Payload CMS vs Strapi
Both Payload CMS and Strapi are self-hosted alternatives to Contentful. Both are filed under Content Management Systems (CMS).
Side by side
| Field | Payload CMS | Strapi |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Developer-first headless CMS and application framework. | Headless CMS that lets developers build content APIs fast while giving content creators a friendly editing interface. |
| GitHub stars | 45,613 | 73,422 |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Platforms | Nodejs | Nodejs |
| Latest release | v4.0.0-beta.6, 29 October 2026 | v5.60.0, 28 October 2026 |
| Repository activity | 30 October 2026 | 30 October 2026 |
| Health | Active | Active |
| Categories | Content Management Systems (CMS) | Content Management Systems (CMS) |
| Website | https://payloadcms.com/ | https://strapi.io/ |
| Source code | https://github.com/payloadcms/payload | https://github.com/strapi/strapi |
Where the records differ
Computed from the two records above: a line appears only where the dataset states a figure, a date or a set relation, and no line recommends one application over the other.
- Strapi has more GitHub stars in the dataset, 73,422 against 45,613.
- Both repositories last recorded activity on 30 October 2026.
- Payload CMS has the newer release on record: v4.0.0-beta.6, 29 October 2026, against v5.60.0, 28 October 2026.
- Both are listed under the same license: MIT.
- Both list the same platforms: Nodejs.
- Both are filed under the same categories: Content Management Systems (CMS).