Payload CMS

Payload CMS is a headless CMS and application framework that gives developers a blank canvas to build anything from simple blogs to complex enterprise applications. It runs entirely on your own infrastructure, either as a standalone Node.js app or integrated into an existing Express server. The admin panel is auto-generated from your schema, which means you define your content models in code and the admin UI adapts automatically.

Built with TypeScript from the ground up, Payload supports MongoDB for data storage and offers a REST API along with a GraphQL playground for querying content. It includes features like localization, versioning with drafts and revisions, rich text editing with custom elements, and a powerful field system that includes arrays, blocks, and relationship fields. The admin panel is fully extensible via custom components, and the entire system can be deployed on any platform that runs Node.js, from a VPS to serverless environments.

Payload is open source under the MIT license, making it free to use for any project. It is maintained by a dedicated team with contributions from the community. Ideal for developers who prefer to own their data and avoid vendor lock-in, Payload is increasingly adopted by agencies and startups that need a flexible backend for content-heavy applications.