Payload
Sales quote
No public priceask sales
Per year
Quote
No public price
Payload vs Strapi
Compare with for .
Payload
60%
match · quote
Strapi
69%
match · $420/yr
Strapi 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.
Strapi
Strapi Cloud
Flat price, whole team$35.00
× 12 months$420.00
Per year
$3.50 per person / mo
$420
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
Strapi
From $35Free plan
G2 4.5 · 206 reviewsTeams that want an open-source CMS with a familiar admin UI and the option to move between self-hosting and managed hosting.
Side by side
| Payload | Strapi | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free and open source (self-hosted); Enterprise by quote | Free self-hosted; Strapi Cloud from $35/month |
| G2 Rating | 4.9 (59 reviews) | 4.5 (206 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. | Teams that want an open-source CMS with a familiar admin UI and the option to move between self-hosting and managed hosting. |
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
Strapi
Pros
- Free self-hosting with unlimited users and content
- Same CMS self-hosted or on Strapi Cloud
- Large plugin ecosystem
Cons
- Live Preview needs the paid Growth license when self-hosted
- Cloud Starter has no backups and 100k API requests
- Visual editing is less central than in Storyblok or Sanity
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