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# Drupal vs Payload CMS Comparison - What are their main differences?

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DrupalPayload CMS[+ Add Product](#)

Reviews

**Drupal** [

3.9/5(425)

](https://www.g2.com/products/drupal/reviews#reviews)

**Payload CMS** [

4.9/5(59)

](https://www.g2.com/products/payload-cms/reviews#reviews)

Pricing

**Drupal**
 **Free** · Drupal CMS

**Payload CMS**
Free Trial

**Free** · Self-Hosted

**Pricing Insights**
from reviews

Time to Implement

**Drupal**
4 months

Based on 71 responses

**Payload CMS**
2 monthsFaster

Based on 14 responses

Return on Investment

**Drupal**
16 months

Based on 42 responses

**Payload CMS**
6 months10 months sooner

Based on 8 responses

Perceived Cost

**Drupal**
$$$$$

**Payload CMS**
$$$$$

Average Discount

**Drupal**
9%4% more

**Payload CMS**
5%

 ![Drupal](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1487565542/drupal.svg "Drupal")

 ![Payload CMS](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/af2f83878bc9b5dcc8d95a79a3a54d91/payload-cms.svg "Payload CMS")

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Pros & Cons

**Drupal**
[
Customer Support (2)
](https://www.g2.com/products/drupal/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1795300&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Customizability (2)
](https://www.g2.com/products/drupal/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1794438&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Learning Difficulty (2)
](https://www.g2.com/products/drupal/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1984924&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Upgrade Difficulties (2)
](https://www.g2.com/products/drupal/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1794345&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

**Payload CMS**
[
Community Support (3)
](https://www.g2.com/products/payload-cms/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1123836&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Ease of Use (3)
](https://www.g2.com/products/payload-cms/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1122613&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Lack of Customization (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/payload-cms/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1124239&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Limited Community Support (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/payload-cms/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1122695&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

Integrations

**Drupal**
[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_7ac26159c9ff73c3577631317a201a51/ellucian-student.png "Product Avatar Image")

Ellucian Student

](https://www.g2.com/products/ellucian-student/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_db11aab8ccb63f5742949ab9955e36bf/google-analytics.png "Product Avatar Image")

Google Analytics

](https://www.g2.com/products/google-analytics/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_8e123398655ea08944802dc11fbc74e6/intuit-mailchimp-email-marketing.png "Product Avatar Image")

Intuit Mailchimp Email...

](https://www.g2.com/products/intuit-mailchimp-email-marketing/reviews)[
View all
](https://www.g2.com/products/drupal/integrations)

**Payload CMS**
Not enough data

Screenshots

**Drupal**
 ![Drupal screenshot](https://images.g2crowd.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,height=600,fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,/https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/attachment/file/1941665/Halloway_Canvas_home.png)

**Payload CMS**
 ![Payload CMS screenshot](https://images.g2crowd.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,height=600,fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,/https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/attachment/file/1315088/backend-to-build-modern-web.png)

Ratings

Meets Requirements

**Drupal**

8.3

8.3354

**Payload CMS**

9.4

9.456

Ease of Use

**Drupal**

6.8

6.8357

**Payload CMS**

9.0

9.056

Ease of Setup

**Drupal**

6.6

6.6225

**Payload CMS**

9.1

9.148

Ease of Admin

**Drupal**

7.2

7.2232

**Payload CMS**

9.3

9.347

Quality of Support

**Drupal**

7.4

7.4289

**Payload CMS**

9.3

9.355

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?

