Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Prismic VS Payload CMS

Compare Prismic VS Payload CMS and see what are their differences

Prismic logo Prismic

prismic.io is a web software you can use to manage content in any kind of website or app. API-driven.

Payload CMS logo Payload CMS

Headless CMS and Application Framework built with Node.js, React and MongoDB
  • Prismic Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-19
  • Payload CMS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-10

Built with React + TypeScript, Payload is a free and open-source Headless CMS. Finally, a CMS that works the way you do. No black magic, all TypeScript, and fully open-source.

Prismic

Website
prismic.io
$ Details
-
Release Date
2013 January
Startup details
Country
United States
State
California
Founder(s)
Guillaume Bort
Employees
10 - 19

Prismic features and specs

  • Content Modeling Flexibility
    Prismic offers a highly flexible content management system where users can create custom content types, known as ‘Custom Types’. This allows for extensive control over the structure and fields of content, making it adaptable to various project needs.
  • Developer-Friendly API
    Prismic provides a robust and well-documented API that developers can use to fetch content easily. This includes support for GraphQL, RESTful APIs, and client SDKs, simplifying integration with various front-end frameworks and platforms.
  • Rich Text Editor and Slices
    It includes a rich text editor and 'Slices,' which are reusable content components. This allows for modular content creation, enabling marketers and content creators to build and manage dynamic pages without developer intervention.
  • Multi-Language Support
    Prismic offers strong multi-language support, making it easy to manage content in different languages and locales. This is ideal for businesses operating in multiple regions.
  • Versioning and Previews
    With built-in versioning, users can revert to previous versions of content easily. Additionally, Prismic offers a preview feature that allows users to see changes before they go live, ensuring greater content accuracy and quality.
  • SEO-Friendly
    Prismic lets users manage SEO-related settings like meta tags, canonical URLs, and alt text for images, enabling better control over search engine optimization.

Possible disadvantages of Prismic

  • Learning Curve
    While powerful, Prismic's interface and custom types can have a steeper learning curve for new users unfamiliar with headless CMS or structured content models.
  • Pricing
    Prismic's pricing can be relatively high compared to some other CMS options, especially for small businesses or personal projects. The cost scales with advanced features and higher traffic levels.
  • Limited In-Built Features
    Unlike traditional CMS platforms, Prismic doesn't include in-built features for things like e-commerce, forms, or complex workflows. These functionalities usually require third-party integrations or custom development.
  • Dependency on API
    Since Prismic is a headless CMS, the front-end is entirely decoupled, making it heavily dependent on the API. Any downtime or slow response times from the API can directly impact the user experience.
  • Complex Integration for Non-Developers
    Although Prismic is designed with developers in mind, this can make integrations and customizations challenging for non-developers. Basic features might require technical knowledge to implement effectively.
  • Scalability Limitations
    For extremely large projects or enterprises with complex needs, Prismic may not scale as effectively as some other enterprise-level CMS platforms.

Payload CMS features and specs

  • Headless CMS
    Payload CMS is a headless content management system, allowing for flexibility in how content is delivered and displayed across different platforms.
  • Customizability
    It is highly customizable, enabling developers to tailor the backend and content management experience to specific project requirements.
  • Developer-friendly
    Built with modern technologies such as Node.js and React, Payload CMS is designed to be intuitive and efficient for developers.
  • Open-source
    Payload CMS is open-source, providing transparency and the ability to contribute to its development or modify it according to your needs.
  • Rich Media Support
    It supports a wide range of media types, making it easy to manage and deliver rich content.
  • Advanced Access Control
    Payload CMS includes advanced access control features, allowing for fine-grained permissions and security settings.
  • Extensible API
    The CMS provides a powerful and extensible API, facilitating seamless integration with other services and applications.

Possible disadvantages of Payload CMS

  • Learning Curve
    As a powerful and highly customizable CMS, it may have a steeper learning curve for developers unfamiliar with its ecosystem.
  • Initial Setup Complexity
    Setting up Payload CMS initially can be more complex compared to some other CMS solutions that offer more out-of-the-box simplicity.
  • Smaller Community
    As a relatively newer and niche CMS, Payload CMS has a smaller community compared to more established CMS platforms, potentially limiting available resources and third-party plugins.
  • Hosting Requirements
    Being a Node.js application, it may require specific hosting environments that can support Node.js, which might not be as widespread as hosting for PHP-based systems.
  • Performance Overhead
    Complex customizations and integrations can introduce performance overhead, requiring additional optimization and scaling efforts.
  • Documentation
    Depending on the level of functionality required, the available documentation might not cover all edge cases or complex scenarios, leading to potential challenges during development.

Analysis of Prismic

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Prismic is a solid choice for teams looking for a headless CMS that balances developer flexibility with user-friendly content management.

Why this product is good

  • Prismic is a popular headless CMS that is highly regarded for its flexibility and ease of use. It allows developers to create custom content structures, making it suitable for a wide variety of projects. Its API-first approach enables seamless integration with different front-end technologies, and it offers a user-friendly interface that is appreciated by content editors.

Recommended for

  • Businesses seeking a headless CMS with strong API capabilities.
  • Teams that require a flexible content management structure.
  • Developers who prefer using a variety of front-end frameworks.
  • Organizations looking for a CMS that allows easy content collaboration.

Analysis of Payload CMS

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Payload CMS is a good option for many use cases.

