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.
| 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 1.0 (October 2026); first released September 2026 | Version 3 since November 2024 |
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.
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.
Sources
Checked against each product’s own site on 17 October 2026. Prices and versions change; follow the links for today’s.
Other comparisons
Easy CMS vs Strapi
Strapi is the most popular open-source headless CMS: a separate Node server with its own admin. Its Community Edition is MIT, while live preview, content history, SSO and audit logs are in paid plans. Easy CMS runs inside your app and keeps those features in the free license.
CompareEasy CMS vs Directus
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CompareEasy CMS vs WordPress
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CompareEasy CMS vs Sanity
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CompareTry it in your own app.
One command sets up a Next.js or Nuxt project with the admin, or deploy a starter to your own Vercel or Netlify.
npm create easy-cms@latest