Payload
Sales quote
No public priceask sales
Per year
Quote
No public price
Payload vs Contentful
Compare with for .
Payload
60%
match · quote
Contentful
66%
match · $3,600/yr
Contentful is the better fit.
It publishes its prices; the other needs a sales quote.
How we work out the matchWhat matters most?
Fine-tune
What you'd pay
Entry plan for 10 people, billed yearly where offered. Prices checked Oct 2026.
Contentful
Lite
Flat price, whole team$300.00
× 12 months$3,600.00
Per year
$30.00 per person / mo
$3,600
Payload
From FreeFree plan
G2 4.9 · 59 reviewsDeveloper-led teams on Next.js who want the CMS inside their app, full ownership of data and no vendor seat or API limits.
vs
Contentful
From $300Free plan
G2 4.3 · 399 reviewsEnterprises and larger digital teams that need governance, SLAs and a proven platform, and can budget for an Enterprise contract.
Side by side
| Payload | Contentful | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free and open source (self-hosted); Enterprise by quote | Free; Lite $300/month |
| G2 Rating | 4.9 (59 reviews) | 4.3 (399 reviews) |
| Best For | Developer-led teams on Next.js who want the CMS inside their app, full ownership of data and no vendor seat or API limits. | Enterprises and larger digital teams that need governance, SLAs and a proven platform, and can budget for an Enterprise contract. |
Pros and cons
Payload
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
Contentful
Pros
- Mature REST and GraphQL APIs
- Free plan with 10 users
- Strong enterprise governance and support
Cons
- Steep jump from free to $300/month
- More records require an $850/month Lite Space
- Only 2 or 3 locales before Enterprise
- Visual page assembly (Studio) is Enterprise only
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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.
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