Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Payload CMS Cloud

Strapi is an open-source headless CMS for building content-driven applications with a customizable admin panel and API-first architecture. It lets teams model content, manage media, and deliver content to any frontend via REST or GraphQL.

Key Features

• Content-type builder for modeling structured content (including components and dynamic zones)
• Auto-generated REST and optional GraphQL APIs for content delivery
• Customizable and extensible admin panel with plugin architecture
• Role-based access control and permissions for APIs and admin users
• Media library for managing uploads and reusable assets
• Internationalization support for localized content
• Multi-database support, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, and SQLite
• CLI tooling to scaffold projects and accelerate development

Use Cases

• Headless CMS backend for websites built with modern frontend frameworks
• Content API for mobile apps and multi-channel publishing workflows
• Custom backend framework for building internal tools and content services

Strapi is well-suited for teams that want full control over content modeling, API behavior, and deployment. Its plugin system and API-first approach make it a flexible foundation for many application backends.

Payload is an open-source, TypeScript-first CMS and application framework that runs natively inside Next.js. It provides a configurable backend, APIs, and an extensible admin panel to manage content and power fullstack applications.

Key Features

• Next.js-native architecture that can live directly in an existing Next.js app folder
• TypeScript-first data modeling with generated types for collections and globals
• Extensible React-based admin UI, including support for custom components
• Built-in authentication and granular access control for users, roles, and content
• Content workflow tools such as drafts and versioning
• Rich text editing and block-based layouts for flexible page building
• REST and GraphQL APIs, plus hooks for server-side customization and automation

Use Cases

• Building a headless CMS backend for marketing sites, blogs, and documentation
• Creating fullstack Next.js applications that need content, auth, and admin tooling
• Managing structured content for ecommerce, portfolios, and multi-language sites

Limitations and Considerations

• Requires a Node.js/Next.js environment and is primarily tailored to the Next.js ecosystem
• Database choice and deployment model depend on project configuration and adapters

Payload is well-suited for teams that want the flexibility of a code-first CMS while keeping content management and application logic in a single, TypeScript-friendly stack. Its extensibility makes it a strong foundation for both content-heavy websites and custom business applications.

Directus is a flexible data platform that sits on top of an existing SQL database to provide an admin studio and real-time APIs. It can be used as a headless CMS, a backend for custom apps, or an internal data management interface without requiring database migrations.

Key Features

• Instantly generates REST and GraphQL APIs on top of supported SQL databases
• Admin Studio for managing content, data models, and relationships through a no-code UI
• Works with new or existing databases, keeping full control of the underlying schema
• Role-based access control with granular permissions for collections and fields
• Extensible platform with support for custom modules and interfaces
• Digital asset management for organizing and delivering uploaded files

Use Cases

• Headless CMS for websites and apps using an existing PostgreSQL/MySQL/SQLite database
• Internal admin panels for business data with fine-grained permissions
• Backend layer for custom products that need both REST and GraphQL APIs

Limitations and Considerations

• Licensed under Business Source License (BSL) 1.1 with an additional use grant, which may require a commercial license for some larger organizations

Directus is well-suited for teams that want to keep their SQL database as the source of truth while rapidly adding APIs and a modern admin UI. Its database-first approach and extensibility make it a strong fit for custom builds that outgrow traditional CMS patterns.

KeystoneJS is a developer-focused, open-source headless CMS and app framework for Node.js. It lets you declare data models (lists) in TypeScript or JavaScript and immediately provides a GraphQL API plus a configurable React-based Admin UI for managing content and data.

Key Features

• Schema-first data modelling with Lists and rich field types (text, relationship, document, password, timestamp, etc.).
• Auto-generated GraphQL API and CRUD resolvers that follow your schema and access rules.
• Full TypeScript typing and developer DX for compile-time safety and editor autocompletion.
• Admin UI built with React and Next.js, supporting custom React components and field views.
• Prisma-powered database layer with automated migrations and direct Prisma client access.
• Built-in access control, session management, hooks, and custom queries/mutations.
• Pluggable storage adapters and file handling to integrate with object stores or local storage.
• Designed to fit git-based workflows and common CI/CD/deployment targets.

Use Cases

• Headless CMS for websites, marketing sites, and multi-channel content delivery.
• Backend and content platform for web or mobile applications requiring custom schemas and role-based access.
• Internal admin panels, editorial tools, or lightweight e-commerce backends built on top of a generated API.

