Strapi vs Payload
Our score, every feature we track, pricing plans, hosting and AI, side by side.
At a glance
The facts from each platform's profile, side by side.
| Metric | Strapi | Payload |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 4.2 | 4.3 |
| Pricing | Free open source · Strapi Cloud and Enterprise paid | Free open source (MIT) · paid enterprise options |
| AI | AI-assisted content-type building in the admin panel | No first-party AI suite; easy to wire your own models through hooks |
| Hosting | SaaS or self-hosted | SaaS or self-hosted |
| Source code | Open source,Closed source | Open source |
| Created | 2015 | 2021 |
| Best for | Teams that want full control of hosting and data on a JavaScript stack | TypeScript and Next.js teams that want the CMS in the same codebase |
| AI features | AI-assisted content-type building in the admin panel | No first-party AI suite; easy to wire your own models through hooks |
Features
How each platform offers a feature: free, in the cheapest paid plan, on a higher plan, or enterprise only. Open a feature to compare it across every platform.
Strapi
- Content modeling Free Content-Type Builder and Content Manager
- Editorial workflow Tiered Review workflows are a paid feature
- GraphQL API Free Out of the box
- Headless API Free Auto-generated REST API
- Hosting Included Strapi Cloud
- Localization Free Internationalization built in
- Plugins and apps Free Plugin marketplace
- Roles and permissions Tiered Role-based access control; SSO and audit logs are paid
- Self-hosting Free You own upgrades, security and scaling
Payload
- Content modeling Free Config-as-code collections and globals
- Drafts and versioning Free Versions and drafts
- Framework integrations Free Runs natively inside a Next.js app
- GraphQL API Free Generated from your config
- Headless API Free Local API and REST
- Live preview Free Preview inside the admin panel, with a Lexical rich-text editor
- Localization Free Built in
- Roles and permissions Free Access control and hooks defined in code
Pricing
Every plan, cheapest first, and what the bill is counted by. Open a profile for what each plan includes.
Strapi
- CommunityFree Free Developers self-hosting an open-source CMS
- Cloud StarterPer project $35per project / month Small hosted projects and side projects
- GrowthFlat fee $45/ month Self-hosted teams needing preview and releases
- Cloud ProPer project $90per project / month Production sites that must stay online
- Cloud BusinessPer project $450per project / month High-traffic apps needing an uptime SLA
- EnterpriseCustom quote Custom Large organizations needing governance and support
Prices checked Vendor pricing page
Payload
- Free (open source)Free Free Developers who host Payload themselves
- EnterpriseCustom quote Custom Large teams needing support and enterprise features
Prices checked Vendor pricing page
Strengths and watch-outs
From our review of each platform.
Strapi
Strengths
- Open source with full control of data and hosting.
- Content-Type Builder makes modeling quick.
- Large plugin ecosystem and community.
- REST and GraphQL out of the box.
Watch out for
- Self-hosting means you own upgrades, security and scaling.
- Some features (SSO, review workflows, audit logs) are paid.
- AI capabilities are limited compared to SaaS rivals.
Payload
Strengths
- Fully typed config and generated types end to end.
- Runs inside Next.js; one deploy for site and CMS.
- Flexible hooks and access control in code.
- MIT-licensed open source.
Watch out for
- Built for developers; non-technical teams need a dev partner.
- No built-in AI suite.
- Smaller ecosystem than Strapi or Contentful.
More comparisons
Everything on this page comes from our profiles of the two platforms, checked against each vendor's own documentation and pricing pages. Vendors change plans often: confirm prices on their site before you buy.