**Drupal**

7.6

7.6176

**Payload CMS**

9.4

9.435

Product Direction (% positive)

**Drupal**

6.7

6.7346

**Payload CMS**

10.0

10.055

Features

Web Content Management[Hide 51 FeaturesShow 51 Features](javascript:void(0);)

7.9

322

9.4

7

Content

Content Authoring

8.3

289

|

Verified

10.0(won by 1.7)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Rich Text Editor

7.8

280

|

Verified

9.5(won by 1.7)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Versioning

7.9

248

|

Verified

10.0(won by 2.1)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Plug-ins/Widgets/Apps

7.9

268

8.8(won by 0.9)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Approval Process

7.7

235

|

Verified

10.0(won by 2.3)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Content Scheduling

7.7

234

|

Verified

9.3(won by 1.6)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Asset Management

7.3

254

|

Verified

9.0(won by 1.7)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Internal Search

7.4

269

|

Verified

9.8(won by 2.4)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Content Repository

7.9

257

|

Verified

9.8(won by 1.9)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

SEO Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

eCommerce Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Forms Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Campaign Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Media Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Drag & Drop Editor

Not enough data

Not enough data

Audio Editor

Not enough data

Not enough data

Design

Breadth of Pre-Built Templates

7.1

255

|

Verified

8.3(won by 1.2)

6

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Mobile

7.6

262

8.6(won by 1.0)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Branding/Themes

7.6

262

|

Verified

9.2(won by 1.6)

6

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Customization

8.3

280

|

Verified

9.8(won by 1.5)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Platform

User Community

8.5

246

9.8(won by 1.3)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

SEO

8.1

253

9.5(won by 1.4)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Flexible Navigation Structures

8.1

266

|

Verified

9.8(won by 1.7)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

User, Role, and Access Management

8.5

275

|

Verified

9.8(won by 1.3)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Enterprise Scalability

8.4

233

|

Verified

9.8(won by 1.4)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Internationalization

8.2

210

|

Verified

9.3(won by 1.1)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Dashboards and Reports

7.6

236

|

Verified

8.1(won by 0.5)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

API

8.1

228

|

Verified

10.0(won by 1.9)

7

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Agentic AI - Web Content Management

Cross-system Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Natural Language Interaction

Not enough data

Not enough data

Social Media Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Additional Functionality

AI/Machine Learning

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reporting/Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Collaboration Tools

Not enough data

Not enough data

Image Editing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Website Publishing Options

Not enough data

Not enough data

Chatbot

Not enough data

Not enough data

Content Publishing Options

Not enough data

Not enough data

Text Editing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Access Control

Not enough data

Not enough data

Website Accessibility Tools

Not enough data

Not enough data

Content Delivery

Not enough data

Not enough data

Content Personalization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Configurable Workflow

Not enough data

Not enough data

Generative AI

Not enough data

Not enough data

Alerts/Notifications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Video Editing

Not enough data

Not enough data

AI Copilot

Not enough data

Not enough data

Performance Testing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Monitoring

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Channel Distribution

Not enough data

Not enough data

Headless CMS[Hide 95 FeaturesShow 95 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

8.7

46

Publishing

Automated Publishing

Not enough data

8.9(won by default)

25

Multi-language

Not enough data

9.1(won by default)

35

AR/VR Capability

Not enough data

6.8(won by default)

12

Development

Image Management

Not enough data

8.4(won by default)

43

Reuseable Content

Not enough data

9.4(won by default)

42

Unlimited Environments

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

29

Form Builder

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

26

Web Forms

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customizable Forms

Not enough data

Not enough data

User Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Workflow Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Template Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Compliance Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Asset Lifecycle Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Website Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Document Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

SEO Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Content Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Channel Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Integrated Development Environment

Not enough data

Not enough data

File Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Analytics

Personalization

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

40

Content Performance

Not enough data

9.2(won by default)

44

Interactive Content

Not enough data

Not enough data

Agentic AI - Headless CMS

Cross-system Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Third-Party Integrations

Not enough data

Not enough data

Additional Functionality

A/B Testing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Full Text Search

Not enough data

Not enough data

Two-Factor Authentication

Not enough data

Not enough data

SDKs

Not enough data

Not enough data

Content Publishing Options

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Channel Marketing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Image Editing

Not enough data

Not enough data

API

Not enough data

Not enough data

Content Library

Not enough data

Not enough data

Mobile Access

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reporting/Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

