Framer vs Payload
Framer is a closed-source site builder that runs on the vendor's cloud. 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 19.
- Framer Site builder · Closed source · 14 of 28 built in
- Payload Headless · Open source · 13 of 28 built in
Sources checked: Framer 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 | Hosted visual site builder with a CMS, hosting and AI agents. Designers build pages on a canvas. Run by Framer. | 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. | Framer 3.0 site plans, Free to Enterprise SaaS, continuously updated | Payload 3, MIT-licensed open-source core Version 3.90.2, released 23 Sept 2026 |
| Vendor | Framer B.V. framer.com | Figma (acquired Payload in June 2025) payloadcms.com |
| Licence | Closed source Proprietary | Open source MIT |
| Hosting | No self-hosting Vendor cloud A paid plan is required to connect a custom domain. | Self-hosting Vendor cloud Payload Cloud is paused for new projects. Payload offers hosting to enterprise customers. |
| Built with | Hosted SaaS with React code components | TypeScript, Node.js, Next.js, React |
| Database | Managed by Framer | PostgreSQL, MongoDB, SQLite |
| Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. | Free to start Free plan. Basic $10, Pro $30 per site per month billed yearly. Extra editors $20 per month. | 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. | Not available You build collections in the editor or sync them through the Plugin and Server APIs. 313 | 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 13 | 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 Components with properties that content editors can change on-page. 14 | 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. | Plugin or add-on Translation locales add-on, $20 per locale per month. One free locale to try. 117 | 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 Generates 512 to 4096 px variants served through srcset. 8 | 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. | Limited Server API in open beta, through the framer-api package over WebSocket. No plain REST. 23 | 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. | Not available Webhooks cover form submissions only. 10 | 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 | 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 CMS items can stay in draft. 13 | Built in 10 |
| Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. | Not available No native scheduling. Third-party Marketplace plugins add it. 18 | 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 Version history and rollback of published versions. 67 | 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 | 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 Canvas editing and on-page editing of the live site. 14 | 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. | Limited Editors review and merge Pro branches. Only Deploy permission publishes. No stages. 45 | Paid tier Enterprise publishing workflows. 39 |
| Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. | Paid tier Branching on Pro groups changes and ships them in one merge. 15 | 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. | Built in Free workspaces allow up to three editors. 1 | 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. | Limited Fixed roles plus Design, Content and Deploy permissions per project. No role builder. 4 | 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 | Built in Field-level access functions. 18 |
| Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. | Paid tier Enterprise. 116 | 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. | Not available Not documented publicly. | 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. | Built in A workspace holds many site projects, each on its own plan. 4 | 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 custom panels and tools to the editor. 11 | Built in Custom React components, views and fields. |
| Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. | Built in Framer Marketplace. 12 | 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. | Built in Native forms. Submissions can also go to a webhook. 10 | 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. | Not available | 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. | Built in Agents write, rewrite and translate content. AI credits meter usage. 115 | 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. | Not available No MCP server. External Agents, in preview, link AI tools through a CLI and skills. 9 | Plugin or add-on Official open-source MCP plugin. 14 |
Framer sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. Framer 3.0 site plans, Free to Enterprise.
- Framer pricing
- Framer update: Server API (February 2026)
- Framer Developers: Server API introduction
- Framer Help: members, roles and permissions
- Framer: collaboration with branches, reviews and staging
- Framer: publish with staging, hosting and rollback
- Framer Help: staging and versions
- Framer Help: how Framer optimizes images
- Framer External Agents
- Framer Help: connect Framer forms to a webhook
- Framer Developers: plugins introduction
- Framer Marketplace plugins
- Framer CMS
- Framer Help: on-page editing
- Framer blog: Framer 3.0 with Agents and Branching
- Framer Enterprise
- Framer Help: localization
- Framer CMS Scheduler plugin (third party)
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 Framer and Payload with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.
Where they differ
Framer and Payload get a different status on 19 of the 28 features and the same status on 9. Framer 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.
- Licence
- Framer is closed source (Proprietary). Payload is open source (MIT).
- Self-hosting
- Framer cannot be self-hosted. Payload can be self-hosted.
Built in on Framer, a different answer on Payload 8
- Content model in the UI Framer: Built in. Payload: Not available.
- Renders the website Framer: Built in. Payload: Not available.
- Visual editing Framer: Built in. Payload: Not available.
- Real-time co-editing Framer: Built in. Payload: Not available.
- Multiple sites Framer: Built in. Payload: Plugin or add-on.
- Plugin marketplace Framer: Built in. Payload: Limited.
- Form builder Framer: Built in. Payload: Plugin or add-on.
- AI writing assistant Framer: Built in. Payload: Paid tier.
Built in on Payload, a different answer on Framer 7
- Content model in code Framer: Not available. Payload: Built in.
- Localization Framer: Plugin or add-on. Payload: Built in.
- REST API Framer: Limited. Payload: Built in.
- GraphQL API Framer: Not available. Payload: Built in.
- Scheduled publishing Framer: Not available. Payload: Built in.
- Field-level permissions Framer: Not available. Payload: Built in.
- Site member accounts Framer: Not available. Payload: Built in.
Built in on neither, with different answers 4
- Approval workflows Framer: Limited. Payload: Paid tier.
- Content releases Framer: Paid tier. Payload: Not available.
- Audit log Framer: Not available. Payload: Paid tier.
- Official MCP server Framer: Not available. Payload: Plugin or add-on.
More comparisons
Framer against other platforms
- Adobe Experience Manager vs Framer
- Contentful vs Framer
- Contentstack vs Framer
- CoreMedia Content Cloud vs Framer
- Craft CMS vs Framer
- DatoCMS vs Framer
- Decap CMS vs Framer
- Directus vs Framer
- Drupal vs Framer
- EmDash vs Framer
- FirstSpirit vs Framer
- Framer vs Ghost
- Framer vs HubSpot CMS
- Framer vs Hygraph
- Framer vs Instatic
- Framer vs Joomla
- Framer vs Keystone
- Framer vs Kirby
- Framer vs Liferay DXP
- Framer vs Optimizely CMS
- Framer vs Prismic
- Framer vs Progress Sitefinity
- Framer vs Sanity
- Framer vs Sitecore
- Framer vs Squarespace
- Framer vs Statamic
- Framer vs Storyblok
- Framer vs Strapi
- Framer vs TYPO3
- Framer vs Umbraco
- Framer vs Wagtail
- Framer vs Webflow
- Framer vs Wix
- Framer vs WordPress
- Framer 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
- EmDash vs Payload
- FirstSpirit 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.