Payload CMS

Payload CMS is an open-source, headless CMS, designed for developers and marketers who need full control over their content management. It has a highly customizable, React-based admin interface, easy and flexible content modeling, with content delivered via REST or GraphQL APIs.

There's built-in features like authentication, localization, and versioning, making it a great candidate for various large-scale and complex applications and websites. It's especially ideal for Composable setups where you want to construct your project of several micro-services and keep things API-based.

• Businesses of all sizes — from startups to large enterprises that need a fully customizable, self-hosted CMS built for developers.

• Companies building highly tailored digital experiences — where a code-first approach is critical to match specific backend, frontend, and content needs.

• Teams that want full control over their application stack — Payload gives developers ownership of the CMS, database, and hosting environment without platform restrictions.

• Agencies and product teams delivering custom apps — Payload is perfect for projects that require complete flexibility beyond what traditional CMSs offer.

• Organizations adopting open-source, self-hosted solutions — Payload provides a license-free, extensible platform that fits securely into existing infrastructure.

• Composable websites with a headless CMS back-end

• Custom web applications requiring complex content relationships

• eCommerce stores needing fully customizable back-end data structures

• Multi-language websites or applications with remarkable localization requirements

• You need a fully customizable, developer-first CMS — Payload is designed for developers who want to own the codebase, schema, and deployment.

• You want self-hosting freedom and open-source transparency — no hidden fees, licensing restrictions, or forced cloud hosting.

• You require TypeScript-first architecture — strong typings across backend, API, and database for safer, more scalable development.

• You’re building custom apps, SaaS platforms, or highly specific websites — and need flexibility that no SaaS CMS or rigid platform can offer.

• You want a headless CMS with deep extensibility — Payload supports custom fields, hooks, access control, authentication, and more out of the box.