Payload CMS
TypeScript-native, code-first CMS that lives inside your own Next.js repo. Figma acquired it in 2025 and paused new sign-ups for the managed Payload Cloud, so plan on self-hosting it.
What is Payload CMS?
Payload is a code-first, TypeScript-native headless CMS that you install directly into your own Next.js application rather than running as a separate hosted service. You define collections and fields in TypeScript, get an auto-generated admin UI, and everything, content types, access control, hooks, lives in your own codebase and repo. It's built for developers who want full control over their data model and don't want to fight a black-box SaaS CMS's schema limitations.
Key features
- Collections and fields defined in TypeScript config, versioned alongside your app code
- Auto-generated, customizable admin panel that runs inside your Next.js app
- Built-in access control, authentication, and localization out of the box
- Hooks and custom endpoints for wiring in your own business logic at the data layer
- REST, GraphQL, and local API access to the same content
Who it's for
A strong fit for developers already building in Next.js who want a CMS that feels like part of their own codebase rather than an external SaaS dependency, and who are comfortable self-hosting. Since Figma acquired Payload in 2025 and paused new sign-ups for the managed Payload Cloud, plan on running it yourself, it's less of a fit if you wanted a fully managed, sign-up-and-go hosted CMS.
Pricing
Open-source and free to self-host; the previous managed cloud offering is no longer taking new sign-ups, so self-hosting costs are whatever your own infrastructure bill comes to.