Payload CMS vs Strapi
Payload CMS
Next.js-native headless CMS and app framework
Strapi
Leading open-source headless CMS
| Feature | Payload CMS | Strapi |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Web & CMS | Web & CMS |
| Sub-category | Web Framework | Web Framework |
| Maturity | stable | stable |
| Complexity | intermediate | intermediate |
| Performance tier | medium | medium |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| License type | permissive | permissive |
| Pricing | fully free | fully free |
| GitHub stars | 32.0K | 66.0K |
| Contributors | 0 | 0 |
| Commit frequency | weekly | weekly |
| Plugin ecosystem | none | none |
| Docs quality | good | good |
| Backing org | Payload | Strapi |
| Funding model | vc_backed | vc_backed |
| Min RAM | 512 MB | 1 GB |
| Min CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Scaling pattern | single_node | single_node |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| K8s native | No | No |
| Offline capable | No | No |
| Vendor lock-in | none | none |
| Languages | TypeScript | Node.js |
| API type | REST | REST |
| Protocols | HTTP | HTTP |
| Deployment | docker, npm | docker, npm |
| SDK languages | — | — |
| Team size fit | solo, small, medium, enterprise | solo, small, medium, enterprise |
| First release | 2020 | 2020 |
| Latest version | — | — |
When to use Payload CMS
- ✓ Primary: nextjs-content-management
- ✓ Primary: headless-api
- ✓ Primary: admin-panel
When to use Strapi
- ✓ Primary: content-api
- ✓ Primary: multi-channel-content
- ✓ Primary: headless-content-management