25 Reasons Why You Should Use Payload CMS

If you're evaluating content management systems for your next web project, you've likely encountered dozens of options: WordPress, Contentful, Strapi, Sanity, Ghost, and countless others. Each promises to be the perfect solution for managing your website's content.

But there's one CMS that stands out from the crowd—not because of flashy marketing or a massive market share, but because of its modern architecture, developer experience, and genuine commitment to giving you complete control: Payload CMS.

I've built websites with WordPress, Webflow, traditional CMSs, and various headless solutions. After discovering Payload, it's become my go-to recommendation for projects that need powerful content management without the baggage of legacy platforms.

Here are 25 compelling reasons why you should seriously consider Payload CMS for your next web project.

1. Built with TypeScript for Type Safety and Developer Experience

Payload is built entirely in TypeScript, which means:

Fewer Bugs in Production

Type safety catches errors at development time, not when your customers are trying to use your website. When you configure your content schema, TypeScript ensures you're using the correct field types, relationships, and options.

Better Developer Experience

IDE autocomplete, inline documentation, and intelligent code suggestions make development faster and more enjoyable. You're not guessing what properties are available or checking documentation constantly—your editor tells you.

Easier Maintenance

As your project evolves, TypeScript helps ensure changes don't break existing functionality. Refactoring becomes safer because the type system guides you through impacts.

Modern Development Standard

TypeScript has become the standard for serious web development. A CMS built with TypeScript fits naturally into modern development workflows.

2. Blazing Fast Performance

Payload is genuinely fast, and speed matters for both user experience and SEO.

No Database Overhead of Traditional CMSs

Unlike WordPress, which makes dozens of database queries for a single page load, Payload is designed for efficiency. When combined with static site generation or server-side rendering, you can achieve millisecond response times.

Optimized API Responses

Payload's API only returns the data you request. No bloated responses with unnecessary fields. This means:

• Faster API calls
• Reduced bandwidth usage
• Quicker page loads on the front end

Efficient Architecture

Built on Express and MongoDB (or PostgreSQL), Payload leverages proven, performant technologies that scale effortlessly.

Real-World Impact

I've migrated sites from WordPress to Next.js + Payload and seen:

• 70-80% reduction in time to first byte
• 50-60% improvement in Largest Contentful Paint
• Significantly better Core Web Vitals scores

Speed isn't just a nice-to-have—it affects SEO rankings, user engagement, and conversion rates. Payload delivers speed by default.

3. Self-Hosted Means Full Control

With Payload, you host your CMS on your own infrastructure. This might sound like a hassle, but it's actually a massive advantage.

You Own Your Data

Your content lives in your database, on servers you control. No third-party service holds your data hostage or sets terms for how you can use it.

Complete Privacy and Security Control

For businesses handling sensitive data or operating in regulated industries, knowing exactly where your data lives and who has access is crucial.

No Vendor Lock-In

You're not dependent on a SaaS company's:

• Pricing decisions (no sudden price increases)
• Feature roadmap (you can extend Payload yourself)
• Terms of service changes
• Business continuity (what if the company shuts down?)

Deploy Anywhere

Host on:

• Vercel, Netlify, or other modern platforms
• AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure
• Your own servers
• Any hosting that supports Node.js

4. Developer-Friendly Architecture

Payload is built by developers, for developers. It shows in every aspect of the platform.

Modern Tech Stack

• Node.js and Express for the backend
• React for the admin UI
• MongoDB or PostgreSQL for the database
• TypeScript throughout

If you're a modern web developer, this stack feels familiar and comfortable.

Extensive Documentation

Payload's documentation is comprehensive, well-organised, and includes:

• Clear getting-started guides
• Detailed API references
• Real-world examples
• Video tutorials

Local Development Environment

Setting up a local Payload instance is straightforward:

npx create-payload-app

Within minutes, you have a fully functional CMS running locally. No complex Docker setups or convoluted configuration files.

Version Control Friendly

Your entire CMS configuration lives in code. This means:

• Changes are tracked in Git
• Collaboration is straightforward
• Deployment is consistent across environments
• Rollbacks are as simple as reverting a commit

5. Headless by Design

Payload is headless-first, meaning the CMS backend is completely decoupled from your front end.

