Deployment tools

The following tools can be used to deploy TYPO3 either manually or in an automated CI pipeline.

Comparison of deployment tools

Method

Pros

Cons

Typical Use Cases

Git + Composer
  • Simple setup
  • No extra tooling needed
  • Version control on server
  • Composer and Git must be installed on production server
  • Possible downtime during install
  • Risk of untracked local changes on server
  • Deployment may fail if external package sources are temporarily unavailable
  • Small to medium projects
  • Developers familiar with CLI
  • Environments without CI/CD tooling

Deployer
  • Atomic deployment with rollback
  • Zero-downtime deployments
  • Keeps release history
  • Additional tool to learn and configure
  • Deployment process might be too complex for beginners
  • Professional production environments
  • Teams with CI/CD pipelines
  • Projects requiring rollback capabilities

Manual rsync
  • No requirement for Composer/Git
  • Simple file transfer
  • Requires staging/build environment
  • Risk of partial updates if interrupted
  • No version tracking on the server
  • Static file transfer or legacy systems
  • Environments without PHP/Composer tooling on production

No Deployment (Direct Installation on Server)
  • No deployment tooling required
  • Easy to get started for single updates
  • No version control or rollback possible
  • High risk of human error
  • No automation, no reproducibility
  • Very small or legacy projects
  • One-time manual updates
  • Not recommended for professional environments
Summary:
  • Git + Composer: Easy but requires server-side tooling.
  • Deployer: Advanced, safe, and rollback-friendly but requires extra setup.
  • Manual rsync: Simple file sync, but requires external build or packaging steps.
  • No Deployment (Direct Installation on Server): Easy to get started, but risky, untracked, and not recommended for professional environments.

Select the method that best suits your workflow and server capabilities.

Other deployment tools