Compare software

Payload vs Strapi: catalog facts
Payload	Strapi
Free Free and open source under the MIT license; enterprise features are sold separately.	Freemium Free and open source to self-host; Strapi Cloud hosting and sales plans cost extra.
Self-hosted	Self-hosted, Command line
Installs inside an existing Next.js app folder Full TypeScript backend with an extensible admin panel	Automatic REST and GraphQL APIs from content models Visual content type builder
Configured in code, so it needs a developer Tied to the Next.js and React ecosystem	Headless only, so you build the frontend yourself Aimed at developers rather than non-technical site owners
Self-hosted	Self-hosted, Hosted service
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: MIT
No account needed	Not stated if an account is 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.