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Payload

★ 35k

Code-first headless CMS that lives inside your Next.js app. Config is TypeScript, admin UI is generated, database is yours.

Payload does the job of Contentful, self-hosted. It is MIT-licensed, so you can do essentially what you like with it, and setting it up is an afternoon, not a weekend. Contentful bills $300/mo for it. 35k stars on GitHub.

Open-source replacement for Contentful.

Licence
MIT
Self-hosting
Medium
The paid one costs
$300/mo
GitHub stars
35k
view the code →official site →

Is it actually a replacement?

We have written a verdict on what it replaces — what you lose, and why people still pay:

How Payload runs

Where it runs

Payload runs on your server.

What setup takes

not verified by us yet — check the repo README.

Payload questions

Is Payload open source?

Yes — it is released under MIT.

Can Payload replace Contentful?

Our verdict on Contentful is YES. Strapi (70k stars), Ghost (49k stars), Payload (35k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Contentful — self-host with docker and stop paying $300/mo.

Can I self-host Payload?

Yes — we rate it medium to self-host, and it runs on your server.

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