Payload

From FreeFree planG2 4.9 · 59 reviews

Developer-led teams on Next.js who want the CMS inside their app, full ownership of data and no vendor seat or API limits.

Visit Payload ↗See full comparison

Quick overview

Pricing: Free and open source (self-hosted); Enterprise by quote
Plans: Self-hosted: free, MIT license, runs on Node.js 20.9+ with MongoDB, Postgres or SQLite; deploy templates for Vercel and Cloudflare. Payload Cloud: deployment of new projects is paused since Payload joined Figma; existing Cloud projects keep running. Enterprise: custom quote with dedicated support, SSO, visual editing, unlimited custom domains and white-labeled email.
G2 rating: 4.9 / 5.0
Comparisons: Featured in 2 comparisons

Key features

REST, GraphQL and Local API generated from your config
Installs directly into a Next.js app
Document, field and operation level access control plus auth
Live preview and localization
MongoDB, Postgres or SQLite support

Pros

No license fees, seat limits or vendor API caps
Content stays in your own database
TypeScript code-first config
Runs in the same codebase as your frontend

Cons

You run hosting, backups and upgrades
No managed cloud for new projects right now
Roadmap under Figma not fully detailed yet
Editors rely on developers for setup

Payload in our comparisons

Website Builders

Best Headless CMS

Pick Sanity for the best balance of free tier, visual editing and fair per-seat pricing. Choose Storyblok if marketers edit visually, or Payload if developers want to self-host inside Next.js.

Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026

Website Builders

Contentful alternatives

Stay with Contentful only if you need its enterprise governance and SLAs. For most teams leaving it, Sanity is the best all-round alternative, with Strapi as the open-source pick.

Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026