Payload vs refine
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Open-source Next.js framework that adds a TypeScript backend and admin panel to your app.
Open source · MIT
A React framework for building admin panels, dashboards and internal business apps.
The short answer
Choose Payload if you need…
- Developers already building with Next.js and React who want a backend without a separate server
- Teams that want an admin panel for editing content that they can customize in code
- Projects that need user auth, access control, and versioned drafts out of the box
- People who want to avoid a paid SaaS CMS and self-host their data
Choose refine if you need…
- Developers building internal admin panels or back-office tools in React
- Teams that want a headless approach and can pick their own UI component library
- Projects that connect to REST, GraphQL or similar backend APIs and need standard CRUD screens
- Developers already comfortable with React and TypeScript
Side-by-side
| Payload | refine | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Framework | Framework |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 45.6k | 36k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 57 days ago |
What each one is
Payload
Payload is an open-source framework built on Next.js that gives you a backend, database-backed API, and admin panel for managing content and data. It can run as a headless CMS, or as the backend for a larger application. Because it lives inside a Next.js project, the frontend and backend can share one codebase.
refine
Refine is a TypeScript framework built on React for making internal tools, admin panels, dashboards and B2B applications. The description says it aims for flexibility, and it is headless, meaning it supplies the logic and data handling while you choose the look of the interface. Developers use it to avoid rebuilding common pieces like data fetching, tables and forms for every new back-office app.
Best for
Payload
- Developers already building with Next.js and React who want a backend without a separate server
- Teams that want an admin panel for editing content that they can customize in code
- Projects that need user auth, access control, and versioned drafts out of the box
- People who want to avoid a paid SaaS CMS and self-host their data
refine
- Developers building internal admin panels or back-office tools in React
- Teams that want a headless approach and can pick their own UI component library
- Projects that connect to REST, GraphQL or similar backend APIs and need standard CRUD screens
- Developers already comfortable with React and TypeScript
Strengths
Payload
- Open source under the MIT license with no vendor lock-in, according to the README
- Runs inside a Next.js /app folder, so frontend and backend share one project
- Admin panel and backend are described as extensible through code
refine
- Headless design lets you combine it with the UI library you already use
- Open source under the MIT license with a large community (about 36,000 stars at the time of metadata)
- Written in TypeScript, which helps catch errors while you build
Not ideal for
Payload
- Non-developers who want a point-and-click site builder, since setup and customization require coding
- Projects not using Next.js or TypeScript, since the README centers on that stack
- Teams needing a fully managed service with no hosting or database work, since this is self-hosted software
refine
- Non-developers who want a no-code app builder, since it requires writing React and TypeScript code
- Simple static websites or small single-page apps that do not need admin-style data screens
Trade-offs
Payload
- Requires working knowledge of Next.js and TypeScript to use effectively
- The README is truncated and does not detail hosting costs or production operations
refine
- Requires React and TypeScript knowledge, so it is not suited to beginners without that background
- The README excerpt provided is truncated, so details on specific integrations and limits could not be fully verified here
Getting started
Payload
Create a new Payload app
pnpx create-payload-app@latestCreate a project from the website template
pnpx create-payload-app@latest -t websiterefine
Create a new project with the Refine CLI
npm create refine-app@latestFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Payload and refine?
Payload: Open-source Next.js framework that adds a TypeScript backend and admin panel to your app. refine: A React framework for building admin panels, dashboards and internal business apps. Payload suits developers already building with next.js and react who want a backend without a separate server, while refine suits developers building internal admin panels or back-office tools in react.
Are Payload and refine free?
Payload: Free and open source. refine: Free and open source.
Is Payload or refine more popular?
Payload has more GitHub stars (45.6k) than refine (36k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Payload and refine?
Other options people compare them with include RedwoodGraphQL, Gatsby, react-admin, Ant Design Pro, ngx-admin.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.