> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://coldbox.ortusbooks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://coldbox.ortusbooks.com/reference/engine-support.md).

# Engine Support & Differences

ColdBox engine support — BoxLang vs Adobe ColdFusion vs Lucee, feature differences, and runtime notes.

ColdBox runs on three engines. **BoxLang is the recommended runtime** — it's developed by the same team as ColdBox and gets every feature first.

|                                                           | BoxLang 1+                    | Adobe CF 2023+ | Lucee 5+    |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | -------------- | ----------- |
| Status                                                    | ✅ First-class                 | ✅ Supported    | ✅ Supported |
| Language                                                  | BoxLang (`.bx`/`.bxm`) + CFML | CFML           | CFML        |
| ColdBox pre-compiled edition (`bx-coldbox`)               | ✅                             | —              | —           |
| BoxLang Prime (native CacheBox/LogBox/WireBox)            | ✅                             | —              | —           |
| AI features (bx-ai, `toAi()`, `toMCP()`, `toAiGateway()`) | ✅                             | —              | —           |
| Server-Sent Events (`event.sse()`, `toSSE()`)             | ✅                             | —              | —           |
| cbMCP live introspection                                  | ✅                             | —              | —           |
| Virtual thread executors                                  | ✅                             | —              | —           |
| Desktop applications                                      | ✅                             | —              | —           |
| Full null support (`enableNullSupport`)                   | ✅                             | ⚠️ partial     | ⚠️ partial  |

🚀 Features marked BoxLang-only are tagged **BoxLang Exclusive** throughout these docs.

## BoxLang Notes

* Enable `enableNullSupport` in your `Application.bx` for full null handling — ColdBox 8.2+ runs cleanly with it on
* Prefer `bx-coldbox` (`box install bx-coldbox`) for the pre-compiled, engine-installed edition
* Use BoxLang classes and closures in application code: `() => {}` shorthand everywhere

## Adobe ColdFusion Notes

* Requires CF 2023 or newer; CF 2021 support was dropped in ColdBox 8
* Some Java engine quirks require defensive guards ColdBox already applies; keep the engine patched
* Async/parallel constructs are limited compared to BoxLang — ColdBox abstracts what it can

## Lucee Notes

* Lucee 5+ supported; Lucee 6/7 recommended
* Same async caveats as Adobe — the abstractions work, native constructs are fewer

## See Also

* [Deployment](/reference/deployment.md) — per-engine production setups
* [Scheduled Tasks](/digging-deeper/scheduled-tasks.md) — engine-aware scheduling notes


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