KeystoneJS vs Payload CMS
A side-by-side comparison of KeystoneJS and Payload CMS — pricing, license, deployment, and where each tool wins.
KeystoneJS
keystonejs.com
CMS and web application platform.
Payload CMS
payloadcms.com
Developer-first headless CMS and application framework.
| Feature | KeystoneJS | Payload CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Model | Open-source | Open-source |
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Self-hosted |
| Category | Content Management Systems (CMS) | Content Management Systems (CMS) |
| Self-hosted | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Free tier | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
Pick KeystoneJS if…
- ✓You prefer KeystoneJS's feature set or ecosystem fit.
Pick Payload CMS if…
- ✓You prefer Payload CMS's feature set or ecosystem fit.