Payload

What is Payload?

Payload is a fullstack, TypeScript-first headless CMS and application framework that runs on top of Next.js, Express, and React. It gives developers a fully type-safe backend, an auto-generated admin UI, and a database layer (supporting PostgreSQL and MongoDB) out of the box, with no glue code required.

Unlike most CMSes that sit on the side of an application, Payload is designed to be the application: collections, fields, hooks, access control, authentication, and a customizable admin panel are all defined in code. You can ship Payload as a stand-alone headless CMS, mount it inside an existing Next.js app, or use it as a framework for building complete products — internal tools, multi-tenant SaaS backends, content platforms, and more.

Why teams use Payload instead of a paid CMS

• Truly open source under the MIT license — the entire codebase, including the admin UI, is on GitHub.
• Code-first configuration — content models are TypeScript, not click-ops forms, so they live in git and review with the rest of your code.
• Self-hostable anywhere Node runs, with first-class support for PostgreSQL and MongoDB.
• No vendor lock-in — your data, schema, and code are all yours. No content limits, no per-seat pricing, no surprise migration project.
• Modern stack — Next.js, React, TypeScript, GraphQL and REST APIs, draft/publish workflows, localization, access control, and rich blocks/fields.

Payload also ships a hosted cloud option (Payload Cloud) for teams that want managed infrastructure, but the open-source edition is fully featured and free forever. It is a popular self-hosted replacement for Contentful, Sanity, Prismic, Storyblok, and Builder.io.