AI Copilot

Not enough data

Not enough data

De-Coupled Front & Back Ends

Not enough data

Not enough data

Collaboration Tools

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Dashboard

Not enough data

Not enough data

Generative AI

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customizable Templates

Not enough data

Not enough data

Text Editing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Drag & Drop

Not enough data

Not enough data

Rich Text Editor

Not enough data

Not enough data

Scheduling

Not enough data

Not enough data

Tagging

Not enough data

Not enough data

Single Sign On

Not enough data

Not enough data

Configurable Workflow

Not enough data

Not enough data

Categorization/Grouping

Not enough data

Not enough data

Preview Functionality

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Channel Distribution

Not enough data

Not enough data

For Marketers

Not enough data

Not enough data

Version Control

Not enough data

Not enough data

Approval Process Control

Not enough data

Not enough data

Filtering

Not enough data

Not enough data

For Developers

Not enough data

Not enough data

Website Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Role-Based Permissions

Not enough data

Not enough data

Historical Reporting

Not enough data

Not enough data

Access Controls/Permissions

Not enough data

Not enough data

Email Marketing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Loyalty Program

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customer Touchpoints

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customer Segmentation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Web/Mobile App Development

Not enough data

Not enough data

Product Catalog

Not enough data

Not enough data

Inventory Optimization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Location

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Synchronization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Inventory Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customer Database

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Currency

Not enough data

Not enough data

Shopping Cart

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reporting & Statistics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customer Accounts

Not enough data

Not enough data

Conversion Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

CRM

Not enough data

Not enough data

Search/Filter

Not enough data

Not enough data

Barcode/Ticket Scanning

Not enough data

Not enough data

SSL Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

Alerts/Notifications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Secure Login

Not enough data

Not enough data

Document Review

Not enough data

Not enough data

Content Delivery

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customizable Branding

Not enough data

Not enough data

Secure Data Storage

Not enough data

Not enough data

Document Storage

Not enough data

Not enough data

Mobile Capture

Not enough data

Not enough data

Offline Access

Not enough data

Not enough data

Templates

Not enough data

Not enough data

File Sharing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Capture and Transfer

Not enough data

Not enough data

Show 2 feature categories with incomplete data

E-Commerce Platforms[Hide 133 FeaturesShow 133 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

Not enough data

Headless Commerce

Decoupling

Not enough data

Not enough data

REST APIs

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Orchestration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Extensibility

Not enough data

Not enough data

Generative AI

AI Text Generation

Not enough data

Not enough data

AI Text Summarization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Generative AI

Not enough data

Not enough data

Agentic AI - E-Commerce Platforms

Autonomous Task Execution

Not enough data

Not enough data

Cross-system Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Adaptive Learning

Not enough data

Not enough data

Natural Language Interaction

Not enough data

Not enough data

Proactive Assistance

Not enough data

Not enough data

Decision Making

Not enough data

Not enough data

Accounting Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Additional Functionality

Inventory Control

Not enough data

Not enough data

AI Copilot

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reordering

Not enough data

Not enough data

Bulk Ordering

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Currency

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customer Accounts

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Location

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reporting & Statistics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Drag & Drop

Not enough data

Not enough data

Shopping Cart

Not enough data

Not enough data

Alerts/Notifications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Synchronization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Order Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

Email Marketing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Dashboard

Not enough data

Not enough data

Loyalty Program

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Channel Marketing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Templates

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customizable Templates

Not enough data

Not enough data

Inventory Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customizable Branding

Not enough data

Not enough data

CRM

Not enough data

Not enough data

Kitting

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customer Touchpoints

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customer Segmentation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Web/Mobile App Development

Not enough data

Not enough data

Product Catalog

Not enough data

Not enough data

Inventory Optimization

Not enough data

Not enough data

De-Coupled Front & Back Ends

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customer Database

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

Conversion Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

Search/Filter

Not enough data

Not enough data

Access Controls/Permissions

Not enough data

Not enough data

Barcode/Ticket Scanning

Not enough data

Not enough data

Product Configurator

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Import/Export

Not enough data

Not enough data

Inventory Auditing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Quotes/Estimates

