Simplify your stack and build anything. Or everything.
Build tomorrow’s web with a modern solution you truly own.
Code-based nature means you can build on top of it to power anything.
It’s time to take back your content infrastructure.

The backend to build the modern web.

A screenshot of live preview.
Payload app structure and config

Payload is the open-source Next.js backend trusted by the most innovative companies on earth.

Code-first for developers.
Content-first for marketers.

A collage of Payload admin panel components.

From Fortune 500 companies to independent developers, Payload is the answer to 'build vs. buy'.

Utilizing Payload enabled us to implement our digital postcards tool quickly and easily, engaging thousands of K-12 students.

Heather Nelson, Director, Blue Origin

Building with Payload can be done quickly and effectively, thanks to its code-based customization and developer-friendly features.

Sowmya Reddy Peta, Engineer, Microsoft

Payload had all the core features we needed to get started quickly, and the flexibility to make it our own as we build a world-class editing experience.

Matt Dean, Sr. Engineer, Hello Bello

We were impressed by the built-in flexibility and extensibility that kept our development workflow agile and in sync with marketing needs.

Duncan Van Keulen, Developer, Tekton

What we found so user-friendly was how simple the UI was to edit and manage content. Things were not hidden behind code.

Frank Shi, Co-founder, Paper Triangles

Meet the CMS from the future

payload admin dashboard on a laptop with folder structure overlayed
visual editing
your content as vector embeddings, that can be used as a custom chat bot
define schema code snippets

Meet the CMS from the future

payload admin dashboard on a laptop with folder structure overlayed
visual editing
your content as vector embeddings, that can be used as a custom chat bot
define schema code snippets

We’re building a better way.

The current wave of SaaS content platforms has brought big promises but fallen short on flexibility, locking teams into closed ecosystems and boxing in developers.


Payload marks a new era.


Open source isn’t just a feature—it’s freedom. Freedom for everything from freelance projects to large-scale enterprise needs, giving developers the control to build as they need, while equipping marketers to create on their terms.


With Payload, finally build something you truly own.