# Payload CMS

- **Canonical URI:** https://www.vioscale.ai/software/payload-cms
- **Category:** CMS Software
- **Homepage:** https://payloadcms.com
- **Also known as:** payload-cms
- **Profile claimed by vendor:** no
- **Last updated:** 2026-08-21T13:24:44.115Z

## Vioscale score

**50.9 / 100**, confidence 39% (low). Computed 2026-09-01. _(updating — computed under an earlier model version or past its freshness window.)_

Composite of weighted, independently-sourced signals (no user reviews, no vendor payment).

| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence present |
|---|--:|--:|--:|:--:|
| price_level | 80 | 0.052 | 4.2 | ✓ |
| reliability | 0 | 0.063 | 0 | - |
| capabilities | 100 | 0.03955555555555555 | 4 | ✓ |
| integrations | 24.3 | 0.04777777777777779 | 1.2 | ✓ |
| security_posture | 0 | 0.063 | 0 | - |
| pricing_transparency | 25 | 0.084 | 2.1 | ✓ |

## Pricing

_As of 2026-08-21, [verify at source](https://payloadcms.com). Independently observed._

Hybrid · Free tier · 14-day trial

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

## About

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._

## Platform & deployment

- **Platforms:** CLI, Web
- **Deployment:** Cloud / SaaS, On-premise, Self-hosted

## Integrations (6)

_Independently observed._

- Nodemailer
- Resend
- SendGrid
- Stripe
- Ethereal
- SMTP

## Capabilities

_The capabilities that matter for CMS Software. "-" = undocumented, not absent._

| Capability | Supported |
|---|:--:|
| **Core** | |
| CMS type | 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 |
| **Scale** | |
| Multi-site / multi-tenant | ✓ |
| **Workflow** | |
| Git-based / code-first workflow | ✓ |
| **Pricing** | |
| Free / open tier | ✓ |

## Facts

Every value below carries its source and our confidence. Facts are re-crawled on a freshness schedule.

### pricing

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pricing.model | freemium | [link](https://payloadcms.com) | 2026-08-21 | 60% (medium) |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | [link](https://payloadcms.com) | 2026-08-21 | 60% (medium) |
| pricing.price_level | low | [link](https://payloadcms.com) | 2026-08-21 | 60% (medium) |
| pricing.transparent | no | [link](https://payloadcms.com) | 2026-08-21 | 60% (medium) |

### integrations

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| integrations.count | 6 | [link](https://payloadcms.com) | 2026-08-21 | 60% (medium) |

### market

| Attribute | Value | Source | Retrieved | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | [link](https://payloadcms.com) | 2026-08-21 | 50% (medium) |

---
*Source: Vioscale (https://www.vioscale.ai/software/payload-cms). Independent, evidence-based software intelligence. Cite the canonical URI.*