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customer History

Not enough data

Not enough data

Invoice Creation

Not enough data

Not enough data

For Small Businesses

Not enough data

Not enough data

Abandoned Cart Saver

Not enough data

Not enough data

Sales Trend Analysis

Not enough data

Not enough data

Merchandising/Marketing

Storefront Design Tools

Not enough data

Not enough data

Product Visualization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Recommendations / Personalization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Promotions and Discounts

Not enough data

Not enough data

Shopping Cart Abandonment

Not enough data

Not enough data

Product Reviews

Not enough data

Not enough data

SEO

Not enough data

Not enough data

Product Catalog

Content Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Product Configuration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Product Search and Filtering

Not enough data

Not enough data

Intangible Products

Not enough data

Not enough data

Discount Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Order Process

Checkout Process

Not enough data

Not enough data

Shipping Options

Not enough data

Not enough data

Tax Display and Processing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Payment Processing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Order Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Returns / Refunds

Not enough data

Not enough data

Retail Inventory Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Channel Fulfillment

Not enough data

Not enough data

Returns Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Order Processing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Order Fulfillment

Not enough data

Not enough data

Purchase Order Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Backorder Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Special Order Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Payment Options

Not enough data

Not enough data

Sales Order Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Purchase Order Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Credit Card Processing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Channel Support

Omnichannel

Not enough data

Not enough data

Mobile

Not enough data

Not enough data

Social Commerce

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customer Service

Not enough data

Not enough data

Store Locator

Not enough data

Not enough data

3rd-Party Store Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

B2B

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Store

Not enough data

Not enough data

Point of Sale (POS) Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Social Media Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Mobile Commerce

Not enough data

Not enough data

Platform

APIs

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Integrations to Add-on Tools

Not enough data

Not enough data

User Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reporting / Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Channel Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Admin Access Rights

Not enough data

Not enough data

Test-to-Product Migration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Internationalization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Cross Browser Support

Not enough data

Not enough data

Performance and Reliability

Not enough data

Not enough data

Mobile Access

Not enough data

Not enough data

SEO Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Shipping Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Campaign Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Catalog Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Website Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Promotions Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reviews Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

eCommerce Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Price/Margin Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Application Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Product Data Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Template Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Channel Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Invoice Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Workflow Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Warehouse Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Sales Tax Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customer Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Communication Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

AWS Marketplace[Hide 3 FeaturesShow 3 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

Not enough data

Agentic AI - AWS Marketplace

Autonomous Task Execution

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-step Planning

Not enough data

Not enough data

Cross-system Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

User Insights

Reviewers' Company Size

[![Drupal](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1487565542/drupal.svg "Drupal")](https://www.g2.com/products/drupal/reviews)

Drupal

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

42.4%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

35.5%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

22.1%

[![Payload CMS](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/af2f83878bc9b5dcc8d95a79a3a54d91/payload-cms.svg "Payload CMS")](https://www.g2.com/products/payload-cms/reviews)

Payload CMS

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

86.2%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

13.8%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

0%

Small-Business

(50 or fewer emp.)

42.4%

86.2%

Mid-Market

(51-1000 emp.)

35.5%

13.8%

Enterprise

(\> 1000 emp.)

22.1%

0%

Reviewers' Industry

[![Drupal](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1487565542/drupal.svg "Drupal")](https://www.g2.com/products/drupal/reviews)
Drupal

Information Technology and Services

13.6%

Marketing and Advertising

8.7%

Computer Software

8.2%

Higher Education

7.7%

Education Management

5.2%

Other

56.6%

[![Payload CMS](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/af2f83878bc9b5dcc8d95a79a3a54d91/payload-cms.svg "Payload CMS")](https://www.g2.com/products/payload-cms/reviews)
Payload CMS

Computer Software

32.8%

Information Technology and Services

13.8%

Design

8.6%

Marketing and Advertising

6.9%

Internet

5.2%

Other

32.8%

FAQs

## Drupal vs Payload CMS FAQs

Generated using AI

Last updated: August 16, 2026

### What is the difference between Drupal vs Payload CMS?

Payload CMS stands out from Drupal with a significantly higher G2 rating, easier setup, and stronger support scores, while Drupal is recognized for its customizability and flexibility.

