# Payload CMS vs Umbraco

**Leader by Vioscale score:** Umbraco

| Attribute | Payload CMS | Umbraco |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 50.9 (39% (low)) | 64.5 (55% (medium)) |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true,"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | 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. | 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. |
| features.capabilities | `{"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}` | `{"cms_type":"headless","free_tier":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":"Umbraco Marketplace with community and official add-ons including Forms, Commerc","structured_content":true}` |
| integrations.count | 6 | 8 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Nodemailer"},{"name":"Resend"},{"name":"SendGrid"},{"name":"Stripe"},{"name":"Ethereal"},{"name":"SMTP"}]` | `[{"name":"Cloudflare"},{"name":"Microsoft Azure"},{"name":"Umbraco Forms"},{"name":"Umbraco Commerce"},{"name":"Umbraco Workflow"},{"name":"Umbraco Engage"},{"name":"Umbraco UI Builder"},{"name":"Umbraco Deploy"}]` |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"hqCountry":"DK","primaryMarkets":["DK","GB","US","AU","NL"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"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"]}` | `{"type":"hybrid","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","summary":"Free, open-source","features":["Content Authoring","Media Management","User Management","Multilingual setup","Design & markup control","Marketplace & Add-ons","Customizable backend","Headless APIs & webhooks"],"components":[{"kind":"one_time","amount":0,"currency":"EUR"}],"description":"Open-source CMS with core content and media management","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Starter","summary":"€45/month","features":["Microsoft Azure Cloud Hosting","5 hosting regions","Automatic security updates","Configurable security features","Cloudflare CDN","Forms Builder"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":45,"period":"month","currency":"EUR"}],"description":"Managed cloud hosting with Azure infrastructure","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Standard","summary":"€280/month (Most Popular)","features":["Website & Delivery API SLA","Multiple environments","Expanded hosting features","Prioritized hosting resources","Increased usage limits"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":280,"period":"month","currency":"EUR"}],"description":"Team plan with API SLA and multiple environments","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Professional","summary":"€730/month","features":["Full Support in Business Hours","Dedicated resources available","Advanced hosting features","Premium prioritized hosting resources","Increased usage limits"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":730,"period":"month","currency":"EUR"}],"description":"High-performance plan with priority support","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"Custom pricing","features":["Customized 24/7 support","Expanded SLA","Dedicated CSM","Architectural Advising & Code Review","Custom usage limits"],"description":"Customized high-performance solutions","contactSales":true}],"addOns":[{"name":"Staging environment","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":45,"period":"month","currency":"EUR"}]},{"name":"Staging environment (extended)","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":70,"period":"month","currency":"EUR"}]},{"name":"Flexible environment","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":70,"period":"month","currency":"EUR"}]},{"name":"Flexible environment (premium)","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":110,"period":"month","currency":"EUR"}]}],"summary":"Free open-source tier; managed cloud hosting from €45/month","currency":"EUR","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://umbraco.com/pricing/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-13T22:42:46.269Z","startingPrice":{"amount":45,"period":"month","currency":"EUR"},"billingPeriods":["month"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | low | mid |
| pricing.transparent | no | yes |
| security.disclosure_policy | - | yes |
| security.gdpr | - | yes |
| security.iso27001 | - | yes |

## Capabilities (CMS Software)

| Capability | Payload CMS | Umbraco |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **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 | Community-driven with templates and GitHub integration | Umbraco Marketplace with community and official add-ons including Forms, Commerc |
| **Scale** |  |  |
| Multi-site / multi-tenant | ✓ | - |
| **Workflow** |  |  |
| Git-based / code-first workflow | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Pricing** |  |  |
| Free / open tier | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T16:54:11.267Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*