vioscale
Comparison

Payload CMS vs Umbraco

On the evidence we track, Umbraco leads this comparison with a composite score of 65/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Payload CMS full profile →Umbraco full profile →
Machine formatsJSONMarkdownGraphQLor send Accept: application/json
Payload CMS51
★Umbraco65
Score
Vioscale score
Payload CMS51 / 100low · 39%
Umbraco65 / 100medium · 55%
Pricing
Free tier
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
Model
Payload CMSfreemium
Umbracofreemium
Price level
Payload CMSlow
Umbracomid
Transparent
Payload CMS✗
Umbraco✓
Integrations
Count
Payload CMS6
Umbraco8
Security
Disclosure policy
Payload CMS–
Umbraco✓
Gdpr
Payload CMS–
Umbraco✓
Iso27001
Payload CMS–
Umbraco✓
Market
Availability

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for cms software. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Core
CMS type
Payload CMSHeadless / API-first
UmbracoHeadless / API-first
Licensing
Open-source
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
Deployment
Self-hostable
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
Managed / cloud hosting offered
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
Delivery
Headless API (REST/GraphQL)
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
Content
Structured content modelling
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
Localisation / i18n
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
Content workflow / approvals
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
Editing
Visual / no-code page builder
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
Extensibility
Plugin / app ecosystem size
Payload CMSCommunity-driven with templates and GitHub integration
UmbracoUmbraco Marketplace with community and official add-ons including Forms, Commerc
Scale
Multi-site / multi-tenant
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco-
Workflow
Git-based / code-first workflow
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
Pricing
Free / open tier
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Payload CMS

A flexible, developer-friendly headless CMS and backend framework built on Next.js that supports cloud and self-hosted deployment, offering code-first development for developers and visual content interfaces for marketers.

Independently observed

Umbraco

Leader

An open-source .NET content management system providing complete control over content, design, and integrations through headless APIs and webhooks, with support for both traditional and decoupled deployments designed for flexibility and AI-driven workflows.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Payload CMS

HybridFree tier14-day trial

Free and open-source. Paid cloud hosting with 14-day trial for new signups; enterprise available on quarterly billing.

as of verify ↗

Umbraco

Leader
from €45/moHybridFree tier

Free open-source tier; managed cloud hosting from €45/month

  • FreeFree
    • Content Authoring
    • Media Management
    • User Management
    • Multilingual setup
    • Design & markup control
    • +3 more
  • Starter€45/month
    • Microsoft Azure Cloud Hosting
    • 5 hosting regions
    • Automatic security updates
    • Configurable security features
    • Cloudflare CDN
    • +1 more
  • Standard€280/month (Most Popular)
    • Website & Delivery API SLA
    • Multiple environments
    • Expanded hosting features
    • Prioritized hosting resources
    • Increased usage limits
  • Professional€730/month
    • Full Support in Business Hours
    • Dedicated resources available
    • Advanced hosting features
    • Premium prioritized hosting resources
    • Increased usage limits
  • EnterpriseContact sales
    • Customized 24/7 support
    • Expanded SLA
    • Dedicated CSM
    • Architectural Advising & Code Review
    • Custom usage limits
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
CLI
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
Self-hosted
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
On-premise
Payload CMS✓
Umbraco✓
Hybrid
Payload CMS✗
Umbraco✓

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

Payload CMS

6 total
  • Nodemailer
  • Resend
  • SendGrid
  • Stripe
  • Ethereal
  • SMTP
Independently observed

Umbraco

Leader
8 total
  • Cloudflare
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Umbraco Forms
  • Umbraco Commerce
  • Umbraco Workflow
  • Umbraco Engage
  • Umbraco UI Builder
  • Umbraco Deploy
Independently observed

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.