Comparison / Headless CMS
Three strong headless CMSes, three different trade-offs. Here's an honest comparison of Payload, Sanity, and Strapi for a B2B marketing site, from an agency that ships on them.
Not sure which fits? Ask usPayload, Sanity, and Strapi are the three headless CMSes we're most often asked to compare for B2B marketing sites. All three are capable; the right choice depends far more on how you want to host, pay, and own your content than on any single feature checklist.
The short version: choose Payload if you want to self-host a TypeScript-native CMS and own everything, Sanity if you want a polished hosted experience with real-time editing, and Strapi if you want an open-source, self-hosted option with a large plugin ecosystem. The detail is below.
At a glance
| Payload | Sanity | Strapi | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting model | Self-hosted | Hosted SaaS | Self-hosted |
| Language | TypeScript-native | JavaScript / GROQ | JavaScript / Node |
| Pricing model | Free, you host | Per-seat + usage | Free (open-source), you host |
| Data ownership | Full: your database | On Sanity's platform | Full: your database |
| Config as code | Yes: versioned in git | Partial | Partial (UI + code) |
| Real-time editing | No | Yes | No |
| Best fit | Teams that want control | Teams that want polish | Teams that want open-source |
Our take
For most B2B teams that treat their website as long-term infrastructure, we reach for Payload first. Self-hosting on your own database with the schema versioned in git gives you total control and no per-seat billing to fight as you grow, and its TypeScript-native design pairs cleanly with the static front ends we build.
Sanity is the better call when a polished, real-time hosted editing experience matters more than ownership, and the team is comfortable with SaaS pricing. Strapi is a reasonable open-source middle ground, but its developer experience and type safety lag Payload's for the TypeScript-first work we do. None of the three is wrong; the decision is about hosting, ownership, and pricing far more than features.
FAQ
For most B2B marketing sites, Payload is our default: it's self-hosted, TypeScript-native, has no per-seat pricing, and keeps your content model in git. Sanity is better when you want a polished hosted editing experience and are fine with SaaS pricing, and Strapi suits teams that specifically want open-source and self-hosting. The best choice depends on whether hosting, ownership, and cost or a turnkey experience matter more to you.
Neither is universally better: they optimise for different things. Payload is self-hosted and gives you full data ownership with no per-seat billing, which suits teams treating content as code. Sanity is a hosted SaaS with real-time collaborative editing and a polished Studio, which suits teams that value convenience and live collaboration over self-hosting. Choose based on whether ownership or hosted polish matters more.
Strapi is a credible open-source, self-hosted alternative with a large plugin ecosystem. Compared to Payload, its main trade-offs are weaker TypeScript integration and a developer experience that many teams find less refined for type-safe, code-first work. If open-source and ecosystem breadth are your priorities it's a reasonable pick; if type safety and developer experience lead, Payload tends to win.
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Tell us what you're building and we'll tell you honestly which option fits, even if it isn't us.
Honest advice · Even if it isn't us
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