Use Any Front-End Framework

Build your front end with:

• Next.js (my personal recommendation)
• React, Vue, Svelte, or any other framework
• Static site generators like Gatsby or Astro
• Mobile apps (iOS, Android, React Native)
• Multiple front ends simultaneously (website + mobile app)

API-First Approach

Everything in Payload is accessible via API. Whether you're building:

• A traditional website
• A mobile app
• A dashboard
• Multiple sites sharing content

The same content is accessible through clean, well-documented APIs.

Future-Proof Architecture

When the next hot JavaScript framework emerges, you can rebuild your front end without touching your content or CMS. Your content layer is completely independent.

6. Powerful Admin UI Out of the Box

Payload's admin interface is clean, intuitive, and powerful without being overwhelming.

Beautiful and Intuitive

Built with React, the admin UI is:

• Fast and responsive
• Modern and professional
• Intuitive for non-technical users
• Customizable when needed

Tailored to Your Content Model

The admin UI automatically generates interfaces based on your content schema. Define your fields in code, and Payload creates appropriate inputs:

• Rich text editors for long-form content
• Date pickers for scheduling
• Media galleries for images and files
• Relationship selectors for connected content

No Page Builder Bloat

Unlike WordPress page builders that create slow, convoluted code, Payload keeps things clean. You get exactly the fields you define, no more, no less.

7. Flexible Content Modeling

Create exactly the content structure your project needs—no compromises.

Custom Collections

Define collections for any content type:

• Blog posts
• Products
• Team members
• Case studies
• Events
• Literally anything

Rich Field Types

Payload includes field types for:

• Text (short and long)
• Rich text with formatting
• Numbers
• Dates and times
• Checkboxes and select fields
• Arrays and groups
• Relationships to other content
• Upload fields for media
• Geographic coordinates
• And many more

Nested and Repeating Fields

Create complex content structures with:

• Array fields for repeating items
• Group fields for related fields
• Nested structures of arbitrary depth

Conditional Fields

Show or hide fields based on values of other fields. For example, only show "discount percentage" if "on sale" is checked.

8. Built-In Authentication and User Management

User management is complex. Payload handles it elegantly.

Secure Authentication Out of the Box

• Encrypted passwords using bcrypt
• JWT token-based authentication
• Session management
• Password reset flows
• Email verification

User Roles and Permissions

Create user roles with granular permissions:

• Admin users with full access
• Editors who can create and publish content
• Contributors who can create but not publish
• Custom roles tailored to your needs

API Access Control

Define who can access what via the API:

• Public endpoints for published content
• Protected endpoints requiring authentication
• User-specific content access
• Field-level permissions

9. RESTful and GraphQL APIs

Payload generates complete APIs for your content automatically.

RESTful API

A full REST API is generated for each collection:

• GET /api/posts - List all posts
• GET /api/posts/:id - Get a specific post
• POST /api/posts - Create a new post
• PATCH /api/posts/:id - Update a post
• DELETE /api/posts/:id - Delete a post

With support for:

• Filtering and querying
• Sorting
• Pagination
• Depth control for relationships
• Field selection

GraphQL Support

Prefer GraphQL? Payload auto-generates a complete GraphQL API based on your collections and fields, with:

• Type-safe queries
• Nested relationship resolution
• All the power of GraphQL

Well-Documented Endpoints

Every endpoint is documented, with examples of request and response structures.

10. Excellent SEO Capabilities

SEO should be built into your CMS, not bolted on afterward.

Full Metadata Control

Easily manage for every piece of content:

• Title tags
• Meta descriptions
• Open Graph tags
• Twitter Card data
• Canonical URLs

Structured Data Support

Add schema.org structured data to help search engines understand your content.

Clean URLs

Unlike WordPress's database-generated URLs, Payload gives you complete control over URL structure.

Performance = SEO

Fast APIs and optimized content delivery directly improve SEO performance, especially Core Web Vitals.

Integration with Next.js SEO Best Practices

When combined with Next.js, you get:

• Server-side rendering for perfect SEO
• Static generation for blazing speed
• Dynamic sitemap generation
• Automatic image optimisation

I've built sites with Payload + Next.js that rank #1 for competitive keywords within weeks, largely due to technical SEO advantages.

