Every agency has to make an important decision at some point: Which technology to invest time, energy, and reputation in.
At iMPROVE, we decided to bet on Payload CMS. Not because it was a safe mainstream choice, but because we did the research and we believe it was the right path.
Here’s our story.
How do you decide on technology in an agency?
A year ago, we were faced with a decision. Our clients were coming up with increasingly complex requirements:
- Multi-platform projects (web + mobile app)
- Need for rapid changes and scaling
- GDPR and data control
- Modern admin panel for content editing
WordPress was starting to be too restrictive. Contentful was too expensive and tied to a vendor. We needed something different.
Research: What do the best teams use?
When you’re choosing a new technology, you have two paths:
- Take the safe route (WordPress, Drupal)
- Look for something better (and take a risk)
We chose the second option. And we started researching.
What caught our attention first?
Microsoft uses Payload CMS for its AI Designer powered by DALL·E. Not WordPress. Not Contentful, but Payload.
When we looked deeper, we found:
- Disney, Bugatti, ASICS, Blue Origin, Sonos - all using Payload in production
- bizee migrated 2,500 pages in 3 months
- FocusReactive (official Payload partner) delivers 90% of projects within the original budget
- Si digital migrated from WordPress to Payload and reports “better solutions for clients”
These aren’t random companies. These are serious players with serious projects.
What convinced us to choose Payload CMS?
1. Modern technology with a long-term outlook
WordPress issues: PHP, outdated architecture, plugin maintenance headaches
Contentful issues: SaaS dependency, vendor lock-in, rising costs
Payload CMS offers:
- TypeScript from the ground up (cleaner code, fewer bugs)
- Native integration with Next.js (the most modern React framework)
- Open-source under the MIT license
- Active community, Y Combinator alumni
Why it convinced us:
We didn’t want to invest in a technology that would feel outdated in 3 years. TypeScript and Next.js are today’s standard and tomorrow’s expectation.
2. Performance we can actually measure
During our research we found real numbers:
Payload CMS performance:
- Response times under 100 ms, even with tens of thousands of entries
- Optimized for Next.js static generation
- Proven GraphQL and REST API benchmarks
Why it convinced us:
Performance isn’t just a tech metric - it’s business-critical. Every second of slowdown = up to 40% of visitors lost. That directly impacts client results.
3. Flexibility without vendor lock-in
Microsoft needed:
- Full data ownership
- No dependency on a vendor
- Flexible data structures
Payload delivered self-hosted CMS with complete control.
Why it convinced us:
- Clients want to own their data
- GDPR compliance under their control
- No monthly licensing fees that grow with usage
- Freedom to host anywhere
4. Real time savings = real cost savings
FocusReactive (Payload partner) reports:
- 90% of projects stay within the original budget
- Block-based layouts save time during content creation
- Starter data and templates increase team speed
Si digital (migrated from WordPress):
- Faster development
- Less time spent debugging (thanks to TypeScript)
- Easier long-term maintenance
Why it convinced us:
Faster development = lower client costs = more projects = win-win.
5. An admin panel that just works
Show + Tell reports: “Very positive feedback from both IT and marketing teams.”
Si digital says: “We want to offer the best possible solutions to our clients and Payload helps us do that.”
Why it convinced us:
We didn’t want a technology that would take hours to teach our clients.
The React-based admin panel is modern, intuitive, and works seamlessly across all devices.
Our first project: a real-world test
After our research, we made a clear decision: We would build our own website on Payload CMS.
Why our own website?
- To test the technology on ourselves first
- Zero risk for the client
- To learn best practices
- And if something fails, it fails only internally
What did we discover during the first project?