Limitations and Considerations

• Keystone 6 relies on Prisma as its ORM abstraction; currently supported database providers are relational (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite). Official MongoDB support is not provided due to Prisma/migrations considerations.
• Behaviour of text filtering and some field types can differ between supported SQL providers; developers must consider provider-specific column types and collation implications.
• Large-scale or highly-custom multi-database scenarios may require additional engineering around migrations, transactions, and Prisma client extensions.

KeystoneJS is focused on giving developers a fast, type-safe starting point for APIs and content management while allowing deep customization of UI, access control, and persistence. Its core strengths are schema-driven APIs, TypeScript-first tooling, and a React-based Admin experience.

Squidex is an open-source headless CMS and content management hub designed for structured content and an API-first workflow. It provides a web UI for editors while developers consume content via robust APIs to power websites, apps, and backend services.

Key Features

• Schema-based content modeling for structured, reusable content
• REST API with OpenAPI/Swagger definitions and advanced querying (OData-style filtering)
• GraphQL endpoint, including support for real-time subscriptions
• Workflow and role-based permissions to control draft, review, and publishing processes
• Content versioning with history, comparisons, rollback, and audit-oriented change tracking
• Event-driven integrations and automation hooks to connect external systems
• Asset management and import/export tools, including CLI-based administration
• Built-in backup and restore capabilities for migrations and recovery

Use Cases

• Centralized content backend for websites, mobile apps, and multi-channel publishing
• Product catalogs, marketing pages, and structured content for multiple frontends
• Content hub integrated with internal systems via events and APIs

Limitations and Considerations

• Requires external database infrastructure and careful sizing for high-scale deployments
• API-first approach means frontend rendering must be implemented separately

Squidex is well-suited for teams that want a flexible, developer-friendly headless CMS with strong APIs, workflows, and operational tooling. It can be deployed via containers or platform-native setups and scaled for production workloads.

Automad is a flat-file content management system and template engine designed for building websites without a database. Content is stored as human-readable files, while Automad still provides core features like searching, tagging, and caching for fast page rendering.

Key Features

• Flat-file storage (no database required), suitable for version control workflows
• Browser-based admin dashboard for content, settings, uploads, and theme management
• Block editor for composing pages/posts from reusable content blocks
• In-page edit mode for editing content while browsing the site
• Multi-layer caching engine for high performance on limited hardware
• Flexible template language and PHP extension mechanism for advanced customization
• Optional headless mode exposing content via a read-only JSON API
• Package ecosystem for installing themes and extensions

Use Cases

• Personal sites, portfolios, and blogs that benefit from a lightweight stack
• Small business or brochure sites needing a simple editorial workflow
• Headless content backend for custom frontends consuming a JSON API

Automad is a strong fit when you want a database-free CMS with a modern editing experience, templating built in, and the option to switch between monolithic and headless setups as needed.

Cockpit is an API-first headless content management system for managing structured content and delivering it to any frontend via REST or GraphQL. It is designed to stay lightweight while providing flexible content modeling, an admin UI, and optional add-ons for common content workflows.

Key Features

• Headless CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs for content delivery
• Flexible content modeling with Collections, Singletons, and Trees
• Asset management with built-in image processing capabilities
• Roles and permissions, API tokens, and optional two-factor authentication
• Multi-language content support for localized experiences
• Extensible via add-ons, hooks, and events; supports webhooks for automation
• Supports SQLite (default) or MongoDB as the backend datastore

Use Cases

• Power content for websites, SPAs, and static frontends via API
• Provide a shared content backend for mobile apps or multi-channel delivery
• Manage product catalogs, documentation, or marketing content with localization

Limitations and Considerations

• Requires modern PHP (notably PHP 8.3+) and correct filesystem permissions for the storage directory
• Backend storage is limited to SQLite or MongoDB, which may not fit teams standardized on relational databases

Cockpit fits teams that want a developer-friendly, API-first CMS with minimal overhead and strong flexibility in content structure. It works well as a lightweight content platform where you control data, deployment, and integrations.

