Payload CMS vs ClickUp
TypeScript-first open-source headless CMS — code-first, config-driven
vs. One app to replace them all — tasks, docs, chat, goals, time tracking
Pricing tiers
Payload CMS
Open Source (self-host)
MIT license. Run free on any Node host. Full admin + APIs.
$0 base (usage-based)
Cloud — Standard
$35/month. 3 GB DB storage, 30 GB file storage, 40 GB bandwidth.
$35/mo
Cloud — Pro
$199/month. Higher resources + priority support.
$199/mo
Cloud — Enterprise
Custom cloud hosting with dedicated support.
Custom
ClickUp
Free Forever
$0. Unlimited tasks + members. 100MB storage. 2 lists. Basic features.
Free
Unlimited
$7/user/mo annual ($10/mo). Unlimited storage, integrations, dashboards, Gantt.
$7/mo
ClickUp Brain (AI)
$7/user/mo add-on. AI writing, auto-summary, Q&A over workspace.
$7/mo
Business
$12/user/mo annual ($19/mo). Advanced time tracking, automations (10k/mo), workload mgmt.
$12/mo
Business Plus
$19/user/mo annual ($29/mo). Team sharing, custom roles, permissions, 25k automations.
$19/mo
Enterprise
Custom. SSO, HIPAA, white labeling, advanced permissions, unlimited automations, dedicated CSM.
Custom
Free-tier quotas head-to-head
Comparing oss on Payload CMS vs free on ClickUp.
| Metric | Payload CMS | ClickUp |
|---|---|---|
| No overlapping quota metrics for these tiers. | ||
Features
Payload CMS · 18 features
- Access Control — Function-based per-collection/field access rules.
- Admin UI — React admin — fully customizable components + views.
- Authentication — Built-in JWT + HTTP-only cookies + API keys.
- Blocks — Flexible page-builder pattern via block field.
- Collections — Schema-defined content types with fields, hooks, access control.
- Drafts & Versions — Version every change. Autosave, drafts, scheduled publish.
- Field Types — Rich field library: text, textarea, richText (Lexical), upload, relation, blocks…
- Form Builder Plugin — Dynamic forms with submissions storage.
- Globals — Single-instance documents (site settings, header, footer).
- GraphQL API (auto) — Full schema auto-generated.
- Hooks — Lifecycle hooks: beforeChange/Read/Delete, afterChange, etc.
- i18n — Multi-locale field values + admin UI translations.
- Live Preview — Side-by-side editor + iframe preview of Next.js site.
- Local API (zero latency) — Direct in-process data access. Ideal for Next.js server components.
- Multi-Tenancy Plugin — Multi-tenant content isolation via plugin.
- @payloadcms/plugin-seo — Built-in SEO meta fields.
- Plugins — Official + community plugins (SEO, Stripe, Form Builder, multi-tenant, etc.).
- REST API (auto) — Auto-generated REST endpoints for every collection.
ClickUp · 17 features
- 15+ Views — List/Board/Gantt/Timeline/etc.
- Automations — No-code workflow builder.
- Chat — Native team chat.
- ClickUp Brain (AI) — AI across workspace.
- Custom Fields — 15+ field types.
- Dashboards — Custom widget boards.
- Desktop Apps — Mac + Windows + Linux.
- Docs — Rich text docs + wikis.
- Forms — Collect tasks via form.
- Goals — OKRs + progress tracking.
- iOS + Android Apps — Native mobile.
- REST API — Public API for integrations.
- Sprints — Agile sprint views.
- Subtasks + Dependencies — Nested + blocking.
- Tasks — Full task management.
- Time Tracking — Native timers + timesheets.
- Whiteboards — Collaborative canvas.
Developer interfaces
| Kind | Payload CMS | ClickUp |
|---|---|---|
| CLI | create-payload-app | — |
| SDK | @payloadcms/next (Node) | clickup.js (community) |
| REST | Payload REST API | ClickUp REST API v2 |
| GRAPHQL | Payload GraphQL API | — |
| OTHER | Admin UI, Local API (Node.js direct) | ClickUp Apps, ClickUp Chrome Extension, ClickUp Webhooks, OAuth 2.0 |
Staxly is an independent catalog of developer platforms. Some links to Payload CMS and ClickUp may be affiliate links — Staxly may earn a commission if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. Pricing is verified against vendor pages at publication time — reconfirm before buying.
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