# KeystoneJS vs Payload CMS **Leader by Vioscale score:** KeystoneJS | Attribute | KeystoneJS | Payload CMS | |---|---|---| | **Vioscale score** | 58.9 (56% (medium)) | 50.9 (39% (low)) | | activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | - | | adoption.github_stars | 9,963 | - | | deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` | | description.long | A headless CMS for developers that provides a GraphQL API and management UI for content and data. Developers define a schema and get a powerful backend without boilerplate or bootstrapping. | 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. | | features.capabilities | `{"cms_type":"headless","free_tier":true,"open_source":true,"headless_api":true,"self_hostable":true,"visual_builder":false,"content_workflow":true,"plugin_ecosystem":"Custom field types and extensible architecture","structured_content":true}` | `{"cms_type":"headless","free_tier":true,"multisite":true,"open_source":true,"git_workflow":true,"headless_api":true,"localization":true,"self_hostable":true,"visual_builder":true,"managed_hosting":true,"content_workflow":true,"plugin_ecosystem":"Community-driven with templates and GitHub integration","structured_content":true}` | | integrations.count | 4 | 6 | | integrations.list | `[{"name":"Cloudinary"},{"name":"Prisma"},{"name":"Apollo Client"},{"name":"OpenTelemetry"}]` | `[{"name":"Nodemailer"},{"name":"Resend"},{"name":"SendGrid"},{"name":"Stripe"},{"name":"Ethereal"},{"name":"SMTP"}]` | | language.primary | TypeScript | - | | license.spdx | MIT | - | | market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | | platform.support | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` | | pricing | `{"type":"open_source","summary":"Free and open source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://keystonejs.com","retrievedAt":"2026-08-03T14:26:59.733Z"}` | `{"type":"hybrid","summary":"Free and open-source. Paid cloud hosting with 14-day trial for new signups; enterprise available on quarterly billing.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://payloadcms.com","retrievedAt":"2026-08-21T13:19:38.129Z","freeTrialDays":14,"billingPeriods":["month","quarter"]}` | | pricing.free_tier | yes | yes | | pricing.model | freemium | freemium | | pricing.price_level | free | low | | pricing.transparent | - | no | | release.cadence_days | 14 | - | | release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2026-08-20","date":"2026-08-20T01:10:41Z","type":"stable","version":"2026-08-20"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2026-08-18","date":"2026-08-18T05:59:51Z","type":"stable","version":"2026-08-18"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2026-08-11","date":"2026-08-11T07:07:11Z","type":"stable","version":"2026-08-11"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2026-08-10","date":"2026-08-10T00:47:02Z","type":"stable","version":"2026-08-10"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2026-08-03","date":"2026-08-03T04:54:56Z","type":"stable","version":"2026-08-03"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2026-07-31","date":"2026-07-31T07:00:27Z","type":"stable","version":"2026-07-31"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2026-07-28","date":"2026-07-28T00:02:33Z","type":"stable","version":"2026-07-28"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2026-07-21","date":"2026-07-21T04:06:31Z","type":"stable","version":"2026-07-21"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2026-07-01","date":"2026-07-01T02:01:17Z","type":"stable","version":"2026-07-01"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2026-03-19","date":"2026-03-20T00:04:21Z","type":"stable","version":"2026-03-19"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2025-05-06","date":"2025-05-05T23:28:38Z","type":"stable","version":"2025-05-06"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2025-05-05","date":"2025-05-05T03:38:19Z","type":"stable","version":"2025-05-05"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2025-02-24","date":"2025-02-24T02:39:57Z","type":"stable","version":"2025-02-24"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2024-11-07","date":"2024-11-07T03:43:43Z","type":"stable","version":"2024-11-07"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2024-08-28","date":"2024-08-28T11:48:04Z","type":"stable","version":"2024-08-28"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2024-08-09","date":"2024-08-09T02:23:08Z","type":"stable","version":"2024-08-09"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2024-04-30","date":"2024-04-30T06:08:38Z","type":"stable","version":"2024-04-30"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2024-04-16","date":"2024-04-16T01:47:15Z","type":"stable","version":"2024-04-16"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2024-04-02","date":"2024-04-02T01:56:33Z","type":"stable","version":"2024-04-02"},{"url":"https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/releases/tag/2024-02-07","date":"2024-02-07T03:09:11Z","type":"stable","version":"2024-02-07"}]` | - | | security.scorecard | 5.3 | - | ## Capabilities (CMS Software) | Capability | KeystoneJS | Payload CMS | |---|:--:|:--:| | **Core** | | | | CMS type | Headless / API-first | Headless / API-first | | **Licensing** | | | | Open-source | ✓ | ✓ | | **Deployment** | | | | Self-hostable | ✓ | ✓ | | Managed / cloud hosting offered | - | ✓ | | **Delivery** | | | | Headless API (REST/GraphQL) | ✓ | ✓ | | **Content** | | | | Structured content modelling | ✓ | ✓ | | Localisation / i18n | - | ✓ | | Content workflow / approvals | ✓ | ✓ | | **Editing** | | | | Visual / no-code page builder | ✗ | ✓ | | **Extensibility** | | | | Plugin / app ecosystem size | Custom field types and extensible architecture | Community-driven with templates and GitHub integration | | **Scale** | | | | Multi-site / multi-tenant | - | ✓ | | **Workflow** | | | | Git-based / code-first workflow | - | ✓ | | **Pricing** | | | | Free / open tier | ✓ | ✓ | *Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T17:30:20.058Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*