11. Robust File Upload and Media Management

Media management can make or break a CMS. Payload handles it elegantly.

Built-In Upload Field Type

Add media to any collection with a simple upload field. Payload handles:

• File validation and security
• Storage (local filesystem or cloud)
• Automatic URL generation
• Relationship to other content

Image Processing

Automatically generate:

• Multiple sizes for responsive images
• Thumbnails
• Optimized formats (WebP, AVIF)
• Focal point cropping

Cloud Storage Integration

Store media on:

• Amazon S3
• Google Cloud Storage
• Azure Blob Storage
• Cloudinary
• Any S3-compatible storage

Media Library

A searchable, filterable media library makes finding and reusing assets simple.

12. Localization and Internationalization Support

Building multilingual sites is built into Payload's core.

Multi-Language Content

Configure locales in your Payload config, and every field can have translations:

{
  localization: true,
  locales: ['en', 'es', 'fr', 'de']
}

Locale-Aware APIs

Request content in specific languages via the API:

GET /api/posts?locale=es

Fallback Locales

If content doesn't exist in the requested language, fall back to a default.

Right-to-Left Language Support

Proper handling of RTL languages like Arabic and Hebrew.

13. Version History and Drafts

Professional content management requires version control and draft support.

Full Version History

Payload automatically tracks:

• Every change to every document
• Who made each change
• When changes were made

Restore Previous Versions

Accidentally delete important content? Restore it from version history.

Draft and Published States

Content can be:

• Published (live on your site)
• Draft (saved but not public)
• Scheduled (automatically publish at a future date)

Autosave

Never lose work due to browser crashes or accidental navigation.

14. Granular Access Control

Control exactly who can do what in your CMS.

Collection-Level Permissions

Define access rules per collection:

• Who can read
• Who can create
• Who can update
• Who can delete

Document-Level Permissions

Even more granular: control access to specific documents based on:

• User roles
• Document properties
• Custom logic

Field-Level Permissions

Hide sensitive fields from certain users. For example, only admins see pricing data.

Custom Access Control Logic

Write custom functions for complex permission scenarios:

access: {
  read: ({ req: { user } }) => {
    if (user.role === 'admin') return true
    return { author: { equals: user.id } }
  }
}

15. Webhooks for Automation and Integration

Connect Payload to external services and automate workflows.

Built-In Webhook Support

Trigger webhooks on:

• Content creation
• Updates
• Deletion
• Publication state changes

Real-World Use Cases

• Trigger a site rebuild when content is published
• Send Slack notifications for new submissions
• Update analytics when products change
• Sync data to external systems
• Invalidate CDN caches

Custom Hook Functions

Beyond webhooks, write custom functions that run at specific lifecycle points:

• Before validation
• After validation
• Before change
• After change
• Before read

This enables sophisticated business logic and integrations.

16. No Vendor Lock-In

Your content and configuration belong to you, period.

Export Your Data Anytime

Your content is in your database. Export it, migrate it, back it up—it's yours.

Configuration is Code

Your entire CMS structure is defined in code that you own. No proprietary formats or locked schemas.

Open Source

Payload's code is open source (MIT license). You can:

• View the source code
• Modify it for your needs
• Contribute improvements
• Fork it if necessary

Migrate Away If Needed

Unlike SaaS platforms where your content is trapped, Payload makes migration straightforward:

• Your data is in a standard database (MongoDB or PostgreSQL)
• Your media files are yours
• Your configuration is portable code

17. Cost-Effective Economics

Let's talk money. Payload can save you significant costs compared to alternatives.

No Licensing Fees

Payload is free and open source. You never pay:

• Per-user fees
• Per-project fees
• Feature unlock fees
• Premium tier costs

No SaaS Subscription Costs

Compare to headless CMS SaaS platforms:

• Contentful: $489+/month for production use
• Sanity: $199+/month for meaningful usage
• Strapi Cloud: $99+/month

You Pay Only for Hosting

Host Payload on affordable infrastructure:

• Vercel free tier works for many projects
• Railway or Render: $5-20/month for small sites
• AWS or Google Cloud: scales with your actual usage

Real Savings

For a typical business website:

• WordPress: Hosting ($10/month) + Plugins ($50-200/month) = $60-210/month
• Contentful: $489/month minimum
• Payload + Next.js: Hosting ($0-20/month) = $0-20/month

Over a year, Payload can save $500-5,000+ compared to alternatives.

