Payload

Details

The core project code is provided under an MIT license.

Their “Get Started” page features different versions of the software, with different features, with only the “Self Hosted” offering marked as “Completely open source”. An “Enterprise” version comes with “Enterprise Features” which looks to include features like SSO, AI and more advanced editing features, which do not seem to be part of the FOSS offering.

The project advertises itself generally as “open-source” in many prominent locations such as on its homepage, in the project GitHub description, and in the project readme. On some pages, such as those where it compares itself to other solutions they state things such as:

As a truly open-source solution, Payload stands apart from Sanity by eliminating vendor lock-in […]

This is while adverting their non-FOSS “Enterprise” features on the same page.

The project appears to have raised at least $4.7m in funding from investors which include MongoDB Ventures, Y Combinator, SV Angel, Grand Ventures and Exceptional Capital. The project appears to gain revenue from providing its software as a hosted service, and from selling the “Enterprise” version of the software.

In June 2025 it was announced that the project had been acquired by Figma.