Payload vs WollyCMS

Comparing two open source alternatives to Contentful and Sanity. Use the comparison below to decide which one fits your needs.

Payload

MIT

Payload is an open-source, TypeScript-first headless CMS and application framework built on Next.js, Express, and React.

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WollyCMS

MIT

Self-hosted, open-source headless CMS built specifically for Astro.js with a block-based page builder.

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Side-by-side comparison

	Payload	WollyCMS
License	MIT	MIT
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes
GitHub Stars	45,180	46
Forks	4,288	8
Open Issues	1,287	10
Last Commit	Oct 10, 2026	Oct 5, 2026
First Released	Jan 5, 2021	Mar 20, 2026
Categories	Headless CMS	Headless CMS Content Management System (CMS)
Tags	#headless cms #self hosted	#cms #headless cms

GitHub stars over time

Payload45,180

WollyCMS

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