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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 a developer-friendly open-source CMS ideal for creating custom websites and applications. Users praise its flexibility and developer experience but note the admin UI could be improved. Best for teams seeking a highly customizable, open-source solution with strong developer control.
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Ideal for small to large businesses, but excels with large enterprises (1001+ employees).
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Best for Ecommerce, Software/IT/Telecommunications, and Marketing/Advertising.
Payload CMS features
Supported Payload CMS allows defining schemas in JavaScript or TypeScript, enabling developers to tailor content structure to specific project needs. |
Supported Payload CMS offers a user-friendly admin panel that is automatically generated based on defined schemas, enabling content creators to manage content visually. |
Supported Payload CMS provides digital asset management capabilities, although specific details are not provided in the feature list. |
Supported Payload CMS includes version history as a feature, enabling tracking of changes and reverting to earlier versions of content. |
Supported Payload CMS offers localization features, allowing content to be created and managed in multiple languages. |
Supported Payload CMS includes robust access control features for managing user permissions and ensuring data security. |
Supported Payload CMS offers self-hosting capabilities, providing flexibility and control over infrastructure choices. |
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.
Payload CMS offers a free open-source version and affordable cloud hosting. While the enterprise edition is considered expensive for smaller businesses, many reviewers feel it's well worth the cost for larger companies. Overall, Payload is praised for its value and low-cost environment.
Users sentiment
See the Payload CMS pricing page.
Payload CMS alternatives
Payload CMS FAQ
Payload CMS is a developer-focused open-source headless CMS offering a customizable and flexible platform for building websites and applications. It features visual editing, digital asset management, and robust security, enabling developers to tailor content structure and integrate with modern frontend frameworks.
What is Payload CMS and what does Payload CMS do?
Payload CMS is a developer-focused open-source headless CMS offering a customizable and flexible platform for building websites and applications. It features visual editing, digital asset management, and robust security, enabling developers to tailor content structure and integrate with modern frontend frameworks.
Payload CMS integrates seamlessly with modern frontend frameworks like Next.js and React Native. Its API-first approach allows integration with various other tools and services, giving developers flexibility in building and extending their projects.
How does Payload CMS integrate with other tools?
Payload CMS integrates seamlessly with modern frontend frameworks like Next.js and React Native. Its API-first approach allows integration with various other tools and services, giving developers flexibility in building and extending their projects.
Alternatives to Payload CMS include Prismic, Contentful, Storyblok, and Contentstack. These headless CMS platforms offer similar flexibility for developers. For smaller businesses seeking website builders, Backdrop CMS and Joomla are also viable Payload CMS competitors.
What the main competitors of Payload CMS?
Alternatives to Payload CMS include Prismic, Contentful, Storyblok, and Contentstack. These headless CMS platforms offer similar flexibility for developers. For smaller businesses seeking website builders, Backdrop CMS and Joomla are also viable Payload CMS competitors.
Payload CMS is a legitimate and safe open-source CMS. It's highly rated by developers for its flexibility and customizability. With strong security controls and an active community, Payload offers a reliable platform for building various web applications.
Is Payload CMS legit?
Payload CMS is a legitimate and safe open-source CMS. It's highly rated by developers for its flexibility and customizability. With strong security controls and an active community, Payload offers a reliable platform for building various web applications.
Payload CMS offers a Community Edition with a MIT open-source license. Information on pricing for the Enterprise Edition is not publicly available. Contact Payload CMS for Enterprise Edition pricing details.
How much does Payload CMS cost?
Payload CMS offers a Community Edition with a MIT open-source license. Information on pricing for the Enterprise Edition is not publicly available. Contact Payload CMS for Enterprise Edition pricing details.
Payload CMS receives overwhelmingly positive feedback for its customer service. Users praise the active and helpful Discord community, readily available support from the development team, and quick response times to questions and issues. The readily available documentation and onboarding videos are also appreciated.
Is Payload CMS customer service good?
Payload CMS receives overwhelmingly positive feedback for its customer service. Users praise the active and helpful Discord community, readily available support from the development team, and quick response times to questions and issues. The readily available documentation and onboarding videos are also appreciated.
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.