Payload
The open-source Next.js headless CMS and app framework
About Payload
Payload is an open-source, code-first headless CMS built natively on Next.js with full TypeScript support. It combines content management, authentication, access control, and file uploads into a single backend framework.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Fully open-source
- Native Next.js integration
- Excellent TypeScript support
- Customizable admin panel
- Sub-100ms response times
Cons
- Younger plugin ecosystem
- Steeper learning curve from traditional CMS
- More upfront code than no-code alternatives
- Tightly coupled to Node.js/React
Key Features
Native Next.js
CMS and frontend in a single codebase with shared types.
REST & GraphQL APIs
Auto-generated from your configurations.
Visual Live Editor
Preview and edit content on the rendered frontend.
Granular Access Control
Field, collection, and document-level permissions.
Built-in Auth
JWT, refresh tokens, email verification, password reset.
Localization
Per-field multilingual content support.
Customizable Admin
Swap any admin React component.
Publishing Workflows
Drafts, versioning, scheduling, A/B testing.
Pricing
- Full CMS framework
- REST & GraphQL
- Auth & access control
- Community support
- 512MB RAM
- 3GB database
- 30GB file storage
- Managed backups
- Dedicated cluster
- 30GB database
- 150GB file storage
- Priority support
- SSO & security
- AI auto-embedding
- Custom SLAs
- Dedicated support
Best For
Custom Web Apps
Integrated CMS, auth, and APIs in one Next.js codebase.
Headless Content Platform
Structured content via REST or GraphQL.
Multi-language Sites
Per-field localization with publishing workflows.
Agency Projects
Developer-friendly CMS with clean editing experience.
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