Cloud CMS vs Payload CMS
Cloud CMS
gitana.io
Payload CMS
payloadcms.comSide by side
| Figure | Cloud CMS | Payload CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $220/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 2 |
| Spec score · Headless CMS | 8.9 (#7) | 8.5 (#11) |
| API types | both | both |
| Asset transformations | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment | Gitana is offered as a hosted subscription or Docker containers that can run on-premise or in a private cloud using Docker and Kubernetes. | Payload says it can be self-hosted anywhere a Node.js app can run, and provides starter templates for Vercel and Cloudflare. |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | United States |
| Integrations | Official integrations include Amazon Web Services, Azure, Google, Docker, Slack, Okta, Ping, Keycloak, IBM Watson and IBM API Connect. | Official plugins include Form Builder, MCP, Multi-Tenant, Search, Sentry, SEO, Stripe, Import/Export, and Ecommerce. |
| Content localization | Yes | Yes |
| Content preview | Yes | Yes |
| Role permissions | custom | custom |
| Security | Gitana documents OAuth 2.0 authentication, role-based authorization, SAML 2.0 and JWT SSO, MFA, encrypted storage, TLS and continuous backups. | Payload’s security page describes SSO with SAML or OAuth 2.0, HttpOnly-cookie authentication, field-level access control, CSRF prevention, and configurable CORS. |
| Webhooks | Yes | Yes |
Plans
Cloud CMS
- Starter$220 a month
- Business$850 a month
- Plus$1,700 a month
- Developer EditionFree
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Cloud CMS
Cloud CMS is an editorial platform for creating, approving, and publishing content to customer-facing applications in real time. Editors work in rich-text forms, approve material, and publish it with a click. Gitana tracks content creation, changes, and deletions, with visual comparison, branching, merging, and reverting. Teams can schedule future releases for automatic publication and use hot-fix support. Content searches can span branches and projects through full-text or structured queries, with exports to CSV, Excel, or ZIP. Event-driven actions, rules, scripts, emails, and webhooks can respond to changes in content and other platform objects. The API uses OAuth 2.0 over HTTP or HTTPS and covers publishing, workflow, security, versioning, search, and analytics. Cloud CMS is offered as a hosted subscription or Docker containers for on-premise or private-cloud deployment using Docker and Kubernetes. The pricing model is freemium, with a free Developer Edition and paid plans from $220/mo. The maker documents role-based authorization, SSO, MFA, encrypted storage, TLS, and continuous backups. The container registry is accessible only to customers with a purchased commercial license.
Payload CMS
Payload CMS is an open-source TypeScript framework and backend for building websites and applications. A configuration provides an admin panel, database migrations, REST and GraphQL APIs, authentication, access control, file storage, and live preview. Its stated uses include headless CMS projects, internal tools, commerce, and digital asset management. Content capabilities include localization, custom role permissions, webhooks, preview, and asset transformations. Official database adapters support MongoDB, Postgres, and SQLite, while plugins cover functions such as forms, search, SEO, and ecommerce. The code is released under the MIT License, and the free self-hosted option includes community support. Payload can run wherever a Node.js app can run, with starter templates for Vercel and Cloudflare; getting started requires Node.js 20.9.0 or later, a JavaScript package manager, and a compatible database. Enterprise features include SSO, visual editing, publishing workflows, AI auto-embedding, and static A/B testing.