EmDash vs Payload
EmDash is an open-source traditional CMS that you host yourself. Payload is an open-source headless CMS that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 16.
- EmDash Traditional · Open source · 14 of 28 built in
- Payload Headless · Open source · 13 of 28 built in
Sources checked: EmDash on 29 Sept 2026, Payload on 29 Sept 2026. Plans and releases can change after those dates.
WAYF is an official Payload partner and top contributor. Every platform in the table is classified by the same published definitions, and each answer lists the vendor page it came from.
Feature comparison
Built inPaid tierPlugin or add-onLimitedNot available
| Platform | |  |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| What it is | Open-source CMS from Cloudflare that runs inside an Astro site, with the admin and pages in one app on Cloudflare Workers or Node.js. | Open-source TypeScript headless CMS and app framework that installs into a Next.js app and stores content in your own database. |
| Edition compared The product and release each column describes. | EmDash 1.0, open source Version 1.0.1, released 28 Sept 2026 | Payload 3, MIT-licensed open-source core Version 3.90.2, released 23 Sept 2026 |
| Vendor | Cloudflare emdashcms.com | Figma (acquired Payload in June 2025) payloadcms.com |
| Licence | Open source MIT | Open source MIT |
| Hosting | Self-hosting No vendor cloud No managed hosting. You deploy to your own Cloudflare account or Node.js server. | Self-hosting Vendor cloud Payload Cloud is paused for new projects. Payload offers hosting to enterprise customers. |
| Built with | TypeScript, Astro | TypeScript, Node.js, Next.js, React |
| Database | SQLite, Cloudflare D1, PostgreSQL, libSQL | PostgreSQL, MongoDB, SQLite |
| Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. | Free to start Free and open source. You pay only for hosting. | Free to start Free to self-host. Enterprise licence, support and hosting on request. |
| Content modelling | ||
| Content model in code You define content types in files in your repository, review them like any other code and apply them from there. Imperative migration scripts alone count as limited. | Limited Seed files set up new sites. A live site's model changes through the admin, API or CLI. 20 | Built in Collections, globals and fields are TypeScript config. 2 |
| Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. | Built in Admin role only. 220 | Not available No schema builder in the admin. |
| Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. | Built in Blocks field with versioned block types. 5 | Built in Blocks field. |
| Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. | Built in Each translation is a separate entry with its own status. 6 | Built in Field-level localization. |
| Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. | Built in Uses Astro's image endpoint for sizes and formats. Crop and focal point in the editor. 78 | Built in Generates configured image sizes on upload, with crop and focal point. 11 |
| APIs and delivery | ||
| REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. | Built in 9 | Built in |
| GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. | Not available | Built in |
| Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. | Plugin or add-on Official webhook-notifier plugin. 18 | Not available No webhook settings. Call URLs from afterChange hooks in code. 17 |
| Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. | Built in The Astro site renders the pages. 2 | Not available Runs inside your Next.js app. You build the pages. |
| Editorial workflow | ||
| Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. | Built in 10 | Built in 10 |
| Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. | Built in 10 | Built in Scheduled publish and unpublish run through the jobs queue. 10 |
| Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. | Built in On revision-enabled collections. 10 | Built in Opt-in per collection or global. 10 |
| Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. | Built in Signed preview links. 11 | Built in |
| Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. | Built in Signed-in editors get visual editing on the rendered page. 11 | Not available Payload lists the Enterprise Visual Editor as coming soon. 37 |
| Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. | Not available Contributors cannot publish. No configurable review stages. 1210 | Paid tier Enterprise publishing workflows. 39 |
| Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. | Not available | Not available |
| Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. | Not available | Not available Document locking only. Payload lists enterprise multi-player editing as coming soon. 12320 |
| Access and governance | ||
| Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. | Not available Five fixed roles from Subscriber to Admin. 12 | Limited Roles are access-control functions written in code. No role editor in the admin. 18 |
| Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. | Not available 12 | Built in Field-level access functions. 18 |
| Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. | Limited Microsoft Entra sign-in built in. Other IdPs through Cloudflare Access. No native SAML. 12 | Paid tier Enterprise licence, SAML and OAuth 2.0. 35 |
| Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. | Plugin or add-on Official audit-log plugin. 19 | Paid tier Enterprise audit logs. 6 |
| Platform and extensibility | ||
| Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. | Not available | Plugin or add-on Official multi-tenant plugin. 15 |
| Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. | Built in Plugins add admin pages and dashboard widgets. 13 | Built in Custom React components, views and fields. |
| Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. | Built in Plugin registry, launched with 1.0. 143 | Limited Docs list official plugins. Community plugin directories are third-party. 13 |
| Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. | Plugin or add-on Official forms plugin. 17 | Plugin or add-on Official Form Builder plugin. 16 |
| Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. | Limited Subscriber role reads member-only content. Members share the editors' user system. 12 | Built in Any auth-enabled collection can hold site users. |
| AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. | Not available | Paid tier Enterprise AI writing assistant. Payload lists AI translation and image generation as coming soon. 8 |
| Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. | Built in Built in and on by default. 15 | Plugin or add-on Official open-source MCP plugin. 14 |
EmDash sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. EmDash 1.0, open source.
