CrafterCMS vs Payload CMS
CrafterCMS
craftercms.com
Payload CMS
payloadcms.comSide by side
| Figure | CrafterCMS | Payload CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 2 |
| Spec score · Headless CMS | 9.4 (#1) | 8.5 (#11) |
| API types | both | both |
| Asset transformations | Yes | Yes |
| Extensibility | Groovy, Java, FreeMarker and a plugin framework can extend APIs, workflows, delivery behavior and authoring UI. | Payload plugins can add functionality such as HubSpot synchronization, e-commerce, custom admin views, and third-party file hosting integrations. |
| Headquarters | McLean, Virginia, USA | United States |
| Integrations | Listed integrations include Elastic Stack, Stripe, GitLab, Bitbucket, Elastic Path, GitHub, Jenkins, commercetools and Shopify. | 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 |
| Support | Commercial support includes 24/7 support with SLAs, priority security patches, certified builds and high-availability support. | The self-hosted free option includes community support, while the Enterprise option includes dedicated support. |
| Webhooks | Yes | Yes |
Plans
CrafterCMS
- CommunityPrice not published
- EnterprisePrice not published
- Crafter CloudPrice not published
- CrafterCMS CommunityFree
- CrafterCMS Enterprise$5,472 a year
In their own words
CrafterCMS
CrafterCMS is a content management system from CrafterCMS, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, USA. It supports content localization, custom role permissions, webhooks, content preview, and asset transformations. Its API types include REST and GraphQL, and it is listed for web, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
The available plans represent three deployment and support arrangements. Community is an open-source GPL v3 release with community support and a self-hosted download. Enterprise is commercially supported and can be self-hosted or self-managed, with enterprise features and support. Crafter Cloud is a fully managed SaaS option with managed infrastructure, monitoring, and upgrades. The pricing model is listed as free, with a free plan available, but no prices are provided for Community, Enterprise, or Crafter Cloud.
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.