Payload CMS vs Statamic
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
Statamic
Laravel-powered flat-file CMS for custom sites
| Feature | Payload CMS | Statamic |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 44,043 | ★ 4,861 |
| First released | 2021 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Contentful, Sanity | WordPress, Contentful |
Why pick each one
Choose Payload CMS if…
- Excellent TypeScript developer experience
- No vendor lock-in
Frequently asked questions
Is Payload CMS or Statamic better?
Neither is universally better. Payload CMS has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Payload CMS and Statamic free and open-source?
Yes. Payload CMS is licensed under MIT and Statamic under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Payload CMS and Statamic with Docker?
Payload CMS: yes. Statamic: yes.