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Payload

Open-source TypeScript CMS and app framework that installs directly into a Next.js app.

Open sourceSelf-hostableContent management systems
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About Payload

Payload is an open-source, code-first CMS written in TypeScript and released under the MIT licence. You describe collections, fields, access control and hooks in a config file, and Payload gives you an admin panel, REST and GraphQL APIs and a local API you can call directly from server code. Since version 3 it installs into a Next.js app, so the CMS and the website can live in one codebase and deploy together, including to serverless hosts. It works with PostgreSQL, MongoDB and SQLite, and ships authentication, file uploads, versions and drafts, localisation and live preview. That makes it popular with developers who want full control and type safety, and with agencies tired of SaaS limits. The trade-offs are that everything is defined in code, so non-developers can't change the content model, and you run and scale the database yourself. The core is free; paid enterprise features include SSO and publishing workflows.

Best for: TypeScript and Next.js developers who want the CMS inside their own codebase.

Pros and cons

What works

  • MIT-licensed and fully self-hostable
  • Lives inside your Next.js app with a type-safe local API
  • Auth, uploads, drafts and access control built in

Why people leave

  • Content model changes require code and deploys
  • You manage the database and hosting yourself
  • SSO and some workflow features are enterprise-only

Top Payload alternatives

See all 6
  1. 1Strapi logo
    Strapi

    Open-source headless CMS with a GUI content-type builder and hosted cloud option.

    66.5
  2. 2Sanity logo
    Sanity

    Hosted content platform with real-time collaboration and no database to run.

    62.6
  3. 3Directus logo
    Directus

    Instant admin and APIs over any SQL database without defining everything in code.

    59.6
  4. 4Keystone logo
    Keystone

    Another code-first Node.js CMS with a GraphQL API.

    57.2
  5. 5WordPress logo
    WordPress

    Classic CMS with themes and plugins for teams that want less custom code.

    53.6

Why people left Payload

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Payload: common questions

Is Payload free?

Yes. Payload is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is Payload open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at payloadcms/payload. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does Payload run on?

Payload is available for Self-hosted and Web.

What are the best alternatives to Payload?

The highest-ranked Payload alternatives right now are Strapi, Sanity and Directus. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 6 Payload alternatives