Payload CMS vs Strapi: pricing, quotas & features (2025)
TypeScript-first open-source headless CMS — code-first, config-driven
vs. Leading open-source Node.js headless CMS — self-host or Cloud
Data sourced from vendor documentation · Last updated May 2026
Summary
Payload CMS and Strapi are both cms platforms, addressing the same core use case with different implementation philosophies and trade-offs. Both offer a free tier, making it easy to prototype without a credit card. Strapi's paid plans start at $18/month, lower than Payload CMS's entry point at $35/month. Payload CMS has a broader documented feature set (18 vs 16 features). Budget-sensitive teams will find Strapi easier to justify early on. All pricing and quota data below is sourced from Payload CMS and Strapi's official documentation — not generated by AI or estimated.
Payload CMS vs Strapi: Comparativa de precios, cuotas y características (2025)
En esta comparativa analizamos Payload CMS y Strapi lado a lado — incluyendo precios mensuales, límites del tier gratuito, características técnicas, cuotas de uso (almacenamiento, transferencia, usuarios activos mensuales) y los interfaces de desarrollo disponibles. Todos los datos proceden de la documentación oficial de cada proveedor, no de respuestas generadas por IA.
Payload CMS es una plataforma de la categoría cms — TypeScript-first open-source headless CMS — code-first, config-driven. Ofrece 4 tiers de precio: Open Source (self-host) gratuito, Cloud — Standard desde $35/mes, Cloud — Pro desde $199/mes, Cloud — Enterprise (personalizado). Su catálogo en Staxly documenta 18 características y 6 interfazes para desarrolladores.
Strapi pertenece a la categoría cms — Leading open-source Node.js headless CMS — self-host or Cloud. Ofrece 6 tiers de precio: Self-Hosted (OSS) gratuito, Cloud Free (trial) gratuito, Cloud Essential desde $18/mes, Cloud Pro desde $90/mes. Su catálogo documenta 16 características y 6 interfazes para desarrolladores.
A continuación encontrarás los tiers de precio completos de ambas plataformas, una matriz de cuotas del tier gratuito (transferencia, almacenamiento, MAU, llamadas a la API y otros límites), el listado completo de características y los interfaces (CLI, SDKs, REST, GraphQL, MCP) disponibles para integrar cada servicio.
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Pricing tiers
Payload CMS
Strapi
Free-tier quotas head-to-head
Comparing oss on Payload CMS vs self-hosted on Strapi.
| Metric | Payload CMS | Strapi |
|---|---|---|
| No overlapping quota metrics for these tiers. | ||
Features
Payload CMS · 18 features
- @payloadcms/plugin-seo — Built-in SEO meta fields.
- 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.
- 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.
- Plugins — Official + community plugins (SEO, Stripe, Form Builder, multi-tenant, etc.).
- REST API (auto) — Auto-generated REST endpoints for every collection.
- i18n — Multi-locale field values + admin UI translations.
Strapi · 16 features
- Audit Logs (EE) — Track every admin action.
- Components — Reusable field groups shared across content types.
- Content Types Builder — Visual schema builder — fields, relations, components, dynamic zones.
- Custom Fields — Plugin-based custom field types (color picker, markdown, etc.).
- Draft & Publish — Two-phase publishing workflow.
- Dynamic Zones — Flexible page builder — authors pick components to add.
- GraphQL API (plugin) — Optional GraphQL layer via official plugin.
- Internationalization — Multi-locale content out of the box.
- Media Library — Upload + organize media. Providers: local, S3, Cloudinary, DO Spaces.
- REST API (auto-gen) — Auto-generated REST endpoints per content type. Full CRUD + filters.
- Releases (EE) — Bundle content changes and publish atomically.
- Review Workflows (EE) — Approval-based content workflows.
- Role-Based Access Control — Per-role permissions at content type + field level.
- SSO / SAML (EE) — Enterprise identity for admin users.
- Strapi Cloud — Fully-managed hosting of Strapi instances.
- Webhooks — Built-in webhooks on content lifecycle events.
Developer interfaces
| Kind | Payload CMS | Strapi |
|---|---|---|
| CLI | create-payload-app | Strapi CLI |
| SDK | @payloadcms/next (Node) | @strapi/client (JS) |
| REST | Payload REST API | Admin REST API, Strapi Content REST API |
| GRAPHQL | Payload GraphQL API | GraphQL API (plugin) |
| OTHER | Admin UI, Local API (Node.js direct) | Webhooks |
Key takeaways
- Both Payload CMS and Strapi offer a free tier — Payload CMS ("Open Source (self-host)") and Strapi ("Self-Hosted (OSS)") — with no credit card required to start.
- The entry-level paid plan is $35/month for Payload CMS (Cloud — Standard) vs. $18/month for Strapi (Cloud Essential).
- Payload CMS has a broader documented feature set (18 features) vs. Strapi (16 features) in Staxly's catalog.
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