OJS vs Payload CMS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
OJS
Software to manage scholarly journals
VS
Payload CMS
TypeScript-native headless CMS and application framework
| Feature | OJS | Payload CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | GPL-3.0-only | MIT |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,025 | ★ 44,043 |
| First released | 2024 | 2021 |
| Replaces | — | Contentful, Sanity |
Why pick each one
Choose OJS if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0-only license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Choose Payload CMS if…
- Excellent TypeScript developer experience
- No vendor lock-in
Frequently asked questions
Is OJS or Payload CMS better?
Neither is universally better. Payload CMS has the larger community, while OJS is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are OJS and Payload CMS free and open-source?
Yes. OJS is licensed under GPL-3.0-only and Payload CMS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OJS and Payload CMS with Docker?
OJS: check the project docs for container support. Payload CMS: yes.