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Payload vs Sanity

Reviewed byRoman K
Tagline
Payload: Headless CMS & app framework
Sanity: Composable content cloud
Pricing Model
Payload: open-source
Sanity: freemium
Starting Price
Payload: $0/mo
Sanity: $15/mo
Free Plan
Payload: Yes
Sanity: Yes
GitHub Stars
Payload: 43.3k
Sanity: 6.2k
npm Downloads/wk
Payload: 460.0k
Sanity: 1.7M
GitHub Forks
Payload: 3.9k
Sanity: 542
Open Issues
Payload: 846
Sanity: 150
Tags
Payload: headless, typescript, code-first, open-source
Sanity: headless, real-time, structured-content

Payload vs Sanity: which to choose

Payload has the larger community with 43.3k GitHub stars against 6.2k for Sanity, which usually means more integrations, examples and third-party help when you get stuck.

Both charge from day one, but Payload starts lower at $0/mo versus $15/mo for Sanity.

Choose Payload if you lean toward headless and typescript; choose Sanity if headless and real-time matters more for your stack. All figures above are pulled from live GitHub and pricing data, not vendor marketing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Payload or Sanity better?

It depends on your priorities. Payload has 43.3k GitHub stars and uses a open-source pricing model, while Sanity has 6.2k stars and uses a freemium model. Both offer a free plan so you can try each before committing.

Is Payload cheaper than Sanity?

Payload starts at $0/mo while Sanity starts at $15/mo. Payload has a free plan. Sanity has a free plan.

What are the main differences between Payload and Sanity?

Payload is tagged as headless, typescript, code-first while Sanity is tagged as headless, real-time, structured-content. Payload uses a open-source pricing model and has a community of 43.3k GitHub stars. Sanity uses a freemium model with 6.2k GitHub stars.

Does Payload or Sanity have a free plan?

Yes, both Payload and Sanity offer a free plan.

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