Payload CMS vs SPIP
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?
Payload CMS
TypeScript-native headless CMS and application framework
VS
SPIP
CMS with a focus on collaborative edition and multilingualism
| Feature | Payload CMS | SPIP |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Language | TypeScript | |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 44,043 | — |
| First released | 2021 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Contentful, Sanity | Blogger, Coldfusion, Wix |
Why pick each one
Choose Payload CMS if…
- Excellent TypeScript developer experience
- No vendor lock-in
Choose SPIP if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0-or-later license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Payload CMS or SPIP better?
Neither is universally better. Payload CMS has the larger community, while SPIP is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Payload CMS and SPIP free and open-source?
Yes. Payload CMS is licensed under MIT and SPIP under GPL-3.0-or-later. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Payload CMS and SPIP with Docker?
Payload CMS: yes. SPIP: check the project docs for container support.