TYPO3 vs Payload
TYPO3 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.
- TYPO3 Traditional · Open source · 20 of 28 built in
- Payload Headless · Open source · 13 of 28 built in
Sources checked: TYPO3 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 PHP CMS for multi-site, multilingual websites, with workspaces and granular backend permissions. Self-hosted, often run by agencies. | 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. | TYPO3 v14 LTS, version 14.3, open source Version 14.3.7, released 8 Sept 2026 | Payload 3, MIT-licensed open-source core Version 3.90.2, released 23 Sept 2026 |
| Vendor | TYPO3 Association (project); TYPO3 GmbH sells support and extended LTS typo3.org | Figma (acquired Payload in June 2025) payloadcms.com |
| Licence | Open source GPL-2.0-or-later | Open source MIT |
| Hosting | Self-hosting No vendor cloud No vendor SaaS. TYPO3 agencies and hosts run managed installations. | Self-hosting Vendor cloud Payload Cloud is paused for new projects. Payload offers hosting to enterprise customers. |
| Built with | PHP, Symfony components, Fluid | TypeScript, Node.js, Next.js, React |
| Database | MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite | PostgreSQL, MongoDB, SQLite |
| Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. | Free to start Free and open source. Commercial support and extended LTS are sold separately. | 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. | Built in TCA in PHP. The Content Blocks extension adds YAML definitions. 11 | 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. | Plugin or add-on Mask extension builds content elements in the backend. 12 | 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 Content elements on pages, reordered by drag and drop. | 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 Page and record translations. Guided translation wizard in v14. 2 | 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 Server-side image processing with crop variants. 10 | 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. | Plugin or add-on EXT:headless outputs pages as JSON. Core has no content API. 13 | 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. | Built in Webhooks system extension, in core since v12. 6 | 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 Fluid templates. Camino default theme in v14. 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 Via the Workspaces system extension. 5 | Built in 10 |
| Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. | Built in Start and stop dates on pages and content. | 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 Record history with diff and undo. | 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 Workspace preview links. 5 | Built in |
| Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. | Plugin or add-on Visual Editor extension from Friends of TYPO3. TYPO3 plans core support for v15. 3 | 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. | Built in Custom stages in Workspaces. 5 | Paid tier Enterprise publishing workflows. 39 |
| Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. | Built in Workspaces publish staged changes together. 5 | 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. | Built in Backend user groups. 9 | 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. | Built in Exclude fields per backend group. 9 | Built in Field-level access functions. 18 |
| Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. | Plugin or add-on OpenID Connect extensions such as causal/oidc. 14 | 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. | Built in Log module records backend changes by user. | 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 Several site configurations in one installation. | 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 Backend modules and custom form elements. | Built in Custom React components, views and fields. |
| Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. | Built in TYPO3 Extension Repository. 16 | 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 Form Framework with a backend form editor. 7 | 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. | Built in Frontend users and the felogin extension. 8 | 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 Core ships AI integration points only. Third-party extensions such as AI Suite. 417 | 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 Third-party only, e.g. hauptsache.net's TYPO3 MCP Server. 15 | Plugin or add-on Official open-source MCP plugin. 14 |
TYPO3 sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. TYPO3 v14 LTS, version 14.3, open source.
- get.typo3.org: latest TYPO3 14 release
- TYPO3 Releases v14 LTS (press release)
- Changing the Playing Field: Visual Editing in TYPO3 v14
- TYPO3 v14: Building a System for Community-Driven AI Integrations
- TYPO3 Workspaces documentation
- TYPO3 Webhooks documentation
- TYPO3 Form documentation
- TYPO3 Frontend Login documentation
- Access control options (TYPO3 Explained)
- Crop variants for images (TYPO3 Explained)
- TYPO3 Content Blocks documentation
- Mask extension (TER)
- EXT:headless documentation
- OpenID Connect integration for TYPO3
- hauptsacheNet/typo3-mcp-server on GitHub
- How to find extensions (Getting Started)
- AI Suite extension (TER)
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 TYPO3 and Payload with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.
Where they differ
TYPO3 and Payload get a different status on 16 of the 28 features and the same status on 12. TYPO3 has 20 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
- TYPO3 has no vendor-run cloud. Payload has a vendor-run cloud.
Built in on TYPO3, a different answer on Payload 9
- Webhooks TYPO3: Built in. Payload: Not available.
- Renders the website TYPO3: Built in. Payload: Not available.
- Approval workflows TYPO3: Built in. Payload: Paid tier.
- Content releases TYPO3: Built in. Payload: Not available.
- Custom roles TYPO3: Built in. Payload: Limited.
- Audit log TYPO3: Built in. Payload: Paid tier.
- Multiple sites TYPO3: Built in. Payload: Plugin or add-on.
- Plugin marketplace TYPO3: Built in. Payload: Limited.
- Form builder TYPO3: Built in. Payload: Plugin or add-on.
Built in on Payload, a different answer on TYPO3 2
- REST API TYPO3: Plugin or add-on. Payload: Built in.
- GraphQL API TYPO3: Not available. Payload: Built in.
Built in on neither, with different answers 5
- Content model in the UI TYPO3: Plugin or add-on. Payload: Not available.
- Visual editing TYPO3: Plugin or add-on. Payload: Not available.
- Single sign-on TYPO3: Plugin or add-on. Payload: Paid tier.
- AI writing assistant TYPO3: Not available. Payload: Paid tier.
- Official MCP server TYPO3: Not available. Payload: Plugin or add-on.
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