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.
payloadcms.comrepositorydocspricingplugins
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 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.
Identity
Rendering and deploy
- Runs as
- Always on11
- Rendering
- On a server, Static output11
- Install with
- npx create-payload-app, pnpm i payload @payloadcms/next (existing Next.js app)7
Releases
Adoption
Sources
- 2026-10-18: name, links
payloadcms.com/ - 2026-10-18: links, License, GitHub stars
api.github.com/repos/payloadcms/payload - 2026-10-20: Maintainer
payloadcms.com/terms - 2026-10-18: Maintained by, Owned by
payloadcms.com/blog/payload-is-joining-figma - 2026-10-18: Headquarters
api.github.com/orgs/payloadcms - 2026-10-18: Categories, Built on, Written in, Admin interface, Content API, Templating
payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/what-is-payload - 2026-10-18: Runtime, Minimum runtime, Content storage, Databases, Install with
payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/installation - 2026-10-18: Minimum runtime, License
registry.npmjs.org/payload/latest - 2026-10-18: Databases, links
api.github.com/repos/payloadcms/payload/contents/packages - 2026-10-18: Multilingual
payloadcms.com/docs/configuration/localization - 2026-10-18: Rendering, Runs as
payloadcms.com/docs/production/deployment - 2026-10-18: License model, links
payloadcms.com/get-started - 2026-10-18: Current major version, Last release
api.github.com/repos/payloadcms/payload/releases/latest - 2026-10-18: Contributors
api.github.com/repos/payloadcms/payload/contributors - 2026-10-18: npm downloads a week
api.npmjs.org/downloads/point/last-week/payload - 2026-10-25: Dependent repositories, Dependent packages
packages.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/registries/npmjs.org/packages/payload