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Payload vs Strapi

Reviewed byRoman K
Tagline
Payload: Headless CMS & app framework
Strapi: Open source headless CMS
Pricing Model
Payload: open-source
Strapi: open-source
Starting Price
Payload: $0/mo
Strapi: $0/mo
Free Plan
Payload: Yes
Strapi: Yes
GitHub Stars
Payload: 43.3k
Strapi: 72.6k
npm Downloads/wk
Payload: 460.0k
Strapi: 190.0k
GitHub Forks
Payload: 3.9k
Strapi: 9.8k
Open Issues
Payload: 846
Strapi: 555
Tags
Payload: headless, typescript, code-first, open-source
Strapi: headless, open-source, nodejs, self-hosted

Payload vs Strapi: which to choose

Strapi has the larger community with 72.6k GitHub stars against 43.3k for Payload, which usually means more integrations, examples and third-party help when you get stuck.

Choose Payload if you lean toward headless and typescript; choose Strapi if headless and open-source 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 Strapi better?

It depends on your priorities. Payload has 43.3k GitHub stars and uses a open-source pricing model, while Strapi has 72.6k stars and uses a open-source model. Both offer a free plan so you can try each before committing.

Is Payload cheaper than Strapi?

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

What are the main differences between Payload and Strapi?

Payload is tagged as headless, typescript, code-first while Strapi is tagged as headless, open-source, nodejs. Payload uses a open-source pricing model and has a community of 43.3k GitHub stars. Strapi uses a open-source model with 72.6k GitHub stars.

Does Payload or Strapi have a free plan?

Yes, both Payload and Strapi offer a free plan.

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