The positives (that strengthened our decision):
Setup was faster than expected
- Excellent documentation
- TypeScript autocomplete saved hours
- Next.js integration worked out of the box
Flexibility was truly unlimited
- Custom content types built in minutes
- API endpoints worked perfectly
- Block-based layouts exactly as we wanted
The admin panel was a joy to use
- Our content editors loved it immediately
- No training required
- Fast, clean, responsive
Performance matched the promise
- Fast load times
- No performance issues
- Excellent SEO metrics
The challenges (realistically):
Learning curve for developers
- If you don’t know TypeScript, you’ll be learning, You must understand Next.js - this isn’t plug-and-play like WordPress
Hosting isn’t €5/month
- You need reliable Node.js hosting, Plus MongoDB or PostgreSQL. Not suitable for very low-budget projects
Smaller community compared to WordPress
- Fewer YouTube tutorials, Less Stack Overflow content, But excellent official documentation
The result of the first project?
We decided to continue. Why?
Because the benefits outweighed the challenges. And most importantly, we see huge potential for client projects:
- Faster development = better margins
- Higher code quality = fewer bugs = less maintenance
- More modern solutions = happier clients
- Flexibility = we can build more complex projects
Why we want to use Payload CMS for our clients
After the first internal project, we’re convinced Payload CMS is the right choice for:
Projects where it makes sense
Growing companies and scale-ups
- Need flexibility for the future
- Can’t afford vendor lock-in
- Plan multi-platform presence
E-commerce projects
- Complex product catalog
- Multi-language content
- Integrations with ERP, inventory, payment systems
Complex web applications
- SaaS platforms
- Member portals
- Digital asset management
- Intranet systems
Multi-platform ecosystems
- Web + iOS + Android from a single CMS
- IoT integrations (kiosks, digital signage)
- Omnichannel user experience
Projects where Payload does NOT make sense
Small brochure-style websites
- 5–10 static pages
- WordPress is faster and cheaper
- Lower hosting requirements
Short-term campaigns
- Landing pages for 2–3 months
- Squarespace or Wix are more efficient
Comparison: Why Payload instead of WordPress or Contentful?
Payload vs. WordPress
| Category | Payload Content management system | WordPress Content management system |
|---|---|---|
| Technology Stack | TypeScript, Node.js, React | PHP |
| Performance | Response times under 100ms, optimized | Slow without heavy optimization |
| Flexibility | Unlimited (headless architecture) | Limited (monolithic system) |
| Security | Modern, self-hosted control | Frequent target of attacks |
| Maintenance | Stable, TypeScript-based | Plugins can break the site |
| Best For | Complex, multi-platform solutions | Simple websites and blogs |
Why we chose Payload: WordPress is great for simple websites, but for complex projects with multi-platform ambitions, it started to limit us.
Payload vs. Contentful
| Category | Payload Content management system | Contentful Content management system |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self-hosted (full control) | SaaS only |
| Vendor Lock-In | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Cost | Open-source, hosting costs | $$$$ increases with usage |
| Data Ownership | ✅ Full control | ❌ Cloud-based |
| Customization | Unlimited | Limited by SaaS constraints |
Why we chose Payload: We didn’t want our clients to be locked into a vendor, and Contentful’s costs increase as usage grows.
Conclusion: Why We’re Building on Payload CMS
Not because it’s a trend. Not because it’s the easiest path.
But because:
- We conducted thorough research and saw real case studies.
- We tested it on our own website and it works.
- We believe it’s the right technology for the future.
- We see its potential to deliver better solutions for our clients.
- We want to build on modern, future-proof technologies.
We currently have one project built on Payload CMS.
But based on research, enterprise-level case studies, and our own hands-on experience, we’re convinced it’s the right direction.
And that’s why we’re investing in it.
Examples of what Payload CMS can do
from real projects:
Microsoft - AI Designer
Challenge: A CMS for an AI design tool powered by DALL·E
Why Payload: Full data ownership, flexibility, no vendor lock-in
Result: A streamlined content creation workflow
Blue Origin - Club for the future
Challenge: Sending student postcards to space
Why Payload: Flexible data structures, easy integrations
Result: A successful and engaging educational program
Sonos - Campaign center
Challenge: A dynamic, GDPR-compliant marketing hub
Why Payload: Payload + Next.js architecture
Result: A fast, secure marketing platform
bizee - Enterprise migration
Challenge: Migrate 2,500 pages
Why Payload: Scalability, API-first approach
Result: Completed in 3 months (vs. the typical 6–9 months)
