contact with additional questions or to begin my subscription?

Pricing, editions, and upgrading

Is Adobe ColdFusion (2025 Release) Backward-Compatible with Previous Versions?

How Do I Purchase Adobe ColdFusion (2025 Release)?

What Are the Editions of Adobe ColdFusion (2025 Release) and How Are They Priced?

What Are the Differences Between Adobe ColdFusion (2025 Release) Editions?

I Already Have a License for an Earlier Version of ColdFusion. What Are My Upgrade Options?

How Do I License ColdFusion for Containerized Deployments?

I Recently Purchased ColdFusion (2023 Release). Do I Need to Pay to Upgrade to the 2025 Release?

Account Management

How can I change my password?

How can I change my credit card info?

My trial expires soon. How do I convert it?

How Do I Cancel My ColdFusion Subscription? Can I Still Use the Software?

Help and subscription

What if I have problems downloading my software?

How do I retrieve my Adobe ID or password?

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