Payload
hybridFree (self-hosted, MIT)Free cloud (1 project)$50/mo ProCustom Enterpriseopen source
Best for
Code-first CMS with native Next.js integration — best for teams building content-heavy apps with React
Limitations
TypeScript-only; relatively newer than Strapi with a smaller community; cloud offering still early; requires Next.js knowledge
Features
Rest Api
Full CRUD REST API for programmatic content operations
Graphql Api
GraphQL API for flexible content queries
Real Time
Real-time content subscriptions or live updates
Content Versioning
Version history and rollback for content changes
Webhooks
Outbound webhooks triggered by content events
Frameworks
nextjs
SDK Languages
javascripttypescript
Compliance
gdpr
Payload
Payload is an open-source, code-first CMS built on TypeScript and designed to work natively with Next.js. It supports both SQL (Postgres) and MongoDB as backends and generates type-safe APIs automatically from your schema definitions.
For AI agent workflows, Payload's config-as-code approach means content models are version-controlled and programmatically accessible. The tight Next.js integration makes it a natural choice for teams already in that ecosystem.
Last verified: 2026-04-28Verified by: editorial