Which is cheaper, Caisy or Payload?

Payload is 1.4x cheaper than Caisy. Caisy starts at $0/mo, Payload starts at $0/mo.

Does Caisy have a free tier?

Yes, Caisy offers a free tier with users: 3, entries: 5000, trafficGb: 100, apiCallsPerMonth: 1000000.

Caisy has significant switching cost. Payload has moderate switching cost. Payload is easier to switch away from.

Cms

Caisy

High-performance headless CMS with GraphQL API and multi-tenancy support

Switching Cost: significant

Payload

← More affordable

TypeScript-first open-source headless CMS with code-based configuration and managed cloud hosting

Switching Cost: moderate

Budget-wise, Payload is clearly more affordable at roughly a 1.4x price difference.

Pricing philosophy differs — Caisy charges per-seat, but Payload takes a flat-rate approach.

Teams prioritizing vendor flexibility should choose {winner} — lower switching costs preserve your future options.

Teams prioritizing vendor flexibility should choose {winner} — lower switching costs preserve your future options.

Price Difference

1.4x

Payload is cheaper by $14/mo

Pricing Model

Different

Tools charge using different pricing philosophies

Switching Costs

Payload

Lower switching costs for easier migration