18. Scalable Architecture

Start small, scale to millions of users—Payload grows with you.

Horizontal Scaling

As traffic grows, add more instances. Payload's stateless architecture makes this straightforward.

Database Performance

MongoDB and PostgreSQL are proven at massive scale:

• Millions of documents
• Thousands of concurrent users
• Global distribution

Efficient Resource Usage

Unlike bloated PHP-based systems, Payload uses resources efficiently:

• Lower server costs
• Better performance per dollar
• Smaller infrastructure footprint

Edge Deployment

Deploy Payload globally with edge networks for:

• Lower latency worldwide
• Better user experience
• Improved SEO for international audiences

19. Comprehensive and Maintained Documentation

Good documentation is the difference between frustration and productivity.

Clear Getting Started Guides

Step-by-step tutorials get you from zero to deployed in under an hour.

Detailed API Reference

Every field type, option, and API endpoint is documented with:

• Parameter descriptions
• Type definitions
• Code examples
• Common use cases

Video Tutorials

Visual learners can follow along with video walkthroughs.

Active Community

• Responsive Discord community
• GitHub discussions for questions
• Regular updates and improvements

Real-World Examples

Official examples show how to build:

• E-commerce stores
• Blogs
• Corporate sites
• Custom applications

20. Active Development and Community

Payload is actively developed and continuously improving.

Regular Updates

New features, improvements, and bug fixes are released regularly. The team is responsive and engaged.

Growing Ecosystem

• Increasing number of plugins
• Community-contributed packages
• Integration with popular tools and services

Transparent Roadmap

The development roadmap is public. You can see what's coming and contribute ideas.

Responsive Team

Bug reports and feature requests get genuine attention. The core team is accessible and helpful.

21. Custom Fields and Components

Extend Payload infinitely to match your exact requirements.

Custom Field Types

Build specialized field types for:

• Color pickers
• Custom editors
• Integration with third-party services
• Domain-specific data entry

React Components in Admin UI

Inject custom React components into the admin interface:

• Custom dashboards
• Analytics widgets
• Specialized content preview
• Integration with external tools

Plugins

Create reusable plugins that add functionality:

• SEO enhancements
• E-commerce features
• Analytics integration
• Custom workflows

22. Professional Draft and Publishing Workflow

Manage content like a professional media organisation.

Draft State

Work on content without publishing it immediately:

• Save drafts as you write
• Collaborate on unpublished content
• Preview before going live

Publish Scheduling

Schedule content to publish automatically:

• Blog posts for optimal timing
• Product launches coordinated with marketing
• Event pages that go live at specific times

Unpublish/Archive

Remove content from public view without deleting:

• Seasonal content
• Expired offers
• Historical archive

Approval Workflows

While not built-in, Payload's flexibility makes custom approval workflows straightforward to implement.

23. Rich Relationships and References

Connect content in sophisticated ways.

Relationship Fields

Link documents across collections:

• Blog posts → Authors
• Products → Categories
• Projects → Team Members
• Articles → Related Articles

Nested Relationship Resolution

Fetch related content in a single API call:

GET /api/posts?depth=2

Gets posts with authors and each author's related posts—all in one request.

Bidirectional Relationships

Reference content in both directions:

• Author knows their posts
• Posts know their author

Many-to-Many Relationships

Complex relationships like:

• Products in multiple categories
• Articles with multiple tags
• Projects involving multiple team members

24. Live Preview Capabilities

See content changes before publishing.

Preview URLs

Generate preview links that show:

• Unpublished content
• Draft changes
• Scheduled posts

Integration with Front Ends

Payload makes it easy to build preview functionality:

• Next.js preview mode integration
• Real-time updates as you edit
• Side-by-side editing and preview

Better Content Quality

When editors can see exactly how content will appear, they catch errors and improve quality before publishing.

25. Future-Proof Technology Stack

Invest in a platform that will remain relevant for years.

