# Easy CMS vs Payload

> Payload is the closest to Easy CMS: MIT, code-first and installed into your Next.js app. It is far more mature, with a large community. Easy CMS also runs in Nuxt or on its own, and keeps team features such as SSO in the free license.

Page: https://easycms.dev/why/compare/payload

| Feature | Easy CMS | Payload |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT. Every feature is free, roles and SSO included | MIT; an Enterprise plan (through sales) adds SSO and visual editing |
| Where it runs | Inside your Next.js or Nuxt app, or as a standalone server | Inside your Next.js app |
| Content model | TypeScript config in your repo | TypeScript config in your repo |
| Databases | SQLite (file or Turso), Postgres (or PGlite) | MongoDB, Postgres, SQLite |
| Language and runtime | Node.js 22.12+, TypeScript | Node.js, TypeScript; Next.js only |
| Hosted cloud | None. Self-host anywhere; one-click deploy to your own Vercel or Netlify | Self-host anywhere; one-click templates for Vercel and Cloudflare |
| APIs | Typed Local API, REST; GraphQL and MCP as experimental plugins | See the official site |
| Admin in Thai | Complete: every admin string, and every docs page | Yes, near-complete |
| Roles, SSO, audit | Roles, field permissions, SSO (Google, Microsoft, GitHub, OIDC), audit log: all MIT | SSO is an Enterprise feature |
| Ecosystem | Small: official plugins (SEO, forms, redirects, nested pages, multi-tenant, shop, GraphQL, MCP), a new community | Large: about 45k GitHub stars; Payload has joined Figma |
| Maturity | Version 1.23; 1.0 in October 2026, first released September 2026 | Version 3 since November 2024 |

## Choose Easy CMS when

- Your frontend is Nuxt, or not a Next.js app at all (the standalone server serves any frontend).
- You want roles, SSO and an audit log without an enterprise plan.
- Your editors work in Thai and need Thai docs too.

## Choose Payload when

- You want the most mature embedded CMS for Next.js, with a large community and many examples.
- You need MongoDB.
- You need visual editing or enterprise support from the vendor.

Easy CMS is young: its first release was in September 2026 and its community is small. Every other product here has been in production longer, with more people answering questions.

## Sources

Checked against each product’s own site on 2026-10-17. Prices and versions change; follow the links for today’s.

- [Payload: pricing and license](https://payloadcms.com/get-started)
- [Payload: databases](https://payloadcms.com/docs/database/overview)
- [Payload: admin languages](https://payloadcms.com/docs/configuration/i18n)
- [Payload on GitHub](https://github.com/payloadcms/payload)