| [Drupal](https://www.g2.com/products/drupal/reviews) | [Payload CMS](https://www.g2.com/products/payload-cms/reviews) |
| --- | --- |
| 3.9/5 (425 reviews) | 4.9/5 (59 reviews) |
| Small-Business | Small-Business |
| 6.6 | 9.1 |
| 7.4 | 9.3 |
| Customizability, Flexibility | Ease of Use, Community Support |

### How do the pricing models of Drupal and Payload CMS compare?

Payload CMS is rated as the stronger value by reviewers, with higher satisfaction on price and cost-related dimensions.

- **Drupal:** Reviewers note that while Drupal is open source and free to use, implementation and maintenance can be expensive, especially for smaller projects.
- **Payload CMS:** Reviewers highlight Payload CMS as affordable, with a low-cost environment and no vendor lock-in, making it attractive for both small and large projects.
- **Switching Reason:** In recent reviews, several users switched to Payload CMS from legacy or unsupported platforms due to its modern tech stack and lower ongoing costs.

### What are the best alternatives to Drupal and Payload CMS?

The top three alternatives to Drupal and Payload CMS are Sanity, WordPress.org, and Umbraco.

| Product | G2 Rating (reviews) | Largest Segment | Pricing Insight | Top Reviewer-Cited Strength |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Drupal](https://www.g2.com/products/drupal/reviews) | 3.9/5 (425 reviews) | Small-Business | Open source, but can be expensive to implement | Customizability, Flexibility |
| [Payload CMS](https://www.g2.com/products/payload-cms/reviews) | 4.9/5 (59 reviews) | Small-Business | Affordable, open source, no vendor lock-in | Ease of Use, Community Support |
| [Sanity](https://www.g2.com/products/sanity/reviews) | 4.7/5 (926 reviews) | Small-Business | — | Flexible content modeling |
| [WordPress.org](https://www.g2.com/products/wordpress-org/reviews) | 4.4/5 (9546 reviews) | Small-Business | — | Extensive plugin ecosystem |
| [Umbraco](https://www.g2.com/products/umbraco/reviews) | 4.5/5 (1011 reviews) | Small-Business | — | Developer-friendly customization |

### Which Web Content Management features should I prioritize when comparing Drupal and Payload CMS?

Buyers comparing Drupal and Payload CMS should prioritize Ease of Setup, Quality of Support, Customizability, API capabilities, and Community Support.

- **Ease of Setup:** Drupal scores 6.6, Payload CMS scores 9.1.
- **Quality of Support:** Drupal scores 7.4, Payload CMS scores 9.3.
- **Customizability:** Drupal has 2 all-time mentions for customizability; Payload CMS has 1 all-time mention.
- **API:** Both products are frequently cited for API integration, with 1 all-time mention each.
- **Community Support:** Drupal has 1 all-time mention; Payload CMS has 3 all-time mentions.

### What are the pros and cons of Drupal vs Payload CMS?

Payload CMS’s headline strength is ease of use and setup, while Drupal’s is its customizability and flexibility.

- **Drupal strengths:** Customizability (2 all-time mentions), flexibility (2), scalability (2), open source (2), strong community support (1), robust API integration (1).
- **Drupal trade-offs:** Steep learning curve (2), upgrade difficulties (2), complexity (1), higher implementation and maintenance costs (1), less intuitive for non-technical users (1).
- **Payload CMS strengths:** Ease of use (3), easy setup (2), strong community support (3), developer-friendly documentation (2), modern tech stack, high customizability (1), intuitive user interface (2), performance optimization (2).
- **Payload CMS trade-offs:** Reviewers note reliance on community plugins and a smaller ecosystem compared to older platforms, but no major recurring cons are cited.

### Is Drupal or Payload CMS better for small businesses?

Payload CMS is the better fit for small businesses, with higher satisfaction scores and strong small-business reviewer sentiment.

