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Payload vs KeystoneJS: catalog facts
Payload	KeystoneJS
Free Free and open source under the MIT license; enterprise features are sold separately.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Installs inside an existing Next.js app folder Full TypeScript backend with an extensible admin panel	GraphQL API and admin UI generated from a schema Fine-grained access control
Configured in code, so it needs a developer Tied to the Next.js and React ecosystem	Requires writing code; not a point-and-click site builder Headless, so you build the front end yourself
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: MIT
No account needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.