Modern JavaScript Ecosystem

Built on technologies that are:

• Widely adopted
• Actively maintained
• Continuously improving
• Expected to remain relevant

Not Tied to Legacy Decisions

Unlike WordPress (built in 2003 on PHP), Payload is built with modern web standards and practices from day one.

Adaptable to Change

As web technologies evolve, Payload can adapt:

• New field types can be added
• New frameworks can be supported
• New features can be integrated

Your Code Remains Portable

Because Payload is open source and your configuration is code:

• You're never trapped
• You can modify anything
• You can migrate if needed
• You retain full control

When Payload is the Perfect Choice

Payload excels for:

Content-Driven Websites Blogs, magazines, documentation sites where content management is central.

E-Commerce Platforms Product catalogs, inventory management, and order processing.

Corporate Websites Professional sites needing robust content management without WordPress baggage.

Headless Architecture Projects Any project where the CMS is decoupled from the front end.

Developer-Led Projects When developers have control and want modern tools.

Projects Requiring Customization When off-the-shelf solutions are too limiting.

International Sites Multilingual content with localization requirements.

High-Performance Requirements When speed and SEO are critical business requirements.

Real-World Example: My Experience with Payload

I've built multiple client projects with Payload + Next.js, and the results have been consistently excellent:

Better Performance

• Lighthouse scores of 95-100 across all metrics
• Sub-second page loads
• Excellent Core Web Vitals

Happier Clients

• Non-technical clients find the admin UI intuitive
• Content updates are quick and easy
• No plugin conflicts or mysterious errors

Easier Maintenance

• Fewer support requests
• Clear error messages when something goes wrong
• Straightforward updates and improvements

Better SEO Results

• Faster time to first page rankings
• Higher positions for competitive keywords
• Better user engagement metrics

One client migrated from WordPress to Payload + Next.js and saw:

• 75% improvement in page load speed
• 40% increase in organic traffic within 3 months
• Reduction in hosting costs from $150/month to $15/month

Getting Started with Payload

Ready to try Payload for your next project?

Installation is Simple

npx create-payload-app

Choose Your Database

• MongoDB (recommended for most projects)
• PostgreSQL (great for relational data)

Define Your Content Model Configure collections and fields in TypeScript.

Build Your Front End Use Next.js, React, Vue, or any framework you prefer.

Deploy Host on Vercel, Netlify, Railway, or any Node.js-compatible platform.

Why I Recommend Payload

As a freelance web developer who's worked with WordPress, Webflow, traditional CMSs, and various headless platforms, I can honestly say Payload is the most exciting CMS technology I've encountered in years.

It combines: ✓ Modern development practices ✓ Excellent performance ✓ Complete ownership and control ✓ Cost-effectiveness ✓ Developer experience ✓ Content editor experience ✓ Flexibility and customisation ✓ Future-proof architecture

For businesses, Payload means:

• Faster websites that rank better in search
• Lower ongoing costs
• More control over your content and infrastructure
• Better user experience for content managers
• Easier maintenance and updates

For developers, Payload means:

• Enjoyable development experience
• Modern tech stack
• Complete customisation capability
• Better project outcomes
• Satisfied clients

Conclusion: Payload Represents the Future of Content Management

The content management landscape is evolving. Legacy platforms like WordPress served us well but are increasingly showing their age. Expensive SaaS platforms create vendor lock-in and ongoing costs that don't make sense for many projects.

Payload represents a new approach: modern, flexible, performant, and completely under your control. It's not the right choice for every project, but for a growing range of use cases, it's the best choice available.

Whether you're building a blog, an e-commerce site, a corporate website, or a complex web application, Payload provides the content management foundation you need without the compromises required by alternatives.

Ready to Build with Payload CMS?

If you're interested in building a website with Payload CMS and Next.js, I'd love to help. I specialize in high-performance, SEO-optimized websites using modern technologies including Payload, Next.js, and Webflow.

I can help you:

• Evaluate if Payload is right for your project
• Design and build a custom Payload content model
• Create a blazing-fast Next.js front end
• Implement SEO best practices
• Deploy and maintain your site

Get in touch to discuss your project. Let's build something fast, flexible, and future-proof with Payload CMS.