Payload vs Strapi

Comparing two open source alternatives to Contentful. Use the comparison below to decide which one fits your needs.

Payload

MIT

Payload is an open-source, TypeScript-first headless CMS and application framework built on Next.js, Express, and React.

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Strapi

Open-source headless CMS built with JavaScript and TypeScript — fully customizable and developer-first. Self-hostable alternative to WordPress and Contentful.

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Side-by-side comparison

	Payload	Strapi
License	MIT	—
Self-hostable	Yes	No
GitHub Stars	44,662	73,112
Forks	4,147	9,860
Open Issues	1,130	557
Last Commit	Sep 10, 2026	Sep 10, 2026
First Released	Jan 5, 2021	Sep 30, 2015
Categories	Headless CMS	Headless CMS
Tags	#headless cms #self hosted	#cms #nodejs #GraphQL #No Code

GitHub stars over time

Payload44,662

Strapi

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