- emdash on the npm registry
- EmDash homepage
- EmDash 1.0: an open source CMS for Astro
- EmDash repository on GitHub
- EmDash docs: Blocks
- EmDash docs: Internationalization
- EmDash docs: Configuration reference
- EmDash docs: Media Library
- EmDash docs: REST API
- EmDash docs: Content lifecycle
- EmDash docs: Preview mode
- EmDash docs: Authentication
- EmDash docs: Plugins overview
- EmDash docs: Plugin registry
- EmDash docs: AI tools and MCP server
- EmDash docs: Database options
- @emdash-cms/plugin-forms on the npm registry
- @emdash-cms/plugin-webhook-notifier on the npm registry
- @emdash-cms/plugin-audit-log on the npm registry
- EmDash docs: Evolving a deployed site
Payload sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. Payload 3, MIT-licensed open-source core.
- payload on the npm registry
- Get started with Payload
- Payload for Enterprise
- Payload Cloud update: Payload has joined Figma
- Payload enterprise SSO
- Payload enterprise audit logs
- Payload Visual Editor
- Payload enterprise AI
- Payload publishing workflows
- Payload docs: Drafts
- Payload docs: Uploads
- Payload docs: Document locking
- Payload docs: Plugins
- Payload docs: MCP plugin
- Payload docs: Multi-tenant plugin
- Payload docs: Form Builder plugin
- GitHub discussion: Webhooks?
- Payload docs: Access control
- Figma blog: Welcoming Payload to the Figma team
- Payload multi-player editing
Considering more platforms? Compare EmDash and Payload with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.
Where they differ
EmDash and Payload get a different status on 16 of the 28 features and the same status on 12. EmDash has 14 built in on its baseline edition, Payload has 13. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.
- Vendor cloud
- EmDash has no vendor-run cloud. Payload has a vendor-run cloud.
Built in on EmDash, a different answer on Payload 5
- Content model in the UI EmDash: Built in. Payload: Not available.
- Renders the website EmDash: Built in. Payload: Not available.
- Visual editing EmDash: Built in. Payload: Not available.
- Plugin marketplace EmDash: Built in. Payload: Limited.
- Official MCP server EmDash: Built in. Payload: Plugin or add-on.
Built in on Payload, a different answer on EmDash 4
- Content model in code EmDash: Limited. Payload: Built in.
- GraphQL API EmDash: Not available. Payload: Built in.
- Field-level permissions EmDash: Not available. Payload: Built in.
- Site member accounts EmDash: Limited. Payload: Built in.
Built in on neither, with different answers 7
- Webhooks EmDash: Plugin or add-on. Payload: Not available.
- Approval workflows EmDash: Not available. Payload: Paid tier.
- Custom roles EmDash: Not available. Payload: Limited.
- Single sign-on EmDash: Limited. Payload: Paid tier.
- Audit log EmDash: Plugin or add-on. Payload: Paid tier.
- Multiple sites EmDash: Not available. Payload: Plugin or add-on.
- AI writing assistant EmDash: Not available. Payload: Paid tier.
More comparisons
EmDash against other platforms
- Adobe Experience Manager vs EmDash
- Contentful vs EmDash
- Contentstack vs EmDash
- CoreMedia Content Cloud vs EmDash
- Craft CMS vs EmDash
- DatoCMS vs EmDash
- Decap CMS vs EmDash
- Directus vs EmDash
- Drupal vs EmDash
- EmDash vs FirstSpirit
- EmDash vs Framer
- EmDash vs Ghost
- EmDash vs HubSpot CMS
- EmDash vs Hygraph
- EmDash vs Instatic
- EmDash vs Joomla
- EmDash vs Keystone
- EmDash vs Kirby
- EmDash vs Liferay DXP
- EmDash vs Optimizely CMS
- EmDash vs Prismic
- EmDash vs Progress Sitefinity
- EmDash vs Sanity
- EmDash vs Sitecore
- EmDash vs Squarespace
- EmDash vs Statamic
- EmDash vs Storyblok
- EmDash vs Strapi
- EmDash vs TYPO3
- EmDash vs Umbraco
- EmDash vs Wagtail
- EmDash vs Webflow
- EmDash vs Wix
- EmDash vs WordPress
- EmDash vs Xperience by Kentico
Payload against other platforms
- Adobe Experience Manager vs Payload
- Contentful vs Payload
- Contentstack vs Payload
- CoreMedia Content Cloud vs Payload
- Craft CMS vs Payload
- DatoCMS vs Payload
- Decap CMS vs Payload
- Directus vs Payload
- Drupal vs Payload
- FirstSpirit vs Payload
- Framer vs Payload
- Ghost vs Payload
- HubSpot CMS vs Payload
- Hygraph vs Payload
- Instatic vs Payload
- Joomla vs Payload
- Keystone vs Payload
- Kirby vs Payload
- Liferay DXP vs Payload
- Optimizely CMS vs Payload
- Prismic vs Payload
- Progress Sitefinity vs Payload
- Sanity vs Payload
- Sitecore vs Payload
- Squarespace vs Payload
- Statamic vs Payload
- Storyblok vs Payload
- Strapi vs Payload
- TYPO3 vs Payload
- Umbraco vs Payload
- Wagtail vs Payload
- Webflow vs Payload
- Wix vs Payload
- WordPress vs Payload
- Xperience by Kentico vs Payload
Open the CMS comparison tool to put up to six platforms in one table.
We're booking content platform
engagements for 2026.
Twenty-five minutes to walk through the work and decide if we're the right team for it. Scoping and a fixed price come after.