Sanity vs Payload CMS(2026)
Sanity is better for teams that need flexible schema. Payload CMS is the stronger choice if code-first (typescript config). Sanity is freemium (from $15/month) and Payload CMS is free.
Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.
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Sanity
Sanity is a headless CMS with real-time collaboration, a customizable studio, and a GROQ query language.
Starting at $15/month
Visit SanityPayload CMS
Payload is a TypeScript-first headless CMS with code-first configuration, local-first development, and no vendor lock-in.
Visit Payload CMSHow Do Sanity and Payload CMS Compare on Features?
| Feature | Sanity | Payload CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Starting price | $15/month | Free |
| Real-time collaboration | ✓ | — |
| Portable Text | ✓ | — |
| GROQ queries | ✓ | — |
| Studio customization | ✓ | — |
| Content Lake | ✓ | — |
| Image CDN | ✓ | — |
| TypeScript config | — | ✓ |
| REST + GraphQL | — | ✓ |
| Live preview | — | ✓ |
| Access control | — | ✓ |
| Self-hosted | — | ✓ |
| React admin UI | — | ✓ |
Sanity Pros and Cons vs Payload CMS
S
Sanity
+Flexible schema
+Real-time editing
+Powerful GROQ
+Great free tier
+TypeScript-first
−GROQ learning curve
−Costly for large teams
−Complex for simple use cases
P
Payload CMS
+Code-first (TypeScript config)
+Self-hostable (no vendor lock-in)
+Excellent TypeScript types
+Full control
−Less SaaS-friendly than Contentful
−Self-hosting requires infra
−Newer ecosystem
Should You Use Sanity or Payload CMS?
Choose Sanity if…
- •Flexible schema
- •Real-time editing
- •Powerful GROQ
Choose Payload CMS if…
- •Code-first (TypeScript config)
- •Self-hostable (no vendor lock-in)
- •Excellent TypeScript types