# Payload

TypeScript framework that runs inside a Next.js app and generates an admin panel, database schema and REST, GraphQL and local APIs from one config, used as a headless CMS or application backend.


Source: https://findsoftware.frbit.cloud/payload/
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Updated: 2026-10-25
Listed since: 2026-10-18

## Record

### Links

- home: https://payloadcms.com
- repository: https://github.com/payloadcms/payload
- docs: https://payloadcms.com/docs
- pricing: https://payloadcms.com/get-started
- plugins: https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/tree/main/packages

### Identity

- status: active
- maintainer: Payload CMS, Inc.
- maintainerType: company
- parent: Figma
- firstRelease: unknown
- hqCountry: US

### Kind

- category: headless-cms, framework, admin-panel, e-commerce
- hosting: node
- language: javascript
- runtime: node
- runtimeMin: node 20
- basedOn: nextjs, react

### Content

- contentStore: database
- databases: mongodb, postgres, sqlite
- adminUi: yes
- headlessApi: rest, graphql
- templating: jsx (Next.js)
- i18n: yes, field localization

### Rendering and deploy

- runsAs: always-on
- renderingModes: server, static
- installMethod: npx create-payload-app, pnpm i payload @payloadcms/next (existing Next.js app)

### License

- licenseModel: open-source
- license: MIT

### Releases

- currentMajor: 3
- latestReleaseDate: 2026-10-15

### Adoption

- githubStargazers: 45322
- packagistDownloads: not applicable
- npmWeeklyDownloads: 581876
- contributors: 436
- pluginCount: unknown
- packagistMonthlyDownloads: unknown
- ecosystemsMonthlyDownloads: unknown
- httpArchiveSites: unknown
- wordpressActiveInstalls: unknown
- dependentRepos: 440
- dependentPackages: 121

### Sources

- name: https://payloadcms.com/ (read 2026-10-18)
- urls: https://api.github.com/repos/payloadcms/payload (read 2026-10-18)
- urls: https://api.github.com/repos/payloadcms/payload (read 2026-10-18)
- urls: https://payloadcms.com/ (read 2026-10-18)
- maintainer: https://payloadcms.com/terms (read 2026-10-20)
- maintainerType: https://payloadcms.com/blog/payload-is-joining-figma (read 2026-10-18)
- parent: https://payloadcms.com/blog/payload-is-joining-figma (read 2026-10-18)
- hqCountry: https://api.github.com/orgs/payloadcms (read 2026-10-18)
- category: https://payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/what-is-payload (read 2026-10-18)
- basedOn: https://payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/what-is-payload (read 2026-10-18)
- language: https://payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/what-is-payload (read 2026-10-18)
- runtime: https://payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/installation (read 2026-10-18)
- runtimeMin: https://registry.npmjs.org/payload/latest (read 2026-10-18)
- runtimeMin: https://payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/installation (read 2026-10-18)
- contentStore: https://payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/installation (read 2026-10-18)
- databases: https://payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/installation (read 2026-10-18)
- databases: https://api.github.com/repos/payloadcms/payload/contents/packages (read 2026-10-18)
- adminUi: https://payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/what-is-payload (read 2026-10-18)
- headlessApi: https://payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/what-is-payload (read 2026-10-18)
- templating: https://payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/what-is-payload (read 2026-10-18)
- i18n: https://payloadcms.com/docs/configuration/localization (read 2026-10-18)
- renderingModes: https://payloadcms.com/docs/production/deployment (read 2026-10-18)
- installMethod: https://payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/installation (read 2026-10-18)
- license: https://api.github.com/repos/payloadcms/payload (read 2026-10-18)
- license: https://registry.npmjs.org/payload/latest (read 2026-10-18)
- licenseModel: https://payloadcms.com/get-started (read 2026-10-18)
- urls: https://payloadcms.com/get-started (read 2026-10-18)
- currentMajor: https://api.github.com/repos/payloadcms/payload/releases/latest (read 2026-10-18)
- latestReleaseDate: https://api.github.com/repos/payloadcms/payload/releases/latest (read 2026-10-18)
- githubStargazers: https://api.github.com/repos/payloadcms/payload (read 2026-10-18)
- contributors: https://api.github.com/repos/payloadcms/payload/contributors (read 2026-10-18)
- npmWeeklyDownloads: https://api.npmjs.org/downloads/point/last-week/payload (read 2026-10-18)
- urls: https://api.github.com/repos/payloadcms/payload/contents/packages (read 2026-10-18)
- runsAs: https://payloadcms.com/docs/production/deployment (read 2026-10-19)
- dependentRepos: https://packages.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/registries/npmjs.org/packages/payload (read 2026-10-25)
- dependentPackages: https://packages.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/registries/npmjs.org/packages/payload (read 2026-10-25)

## Notes

Payload is part of a Next.js application: a config file defines collections, and from them Payload generates a database schema, a React admin panel and REST, GraphQL and local APIs. A project starts from the create-payload-app scaffolder, or Payload is added to an existing Next.js app. Payload joined Figma, and its announcement says the project remains open source. The [deployment guide](https://payloadcms.com/docs/production/deployment) covers Vercel, Netlify, AWS, self-hosted servers and other targets.

## Worth knowing

Payload has no separate server. Hosting follows Next.js, which means a Node.js server or a serverless Next.js host, and uploads need persistent storage or a cloud storage adapter.

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Data licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Attributes are recorded, never scored; absent means unknown.
Credit, in full: FindSoftware, CC BY 4.0