# Payload vs Strapi

[Compare](https://nextlyhq.com/compare.md) / Payload vs Strapi

Facts about Payload CMS and Strapi, side by side. Each line comes from the tool's own pages, repository or npm, with its source and the day it was checked.

[Facts checked on 24 Oct 2026](https://nextlyhq.com/compare/payload-vs-strapi#side-by-side) · [14 sources](https://nextlyhq.com/compare/payload-vs-strapi#sources)

Written by the Nextly team. Nextly is not in this comparison; it has a section of its own at the end.

On this page:

1. Side by side
2. Sources
3. Method
4. A third option

## 01 · Side by side: Payload CMS and Strapi, fact by fact

Facts checked on 24 Oct 2026

Each line comes from Payload CMS's or Strapi's own pages, repository or npm. Where we have not checked something, we say so and link to their docs.

| Topic | Payload CMS | Strapi |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Licence | MIT [1] | “MIT Expat” outside the `ee/` directories, if you have no Strapi Cloud account. Code in `ee/` is licensed separately. [8] |
| Written in | TypeScript [1] | TypeScript [8] |
| Databases | Adapters for MongoDB, Postgres and SQLite [2] | SQLite, MySQL, MariaDB and PostgreSQL [9] |
| APIs | A Local API, REST and GraphQL are documented [3] [4] [5] | REST, and GraphQL through a plugin (`@strapi/plugin-graphql`), are documented [10] [11] |
| Managed hosting | Payload Cloud: “deployment of new projects is currently paused” [6] | Strapi Cloud lists Starter, Pro and Business plans, each priced per project per month [12] |
| Self-hosted plans | Not stated here. [payloadcms.com/docs](https://payloadcms.com/docs) | A free Community plan, and paid Growth and Enterprise plans [13] |
| Current release | 3.92.0 on npm `latest`; 4.0.0-beta.4 on `beta` [7] | 5.59.0 on npm `latest` [14] |

## 02 · Sources: Where each line comes from

All checked 24 Oct 2026

### Payload CMS

1. [github.com/payloadcms/payload (licence, language)](https://github.com/payloadcms/payload)
2. [payloadcms.com/docs/database/overview](https://payloadcms.com/docs/database/overview)
3. [payloadcms.com/docs/local-api/overview](https://payloadcms.com/docs/local-api/overview)
4. [payloadcms.com/docs/rest-api/overview](https://payloadcms.com/docs/rest-api/overview)
5. [payloadcms.com/docs/graphql/overview](https://payloadcms.com/docs/graphql/overview)
6. [payloadcms.com/payload-has-joined-figma](https://payloadcms.com/payload-has-joined-figma)
7. [npmjs.com/package/payload (dist-tags)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/payload)

### Strapi

8. [github.com/strapi/strapi (licence, language)](https://github.com/strapi/strapi)
9. [docs.strapi.io/cms/configurations/database](https://docs.strapi.io/cms/configurations/database)
10. [docs.strapi.io/cms/api/rest](https://docs.strapi.io/cms/api/rest)
11. [docs.strapi.io/cms/plugins/graphql](https://docs.strapi.io/cms/plugins/graphql)
12. [strapi.io/pricing-cloud](https://strapi.io/pricing-cloud)
13. [strapi.io/pricing-cms](https://strapi.io/pricing-cms)
14. [npmjs.com/package/@strapi/strapi (dist-tags)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@strapi/strapi)

## 03 · Method: How this page is written

- **Facts:** Facts from their own pages or repository, each with its source and the day we checked.
- **No scores:** No ticks, crosses or verdicts about other products.
- **Gaps:** Where we have not checked something, we say so and link to their docs.

## 04 · A third option: Nextly

We make Nextly. It is not part of the comparison above.

Separate from the comparison

- **What it is:** Nextly is an open-source content platform for Next.js.
- **Stack:** TypeScript · Self-hosted · MIT · PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite · 0.0.2-alpha.71
- **Hosting:** Self-hosted. MIT today, and no decision yet about paid offerings.
- **Status:** Nextly is in alpha. APIs may change before 1.0. Pin exact versions in production.

- [Nextly vs Payload CMS](https://nextlyhq.com/compare/payload-cms.md): Read the comparison · checked 24 Oct 2026
- [Nextly vs Strapi](https://nextlyhq.com/compare/strapi.md): Read the comparison · checked 24 Oct 2026