Expressa is a Node.js/Express middleware that creates data-driven REST collection APIs from JSON Schema and exposes a Django-like admin interface for creating collections and managing permissions. It is designed to be embedded into existing Express apps and supports per-collection storage backends (MongoDB, PostgreSQL, or JSON files). (github.com)

Key Features

• JSON Schema-driven collections: define collection schemas using standard JSON Schema and edit them via the admin UI. (github.com)
• Built-in admin interface: browser-based admin for creating collections, roles/permissions and managing data (admin UI rebuilt with Vue.js in a past release). (npmjs.com)
• Pluggable storage per collection: supports MongoDB and PostgreSQL drivers plus file-backed JSON storage for versionable data. (github.com)
• Standard REST endpoints generated for each collection: list, get by id, create, update (including mongo-style update), delete, plus schema endpoints. (github.com)
• Middleware-first design: installs as Express middleware so it can be mixed with other Express routes and middlewares; supports event listeners/hooks to modify/stop requests and responses. (github.com)

Use Cases

• Rapid CRUD backends: quickly add collection-based REST APIs and an admin UI for internal tools, prototypes, or admin dashboards. (github.com)
• Decoupled frontends: expose JSON-schema-backed endpoints so frontends can reuse schema for forms and validation. (github.com)
• Small CMS or content stores: manage content collections with per-collection storage and role/permission controls for editorial workflows. (github.com)

Limitations and Considerations

• Data types: only standard JSON types are supported natively; dates must be stored as strings (ISO 8601) and there is no built-in advanced date type handling. (github.com)
• Feature gaps noted in project roadmap: automatic GraphQL support, JWT token expiration handling, cookie-based auth, and file-upload features were listed as roadmap items (indicating they may be absent or limited). (npmjs.com)
• Small ecosystem and low npm usage: the project is community/open-source with modest download numbers and community size; consider maintenance and support requirements for production use. (npmjs.com)

Expressa is a pragmatic option when you need a schema-driven REST admin layer that plugs into an existing Express app. It emphasizes simplicity and extensibility (hooks/listeners) while relying on common Node.js stacks (Express, MongoDB, PostgreSQL); evaluate the listed limitations and project activity before picking it for critical production workloads. (github.com)

Roadiz is a PHP CMS built around a polymorphic node/content schema that lets you model arbitrary content types and organize them hierarchically. It provides both a traditional themable back office and API-first features for headless deployments.

Key Features

• Polymorphic node system for flexible content schemas and structured content modelling
• Built on Symfony (Symfony Flex) using Doctrine ORM for data persistence
• API-first architecture with API platform integrations to expose headless endpoints
• Decoupled theming with Twig-based templates allowing multiple themes per repository
• Administrative back office focused on usability and content editing workflow
• Extensible bundle ecosystem (search bundle integrations such as Solr are available)
• Developer tooling: Docker-based development environment, composer-based PHP workflow, and entity/model generators

Use Cases

• Create headless content APIs for single-page applications or mobile apps
• Build content-heavy websites with custom content types and complex relationships
• Publish themable marketing or institution websites that require multiple themes and editorial workflows

Limitations and Considerations

• The v1.x repository is legacy and receives only security updates; active v2+ development moved to a monorepo and newer packages
• Some functionality is delivered via optional bundles; specific integrations (search, auth, markdown) may require additional configuration or separate packages

Roadiz is suitable for teams that need a highly customizable CMS with strong developer tooling and both traditional and headless delivery options. Evaluate the v2+ ecosystem for up-to-date packages and recommended project skeletons.

Localess is a translation management tool and headless content management system designed to manage multilingual content and localization for web and mobile applications. It provides a browser-based admin UI built with Angular and uses Firebase services for storage, auth, realtime data and hosting.

Key Features

• Angular-based admin UI for editing localization and content in real time
• Uses Firebase products (Authentication, Firestore, Storage, Functions, Hosting) as the backend
• AI-assisted translation support (Google Translate integration) to speed up initial translations
• Schema-driven content (schematics) with validation and hierarchical content models
• Low-code content management and instant publish workflow with CDN-cached generated payloads
• Import / export tools for migrating or backing up translation and content data
• Granular user management and permissions for admin roles and access control
• Exposed APIs for integrating translations and content with web, mobile, or server apps

Use Cases

• Manage translations and localization strings for multi-language web and mobile applications
• Serve as a headless CMS for small to medium projects that require schema-driven multilingual content
• Provide a low-code interface for product/content teams to update and publish content without builds

Limitations and Considerations

• Core backend relies on Firebase services and Google CDN, which implies vendor dependence and associated cloud costs
• AI translation is tied to Google Translate integration; using it requires appropriate API credentials and may incur usage fees
• Not focused on enterprise translation workflows such as advanced translation memory, glossaries, or multi-vendor MT orchestration out of the box

Localess is suitable for teams that want a lightweight, Firebase-native approach to localization and headless content management. It streamlines i18n workflows and quick publishing for apps that can accept a cloud-managed backend.