Strapi vs Payload

Strapi and Payload are both open-source, self-hostable, JavaScript-native headless CMSes with zero licensing cost on their core editions, but they are not interchangeable. Strapi takes a GUI-first, SQL-based approach with a large, established plugin ecosystem. Payload takes a code-first, TypeScript approach that runs inside Next.js. The decision between them is an architectural one.

The core difference

Strapi’s philosophy is configuration as a product. Its Content-Type Builder is a GUI in the admin panel where developers and content strategists define content types by clicking through a form, and the platform generates the corresponding schema files behind the scenes. That makes it approachable for teams that want to prototype schema changes without writing code, and it produces an admin panel non-technical users can pick up quickly.

Payload’s philosophy is code-first. There is no GUI schema builder. Collections, fields, blocks, access control, and hooks are defined in configuration files, and all of them are imported into payload.config.ts as the single entry point. Because the schema lives in code, every content-model change goes through a pull request and ships through the same review, testing, and CI/CD pipeline as the rest of the application.

This difference propagates through the entire development and operational experience. It is the first thing to evaluate before any other comparison.

Where Strapi is the stronger choice

Strapi wins when the database has to be MySQL or MariaDB. Payload also covers PostgreSQL and SQLite, so “we use SQL” on its own is not a reason to prefer Strapi. The genuine gap is MySQL and MariaDB: Strapi supports both, Payload does not.

It also fits teams that need a visual interface for schema iteration. Agencies onboarding new clients, teams where a content strategist needs to propose schema changes, and projects where the content model is still being discovered benefit from Strapi’s Content-Type Builder.

Strapi’s broader marketplace is useful when a project requires specific third-party integrations, but critical plugins need a v5 compatibility check before the team commits.

Where Payload is the stronger choice

Payload wins when the team is TypeScript and Next.js native. The Local API, same-project deployment, and automatic type generation produce a development experience that TypeScript engineers find faster than working across a network boundary.

It is also the better fit when schema review should read like code. Organisations where infrastructure changes require code review, pull-request approval, and CI/CD deployment treat Payload’s code-first schema as a requirement rather than a preference. Strapi’s builder also writes its schema into the project, so both can be reviewed; in Strapi the reviewer reads generated JSON rather than authored TypeScript.

Payload’s access control is more precise for complex content platforms: function-based logic can handle per-field, per-user, and per-document rules in TypeScript.

Pricing and total cost of ownership

Strapi’s Community Edition is MIT-licensed and free to self-host. Governance features live on Strapi’s paid CMS plans: Growth starts around $45 per month for three seats plus $15 per additional seat, and Enterprise requires a sales quote. Growth adds Strapi AI, live preview, releases, content history, and basic support; audit logs and multi-stage review workflows are Enterprise features. SSO is a Growth add-on at $150 per month, covering the same three seats the plan does, so three editors with SSO cost $195 per month and each seat above the third adds $65; Enterprise includes it.

Payload’s open-source core includes granular, function-based access control, document version history, and unlimited editor accounts with no per-seat charge. On the free core, SSO comes from community plugins covering OAuth 2.0, without a SAML option, or from a custom auth strategy, and review gates are built on core drafts and versions. Payload licenses SSO, publishing workflows, and a system-wide audit log as enterprise features, sold through a sales-led enterprise engagement with dedicated engineering support and no published price list.

The difference is in how each one prices governance: Strapi publishes its Growth and add-on rates and meters editor seats from the Growth plan up, while Payload quotes its enterprise licence per engagement. Neither meters editors on its free edition.

Payload’s enterprise gate was checked at the source on 14 September 2026: SSO and publishing workflows on Payload’s enterprise page, and the system-wide audit log on its enterprise audit-log page. Payload publishes no price for the tier that carries them.

An earlier long-form version stays online as an archive and carries the full source list: the Strapi vs Payload write-up. This page is the one kept current.

A note on our position

WAYF is an official Payload partner and top contributor, so we have an interest in this comparison. We build content platforms and CMS migrations on Payload and Next.js. When a team’s stack, plugin needs, or existing Strapi investment make Strapi the better fit, that is the recommendation we give — both are open source systems a team can genuinely own.

If you choose Payload, see WAYF’s Payload development service for new builds and ongoing engineering. For an existing Strapi application, CMS replatforming scopes the content model, integrations and cutover before implementation.

Decided on Payload? Read the Strapi-to-Payload migration guide →