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Most buyers should pick Payload.
Strapi is the better fit for teams that want REST and GraphQL APIs generated from visual content models, a customizable Node.js backend and reviewed Marketplace plugins. Payload fits teams defining schemas in code and building a Next.js application, particularly when free self-hosting matters. Both are open source and self-hostable. For hosted deployments, compare Strapi Cloud’s request and asset quotas with Payload Cloud’s compute and storage allowances.
01Side by side
| Strapi | Payload | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Cloud: $35–$450/project/month; usage add-ons | Free self-hosting; Payload Cloud starts at $35/month |
| Free tier | No Strapi Cloud free plan; open-source self-hosting | Free MIT self-hosted edition |
| Open source and licence | Open source; MIT licence | Open source; MIT licence |
| Self-hosting | Yes; own infrastructure or Strapi Cloud | Yes; free self-hosted framework or Payload Cloud |
| API and SDKs | Generated REST and GraphQL APIs; SDKs unspecified | Generated backend; API protocol and SDKs unspecified |
| CLI and docs | npx create-strapi-app@latest; documentation available | npx create-payload-app; documentation available |
| Integrations | Reviewed Marketplace plugins; Cloud deploys from GitHub | Native Next.js; no other integrations named |
| Limits and scaling | Cloud: 100K–10M requests/month; extra requests billed | Self-hosted: infrastructure-bound; Cloud plan resource caps |
Strapi Choose Strapi if
- Choose Strapi if you need generated REST and GraphQL APIs.
- Choose Strapi if editors should model content through a visual builder.
- Choose Strapi if reviewed Marketplace plugins fit your stack.
Payload Choose Payload if
- Choose Payload if your application is built in Next.js.
- Choose Payload if you want schemas defined in code.
- Choose Payload if free self-hosting and no API quotas matter.
02Pricing at real usage
Strapi has no free Cloud plan. Its monthly hosted tiers are $35 Starter, $90 Pro and $450 Business per project, with 100,000, 1,000,000 and 10,000,000 API requests, respectively. Cloud overages add $1.50 per 25,000 requests, $0.60 per GB of asset storage and $30 per 100 GB of bandwidth. Pro and Business environments cost extra.
Payload’s MIT self-hosted edition is free, with no user caps, API quotas or usage limits beyond infrastructure. Payload Cloud starts at $35/month for Standard; Pro is $199/month, and Enterprise pricing is not listed. Standard and Pro overages are $0.50/GB database storage, $0.20/GB bandwidth/month and $0.02/GB file storage. Standard includes 512MB RAM and 3GB database storage; Pro provides dedicated database resources. Compare unlike units: Payload’s 50M serverless RPUs are not an API-request quota stated in the same terms as Strapi’s.
03API, SDKs and integration
Strapi is a Node.js application: define content types, components and dynamic zones, then generate REST and GraphQL APIs. Its backend supports custom controllers, services and middleware, and developers can customize the admin panel. The npx create-strapi-app@latest command starts a project. Strapi’s Marketplace offers reviewed plugins and integrations; Strapi Cloud can deploy from a GitHub repository.
Payload uses code-defined schemas to generate a backend and admin panel, with native Next.js support. Its starter command is npx create-payload-app. Payload describes its content as fully typed and RAG-ready, including preparation for vector embeddings. The product pages do not name client SDKs for either framework; Payload’s page also does not specify REST or GraphQL as its API protocol. Both sites link to further documentation, but the named integration options differ: Strapi lists a plugin Marketplace, while Payload names Next.js.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Both frameworks are open source under the MIT licence. Strapi can run on your own servers or Strapi Cloud; its homepage describes it as a Node.js application and says you control the code and data. Payload’s self-hosted edition is free, with no user or seat caps, API quotas or usage limits beyond your infrastructure. Payload also offers its managed cloud service.
Self-hosting gives teams control over infrastructure, but it leaves operations to them. The vendors do not specify a shared data-export format or migration path. Treat a move between frameworks as an application migration: Strapi’s visual content models and custom backend logic will need to be mapped to Payload’s code-defined schemas, or vice versa. Check how your chosen database, assets and customizations can be exported before committing.
Questions people ask
Is Strapi or Payload better for a Next.js application?
Payload is the more direct fit: its homepage describes native Next.js support and a backend built into a Next.js app. Strapi generates REST and GraphQL APIs that can serve a separate frontend, but the product pages do not identify equivalent native Next.js integration.
Can I self-host Strapi and Payload for free?
Both are open source under the MIT licence and can be self-hosted. Payload explicitly lists its self-hosted edition at $0, with no user caps or API quotas beyond infrastructure. Strapi has no free Cloud plan, but its open-source framework can run on your own servers; infrastructure costs still apply.
Does Payload provide REST and GraphQL APIs like Strapi?
Strapi explicitly generates REST and GraphQL APIs from content models. Payload generates a backend from code-defined schemas, but its product page does not specify REST or GraphQL as its API protocol. Confirm the API interface you need in Payload’s documentation before choosing it.
How do Strapi Cloud and Payload Cloud pricing compare?
Strapi Cloud starts at $35 per project per month and lists $90 and $450 tiers with monthly API-request quotas. Payload Cloud starts at $35/month, with a $199 Pro tier and custom Enterprise pricing. Their included resources and usage units differ, so compare your expected traffic, storage and compute.