Gentics Mesh vs Payload CMS
Gentics Mesh
gentics.com
Payload CMS
payloadcms.comSide by side
| Figure | Gentics Mesh | Payload CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Spec score · Headless CMS | 8.3 (#16) | 8.5 (#11) |
| API types | both | both |
| Asset transformations | Yes | Yes |
| Database support | MariaDB is the default relational database; premium database connectors support Microsoft SQL Server 2019+, Oracle 19+ and PostgreSQL 14.4+. | The documentation lists official database adapters for MongoDB, Postgres, and SQLite. |
| Deployment | The documentation describes Docker, AWS Elastic Container Service and Linux systemd deployment options. | Payload says it can be self-hosted anywhere a Node.js app can run, and provides starter templates for Vercel and Cloudflare. |
| Headquarters | Vienna, Austria and Bern, Switzerland | United States |
| Integrations | The product supports OAuth2/OIDC authentication, and a premium Keycloak plugin adds Keycloak or Red Hat SSO integration support. | Official plugins include Form Builder, MCP, Multi-Tenant, Search, Sentry, SEO, Stripe, Import/Export, and Ecommerce. |
| Content localization | Yes | Yes |
| Content preview | Yes | Yes |
| Product | Gentics Mesh is a headless or API-first CMS that provides HTTP APIs for accessing and managing content. | Payload describes itself as an open-source, Next.js full-stack framework and backend for building websites and applications. |
| Role permissions | custom | custom |
| Security | User passwords are stored as bcrypt hashes, and the REST and GraphQL APIs use Gentics Mesh authentication. | Payload’s security page describes SSO with SAML or OAuth 2.0, HttpOnly-cookie authentication, field-level access control, CSRF prevention, and configurable CORS. |
| Support | Customers with a Professional Service contract can access a dedicated support system and report issues by phone; community users can use Gitter, Stack Overflow and GitHub. | The self-hosted free option includes community support, while the Enterprise option includes dedicated support. |
Plans
In their own words
Gentics Mesh
Gentics Mesh is a free, open-source headless CMS that manages content through HTTP APIs. It provides REST and GraphQL interfaces, with GraphQL currently limited to read-only operations. Content can be arranged in hierarchical trees that generate navigation menus, breadcrumbs and URLs. The REST API supports multilingual content, custom user and permission management, previews, search with Elasticsearch and image resizing or cropping for PNG, JPEG, BMP, GIF and WebP files. GraphQL filtering can work independently of Elasticsearch. Authentication options include login, API tokens, OAuth2 and anonymous access; passwords use bcrypt hashes. Deployment documentation covers Docker, AWS Elastic Container Service and Linux systemd. MariaDB is the default database, while premium connectors support Microsoft SQL Server 2019+, Oracle 19+ and PostgreSQL 14.4+. The open-source edition costs nothing under Apache 2.0. Commercial plugins and extended SQL storage require a Gentics 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.