Payload CMS - the NextJS WordPress alternative

If you’ve spent years working with WordPress, you’re probably no stranger to its strengths. It’s a solid CMS with a vibrant ecosystem, flexible plugin architecture, and an intuitive content editor.

As the web evolves, more developers are turning to modern JavaScript frameworks like Next.js to build faster, more scalable applications. If you’re looking for a CMS built with Next.js, let me introduce you to Payload CMS—the Next.js WordPress alternative you didn’t know you needed.

What Is Payload CMS?

Payload CMS is a modern, headless content management system built for developers. Unlike WordPress, which started as a blogging platform, Payload was designed from the ground up to meet the needs of modern JavaScript developers. With its API-first approach and deep integration with React, Payload gives you the power and flexibility to build exactly what you need without the baggage of a traditional CMS.

Key features of Payload

Headless architecture

With Payload CMS, your backend and frontend are completely decoupled. This means you can use Payload to manage your content and Next.js (or any other frontend framework) to deliver it. The result is lightning-fast performance, better scalability, and a more flexible development workflow.

Developer Experience (DX)

Payload doesn’t try to hide its inner workings behind a graphical user interface. Instead, it embraces developers with its code-first approach. All content models, relationships, and configurations are defined in JavaScript, making it incredibly easy to version control and collaborate on projects.

Built-In API

Every Payload CMS project comes with a fully functional GraphQL and REST API out of the box. No need to wrestle with plugins or custom endpoints—your data is instantly accessible, and you have complete control over how it’s structured and delivered.

Database flexibility

One of the standout features of Payload CMS is its database flexibility. By default, Payload uses MongoDB, but it also supports PostgreSQL and SQLite, giving you the choice to work with the database that best fits your project’s needs. Whether you prioritize the scalability of MongoDB or the relational capabilities of PostgreSQL, Payload makes it easy to configure and switch between these options, ensuring a tailored backend for your application.

Why WordPress Engineers should care

So why should WordPress developers take note of Payload CMS? The answer lies in its ability to complement modern web development practices:

Embrace Modern JavaScript

WordPress is PHP-based, which is great for traditional web projects, but JavaScript is taking over the web development world. If you’ve dabbled in React or Next.js, you’ll feel right at home with Payload CMS. It’s built with modern JavaScript from the ground up, making it a natural fit for developers looking to level up their tech stack.

Next.js Integration

Next.js is one of the most popular frameworks for building React applications, and Payload CMS works beautifully with it. Whether you’re building static sites, server-side rendered apps, or anything in between, Payload makes it easy to fetch and manage your data.

Version Control Everything

As a WordPress engineer, you’ve probably dealt with migrating databases or syncing environments. With Payload, your content models and configurations are defined in code, so you can version control everything alongside your application.

Developer-Centric Approach

Payload is built by developers for developers. Its clean, modern codebase, detailed documentation, and code-first philosophy prioritize developer happiness and productivity.

Getting Started with Payload CMS

Ready to give Payload CMS a try? Here’s a quick overview of how to get started:

Prerequisites

Payload requires the following software:

• Any JavaScript package manager (pnpm, npm, or yarn - pnpm is preferred)
• Node.js version 20.9.0+
• Any compatible database (MongoDB, Postgres or SQLite)

Install Payload

npx create-payload-app@latest -t website

Define Content Models:

Payload uses JavaScript files to define content models. For example, here’s how you might define a “Posts” collection. In WordPress terminology, this is the equivalent of registering a Post Type and all of its custom fields, without a need for a 3rd party solution such as Advanced Custom Fields (ACF). I must add that it would be convenient if Payload implemented a GUI for modelling collections in the future!

const Posts = {
  slug: 'posts',
  fields: [
    {
      name: 'title',
      type: 'text',
      required: true,
    },
    {
      name: 'content',
      type: 'richText',
    },
  ],
};

Final Thoughts

Payload CMS is more than just a WordPress alternative; it’s a glimpse into the future of content management. By combining modern JavaScript practices with a headless, API-first architecture, Payload empowers developers to create faster, more scalable web applications without compromise.

If you’re a WordPress engineer looking to break into the world of React, Next.js and headless CMS's, Payload is the perfect place to start.