- **Drupal:** Small-Business segment; reviewers note its flexibility and scalability but mention a steeper learning curve and higher setup complexity for small teams.
- **Payload CMS:** Small-Business segment; reviewers consistently highlight its ease of setup, intuitive interface, and rapid deployment as ideal for small business needs.

### Which Web Content Management platform has better integrations?

Payload CMS is favored by reviewers for integrations, with more frequent and positive mentions of integration capabilities.

- **Drupal:** Reviewers mention API integration and easy integrations, but with only 1 all-time mention for each.
- **Payload CMS:** Reviewers cite easy integration and integrations with 2 all-time mentions each, and specifically highlight integration with Digital Asset Management software and modern frameworks like Next.js in recent reviews.

### How do Drupal and Payload CMS compare on customer support?

Payload CMS leads Drupal on Quality of Support by a material margin, with scores of 9.3 versus 7.4.

- **Drupal:** Reviewers describe support as strong and responsive, with 2 all-time mentions for customer support and praise for community resources, but note occasional challenges with complex issues and upgrades.
- **Payload CMS:** Reviewers consistently highlight fast, helpful support, active Discord and GitHub communities, and developer engagement, with 3 all-time mentions for community support and 1 for customer support.

### Which is easier to implement, Drupal or Payload CMS?

Payload CMS is significantly easier to implement than Drupal, with an Ease of Setup score of 9.1 versus Drupal’s 6.6.

- **Drupal:** Reviewers note that setup can be complex, especially for non-technical users, and that implementation often requires specialized expertise.
- **Payload CMS:** Reviewers consistently report rapid setup, intuitive onboarding, and minimal configuration required, making it easy to get started even for new users.

### Which product has better API?

Payload CMS is favored for API capabilities, with reviewers highlighting its modern, developer-friendly API and integration options.

- **Drupal:** API integration is cited as a strength in 1 all-time mention, and reviewers note robust API support and extensibility.
- **Payload CMS:** API integration is cited in 1 all-time mention, with reviewers praising its TypeScript-first, code-based API, REST and GraphQL support, and ease of customization.

Alternatives

**Drupal Alternatives**

 ![WordPress.org](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/a8f8ad7b23d4f2a855b3e1fcdaec52e9/wordpress-org.svg "WordPress.org")

[
WordPress.org
](/products/wordpress-org/reviews)

 ![Umbraco](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/47781f40bcbf144905208205f4e2d632/umbraco.svg "Umbraco")

[
Umbraco
](/products/umbraco/reviews)

 ![Webflow](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/96b527f3a3c7952e109278c446da2108/webflow.svg "Webflow")

[
Webflow
](/products/webflow/reviews)

 ![Sanity](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/8ad945ed33d9d2bb3fd0fddbe8ce5524/sanity.svg "Sanity")

[
Sanity
](/products/sanity/reviews)

**Payload CMS Alternatives**

 ![Sanity](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/8ad945ed33d9d2bb3fd0fddbe8ce5524/sanity.svg "Sanity")

[
Sanity
](/products/sanity/reviews)

 ![Strapi](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/16e816aaabcf0c54044f5265cd6d1a7e/strapi.svg "Strapi")

[
Strapi
](/products/strapi/reviews)

 ![Contentful](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/b9b1b51e8da0cd8fb03bab3e24b9a565/contentful.svg "Contentful")

[
Contentful
](/products/contentful/reviews)

 ![Storyblok](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/4b8041cd8ae250b60855fc7d90ee7bac/storyblok.svg "Storyblok")

[
Storyblok
](/products/storyblok/reviews)

## Drupal vs Payload CMS

When assessing the two solutions, reviewers found Payload CMS easier to use, set up, and administer. Reviewers also preferred doing business with Payload CMS overall.

- Reviewers felt that Payload CMS meets the needs of their business better than Drupal.
- When comparing quality of ongoing product support, reviewers felt that Payload CMS is the preferred option.
- For feature updates and roadmaps, our reviewers preferred the direction of Payload CMS over Drupal.