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Payload CMS description
Payload CMS is an open-source content management system built for developers. It combines a user-friendly interface with a flexible framework, allowing you to build custom websites, online stores, and internal tools. Payload offers features like visual editing, digital asset management, and robust security controls, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes. Its open-source nature ensures transparency and avoids vendor lock-in.
What companies are using Payload CMS?
Who is Payload CMS best for
Payload CMS is ideal for companies seeking a highly customizable, open-source CMS. We find that its flexibility is especially beneficial for larger enterprises needing tailored content structures. Users appreciate its seamless integration with Next.js and React Native. However, the admin UI may need customization, and the plugin ecosystem is still growing.
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Great for larger companies (+1000 employees) needing a customizable CMS for complex web applications and high scalability.
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A strong fit for software, IT, telecommunications, e-commerce, and marketing/advertising, offering tailored content solutions.
Payload CMS features
Supported Customizable Backend and Admin Panel: Payload's highly customizable backend allows developers to define schemas in JavaScript or TypeScript, tailoring content structure to project needs. The automatically generated admin panel is user-friendly for content creators, eliminating boilerplate coding and accelerating development without compromising quality. |
Supported Advanced Features for Enterprise: Payload offers advanced features essential for enterprise-grade projects. These include version history for tracking changes and reverting to previous versions, localization for multilingual content, and robust access control for managing user permissions and data security. |
Supported Open Source and Community-Driven: Payload is open-source, fostering a vibrant community of developers who contribute to its ongoing evolution. This approach emphasizes transparency and developer experience, providing detailed documentation and active support channels. |
Supported Next.js Framework Integration: Payload is built on Next.js, leveraging its benefits for server-side rendering, improved SEO, and overall performance. This framework ensures fast loading times and a better user experience. |
Supported Self-Hosting and Deployment Flexibility: With its self-hosting capabilities, Payload offers flexibility and control over infrastructure. It is deployable on various platforms, accommodating different project requirements. |
Supported SEO Optimization: Payload provides built-in SEO tools and features to enhance website visibility on search engines. It aims to optimize content discoverability and improve organic reach. |
Supported Web Application Development: Payload allows building not only content-focused websites but also full-fledged web applications. Its versatile nature supports a wide array of development use cases. |
Supported Integrations and Extensibility: Payload integrates seamlessly with other services and tools. This integration capability allows extending its functionalities and connecting to third-party platforms efficiently. |
We evaluate the sentiment that users express about non-functional aspects of the software
Customer Service
Ease of Use
Reliability and Performance
Ease of Implementation
Scalability
Payload CMS reviews
We've summarised 58 Payload CMS reviews (Payload CMS G2 reviews) and summarised the main points below.
- Highly customizable and flexible for developers, enabling tailored content structures and complex applications.
- Excellent developer experience with TypeScript and familiar Node.js packages like Express.
- Easy to integrate with modern frontend frameworks like Next.js and React Native.
- Open-source and self-hostable, avoiding vendor lock-in and offering deployment flexibility.
- Active and supportive community and development team.
- Admin UI can feel sparse and requires effort to customize for content editors.
- Limited plugin ecosystem compared to more established CMS options.
- Lacks some built-in features like content moderation and real-time collaboration.
- Documentation can be lacking in certain areas, particularly for deployments beyond Payload Cloud and serverless.
- Only supports MongoDB currently, limiting database choices.
Payload CMS pricing
The commentary is based on 11 reviews from Payload CMS G2 reviews.
We find Payload CMS's pricing to be generally well-received. While the Enterprise version is considered expensive for smaller businesses, many users feel it's affordable, especially when self-hosting. Several reviews highlight the free and open-source option as a major advantage.
Users sentiment
See the Payload CMS pricing page.
Payload CMS alternatives
Payload CMS FAQ
Payload CMS is a developer-friendly open-source CMS built with TypeScript and Next.js. We find that it's great for creating custom websites and web apps due to its flexibility and self-hosting options. It's ideal for developers seeking a customizable and scalable solution.
What is Payload CMS and what does Payload CMS do?
Payload CMS is a developer-friendly open-source CMS built with TypeScript and Next.js. We find that it's great for creating custom websites and web apps due to its flexibility and self-hosting options. It's ideal for developers seeking a customizable and scalable solution.
Payload CMS excels at integrating with various services and tools, extending its core functionalities. We find that its seamless integration with other platforms makes it a versatile choice for diverse project needs. It's especially well-suited for modern frontend frameworks like Next.js and React Native.
How does Payload CMS integrate with other tools?
Payload CMS excels at integrating with various services and tools, extending its core functionalities. We find that its seamless integration with other platforms makes it a versatile choice for diverse project needs. It's especially well-suited for modern frontend frameworks like Next.js and React Native.
We find that Payload CMS often gets compared to other headless CMS options like Prismic, Contentstack, Contentful, and Storyblok. It also competes with more traditional CMSs like Backdrop CMS and Joomla, especially for smaller businesses.
What the main competitors of Payload CMS?
We find that Payload CMS often gets compared to other headless CMS options like Prismic, Contentstack, Contentful, and Storyblok. It also competes with more traditional CMSs like Backdrop CMS and Joomla, especially for smaller businesses.
Payload CMS is a safe and legitimate open-source CMS. We find that its high ratings (4.8/5 on G2) and positive user reviews speak to its reliability. The active community and ongoing development also suggest it's a trustworthy platform.
Is Payload CMS legit?
Payload CMS is a safe and legitimate open-source CMS. We find that its high ratings (4.8/5 on G2) and positive user reviews speak to its reliability. The active community and ongoing development also suggest it's a trustworthy platform.
Payload CMS is an open-source headless CMS, meaning it's free to download and use. We find that self-hosting costs will vary based on your infrastructure needs. They do offer Payload Cloud, but pricing isn't publicly available.
How much does Payload CMS cost?
Payload CMS is an open-source headless CMS, meaning it's free to download and use. We find that self-hosting costs will vary based on your infrastructure needs. They do offer Payload Cloud, but pricing isn't publicly available.
We find Payload CMS's customer service to be highly regarded. Users praise the helpful and responsive support from both the Payload team and the active community, particularly on platforms like Discord. While documentation can be improved, the readily available support mitigates this.
Is Payload CMS customer service good?
We find Payload CMS's customer service to be highly regarded. Users praise the helpful and responsive support from both the Payload team and the active community, particularly on platforms like Discord. While documentation can be improved, the readily available support mitigates this.
Reviewed by
Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.
Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.
An AI tool that observes your work, finds inefficiencies, and suggests smarter ways to do things. Maybe you can use your tools better, automate tasks, or switch software.