Why this product is good

  • Payload CMS offers a modern and flexible headless architecture, which allows developers to create custom content management experiences using JavaScript and Node.js.
  • It provides a clean and intuitive admin interface that is designed to be easily customizable to fit different client needs.
  • Payload CMS includes built-in features like access control, versioning, and a robust API, which makes managing content efficient and secure.
  • The developer-centric approach means it's highly extendable and works seamlessly with modern development workflows.

Recommended for

  • Developers seeking a customizable, JavaScript-based headless CMS.
  • Projects that require a flexible content infrastructure and easy integration with other JavaScript libraries or frameworks.
  • Teams looking for a CMS that can scale with their application and development needs.
  • Organizations that need advanced content management capabilities such as complex access control and content versioning.

Prismic videos

Setup a blog with Gatsby and Prismic in less than 10min

More videos:

  • Review - Quick overview of a Next.js website project with Prismic and Now

Payload CMS videos

Payload CMS

More videos:

  • Review - Building a Professionally Designed Website with NextJS, TypeScript, and Payload CMS - Episode 1
  • Review - Building a Professionally Designed Website with NextJS, TypeScript, and Payload CMS - Episode 2

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Prismic and Payload CMS)
CMS
48 48%
52% 52
Blogging
56 56%
44% 44
Blogging Platform
100 100%
0% 0
JavaScript
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Prismic and Payload CMS

Prismic Reviews

Best Headless CMS in 2022
Prismic is a SaaS headless CMS trusted by many big companies such as Google, Netflix, and others. The product allows you to choose the technology, framework, and language and thereafter easily manage and deliver the content. It supports native integrations with eCommerce platforms.
Source: flatlogic.com
Best Node.js CMS platforms for 2022
Prismic is a headless CMS for editing online content. We can use Prismic to build everything from simple, editorial, and corporate websites to ecommerce stores.
11 Headless CMS to Consider for Modern Application
With Prismic CMS, teams of developers and marketers can launch websites, also allowing front-end developers to customize the front-end and use any programming language.
Source: geekflare.com
34 Headless CMS That Should Be On Your Radar
San Francisco-based Prismic is a SaaS headless CMS that comes with a visual editor, custom type builds, multi-language support, and full revision history. As well as native integrations with eCommerce platforms like Shopify and Magento, Prismic comes with a scheduling and project management tool to enable collaboration and workflow management.
Source: www.cmswire.com

Payload CMS Reviews

  1. Alessio Gravili
    · Founder at Bonfire Leads e.K. ·
    Best Headless CMS

    Payload CMS is the most customizable & flexible CMS which exists

    🏁 Competitors: Strapi, Directus, Sanity.io, Prismic
    👍 Pros:    Everything can be customized|Swap out any admin components|Ability to create your own fields|Automatic graphql & rest api|Define collections & fields in code|Serverless support
    👎 Cons:    Does not support all databases yet

Best Node.js CMS platforms for 2022
Payload comes with built-in email functionality. We can use this to handle password reset, order confirmation, and other use cases. Payload uses Nodemailer to process emails.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Payload CMS should be more popular than Prismic. It has been mentiond 91 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Prismic mentions (34)

View more

Payload CMS mentions (91)

  • I Found Perfect CMS after Years of Trial and Error
    Payload, a CMS powered by Next.js, or Sveltia CMS, a Decap CMS alternative using Svelte, are examples of CMS that I recommend to avoid until they become framework agnostic. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • [Video] Payload CMS Custom Array Field Component
    Learn how to implement a custom tagging system in Payload CMS using the array field and a custom React component! This video walks you through building a dynamic tag input where users can add, remove, and manage tags directly within the Payload admin panel. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Firebase and Payload CMS: Early Look at a Client-Side Auth Strategy
    This post details a proof-of-concept integration of Firebase Authentication with Payload CMS, focusing on the client-side implementation using Next.js. The goal is to allow users to authenticate via Firebase's various sign-in methods and then use the resulting Firebase ID token to securely access data and functionality within a Payload CMS instance. This is a work in progress, and I welcome feedback and... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • I Built a Fast Image Compressor with Next.js and Payload
    Check out https://swissknife.cc/! I made a super fast image compressor that can handle up to 40 images at once, though it can do far more if needed. I'm currently limiting it to 40 images to explore the limits. It supports JPEG and PNG formats, making it perfect for social media and web use. Built entirely with Next.js and Payload (a headless CMS https://payloadcms.com/). This is just one of many tools we'll be... - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • [Video] 🚀 Real-Time Updates in Payload CMS with Web Sockets!
    One of the most critical features for enterprise solutions is real-time data updates—whether for dashboards, notifications, or live collaboration. While Payload CMS doesn’t natively support WebSockets (yet), I put together a solution to enable real-time updates today! - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Prismic and Payload CMS, you can also consider the following products

Contentful - You don't need another CMS. You need a better way to manage content — unified, structured, and ready to deploy to any digital channel.

Webflow - Build dynamic, responsive websites in your browser. Launch with a click. Or export your squeaky-clean code to host wherever you'd like. Discover the professional website builder made for designers.

Strapi - Manage any content. Anywhere. The leading open-source headless CMS. 100% JavaScript / TypeScript and fully customizable.

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

Sanity.io - Sanity.io a platform for structured content that comes with an open-source editor that you can customize with React.js.

Storyblok - API-based content management system for multi-device online publishing