Payload CMS
Developer-first headless CMS and application framework.
- CMS
- TypeScript
- MIT
- Actively maintained
GitHub stats
- GitHub stars
- 45,100
- Forks
- 4,266
- Open issues
- 501
- Commits, last 12 months
- 1,635
- Last commit
- Oct 6, 2026
- Latest release
- v3.90.2Sep 23, 2026
- Created
- Jan 5, 2021
Data from the GitHub API, refreshed daily.
About Payload CMS
Developer-first headless CMS and application framework. Payload CMS is open source under the MIT license and written mainly in TypeScript, so you can read the code, run it on your own hardware and keep full control of your data.
The project has 45,100 stars and 4,266 forks on GitHub, with 1,635 commits over the last year. It installs natively rather than through an official Docker image, so plan for a short manual setup.
Topics
- headless-cms
- cms
- express
- graphql
- react
- payload
- nodejs
- typescript
- javascript
- mongodb
Open-source alternative to
Payload CMS can replace these commercial products. Compare every option on each page.
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What is Payload CMS?
Payload CMS is a free, open-source app you can host on your own server, listed in our CMS category. Developer-first headless CMS and application framework. The source code lives at github.com/payloadcms/payload, where it has 45,100 stars.
Is Payload CMS free and open source?
Yes. Payload CMS is open-source software released under the MIT license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan.
Can I run Payload CMS with Docker?
Payload CMS does not list an official Docker image. It installs natively (Nodejs), so follow the install steps in its README or look for a community-maintained container.
What are the best alternatives to Payload CMS?
Popular open-source alternatives to Payload CMS include Strapi, WordPress and Wagtail. Payload CMS itself is a self-hosted alternative to Webflow.
Is Payload CMS actively maintained?
The most recent commit to Payload CMS was on Oct 6, 2026 with 1,635 commits in the past twelve months. The latest release is v3.90.2, published Sep 23, 2026. Check the open issues on GitHub to gauge how quickly maintainers respond.