We build your bespoke website with Next.js and Payload CMS, an open-source tool. You update text, images, and articles yourself, and create new pages in a sentence with Scroll’s AI Builder.
Payload CMS is a content management system (CMS). It’s your site’s admin panel: where you edit text, images, articles, and pages. It’s open-source software, free under the MIT license. The team behind it joined Figma in June 2025.
Payload is a headless CMS: it separates content management from site display. In practice, we freely develop the design in code, while your content remains editable from the admin panel. This is what allows for a truly custom site and an autonomous team day-to-day.
For your technical teams. Payload 3 is written in TypeScript and integrates directly into your Next.js app: a single project to develop, host, and maintain. The content model is defined in code, so it’s versioned, tested, and tailored to your business. Content is stored in your own database.
Payload is part of Figma, which supports its open-source development.
We develop the site exactly as per the mockups—yours or ours—including unconventional layouts and animations.
Forms, calculators, integrations with your business tools: we build the features you need.
You update text and images and create pages yourself, without touching the code. Design changes, however, require code.
The site is entirely yours. You choose who develops it further: Scroll, your team, or another provider.
Payload is your site’s admin panel. Here, you update text and images, publish a blog post, or add a project. We tailor fields and access rights to your team’s needs.
Describe the page you need. Scroll’s AI Builder creates it with tailored text for your business and suggested images.
It assembles sections designed for your site during development, respecting your design.
The page is created as a draft. You can edit text, images and sections before going live.
You own everything: the code, content, images, and access. If you ever switch providers, they can take over the site as-is and keep developing it.
Payload CMS is open-source software, with no mandatory subscription, and you choose the host, in France if you prefer.
After launch, we remain available. Maintenance, technical updates, and further development: new features, new sections, new design.
Changing the design itself (colors, layouts) or creating a new section type requires code: we handle it for you, or with your team.
In these cases, Webflow may be a better fit. We also offer it: our Webflow agency.
Considering WordPress or Webflow? Put them side by side with Payload CMS, criterion by criterion.
| Criteria | Payload CMSOur default choice | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant when | Custom site with Next.js, admin tailored to your content, open-source software, hosting of your choice. | Classic editorial site, wide plugin selection, team already trained. |
| Who modifies the design? | A developer, in the code | You within the theme’s limits; beyond that, a developer |
| Admin tailored to your team | Very high | Limited: shared WordPress interface, adapted through incremental additions |
| Tools that must work together | One: site and admin together | One, but each plugin needs updating |
| Where is your content hosted? | With the host of your choice, in France if you prefer | With the host of your choice |
| Software cost | Free (open source) | Free, but premium themes and plugins often billed annually |
| If you switch providers | The new provider takes over everything: code, content, access | The new provider takes over everything |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Possible limitation | Design and new features require a development team. | 9 out of 10 security vulnerabilities discovered in 2025 were in plugins (Patchstack): updates need constant monitoring. Custom development quickly becomes costly. |
Our take on WordPress. For a custom site, Payload CMS provides an admin tailored to your content, without stacking plugins to monitor. WordPress may still work for a standard blog built from an existing theme.
| Criteria | Payload CMSOur default choice | Webflow |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant when | Custom site with Next.js, admin tailored to your content, open-source software, hosting of your choice. | Showcase site with stable needs, team that wants to edit design in Designer, all-in-one tool. |
| Who modifies the design? | A developer, in the code | You, in the Designer, after training |
| Admin tailored to your team | Very high | Low (standard admin) |
| Tools that must work together | One: site and admin together | One: the Webflow platform |
| Where is your content hosted? | With the host of your choice, in France if you prefer | With Webflow |
| Software cost | Free (open source) | A subscription per site, plus paid seats per user beyond included access |
| If you switch providers | The new provider takes over everything: code, content, access | Code is exportable, but the CMS remains tied to Webflow |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Possible limitation | Design and new features require a development team. | CMS and hosting tied to the platform; atypical features harder to implement; budget dependent on Webflow pricing. |
Our take on Webflow. Choose Payload CMS if your site needs to go beyond a showcase: custom features, tailored admin, hosting of your choice. Stick with Webflow if you want to edit the design yourself and your needs rarely change: we also offer it.
| Criteria | Payload CMSOur default choice | Strapi |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant when | Custom site with Next.js, admin tailored to your content, open-source software, hosting of your choice. | General-purpose headless CMS, admin separate from the site. |
| Who modifies the design? | A developer, in the code | A developer |
| Admin tailored to your team | Very high | High |
| Tools that must work together | One: site and admin together | Two: the site and the CMS |
| Where is your content hosted? | With the host of your choice, in France if you prefer | With the host of your choice |
| Software cost | Free (open source) | Free (community edition) |
| If you switch providers | The new provider takes over everything: code, content, access | The new provider takes over everything |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Possible limitation | Design and new features require a development team. | Site integration and editing comfort depend on the project. |
Our take on Strapi. With Payload CMS, your site and its admin are one: a single software to host and maintain, instead of two. Strapi remains an option if your site isn’t built with Next.js, or if your team already uses it.
| Criteria | Payload CMSOur default choice | Sanity |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant when | Custom site with Next.js, admin tailored to your content, open-source software, hosting of your choice. | Multi-channel content distribution, collaborative editorial workflow. |
| Who modifies the design? | A developer, in the code | A developer |
| Admin tailored to your team | Very high | High |
| Tools that must work together | One: site and admin together | Two: the site and the Sanity service |
| Where is your content hosted? | With the host of your choice, in France if you prefer | With Sanity |
| Software cost | Free (open source) | Free, then tiered subscription |
| If you switch providers | The new provider takes over everything: code, content, access | Code is yours; content on Sanity platform, exportable |
| Open source | Yes | Partial: free editor, proprietary storage |
| Possible limitation | Design and new features require a development team. | Content stored with Sanity; beyond the free tier, pricing is per user and usage-based. |
Our take on Sanity. Payload CMS gives you full control over your content: it stays with your chosen host, with no software subscription that scales with usage. Sanity remains relevant if the same content needs to feed multiple channels (website, app, in-store displays, etc.).
| Criteria | Payload CMSOur default choice | Contentful |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant when | Custom site with Next.js, admin tailored to your content, open-source software, hosting of your choice. | Large organizations, mature cloud service, content governance. |
| Who modifies the design? | A developer, in the code | A developer |
| Admin tailored to your team | Very high | Medium |
| Tools that must work together | One: site and admin together | Two: the site and the Contentful service |
| Where is your content hosted? | With the host of your choice, in France if you prefer | With Contentful |
| Software cost | Free (open source) | Free, then tiered subscription |
| If you switch providers | The new provider takes over everything: code, content, access | Code is yours; content on Contentful platform, exportable |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Possible limitation | Design and new features require a development team. | Cost, platform dependency, and customization trade-offs to consider. |
Our take on Contentful. Payload CMS provides a tailored admin interface for your team, with no licensing fees, and your content hosted where you choose. Contentful is better suited for large organizations managing vast amounts of content across multiple countries with strict approval workflows.
| Criteria | Payload CMSOur default choice | Directus |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant when | Custom site with Next.js, admin tailored to your content, open-source software, hosting of your choice. | Administering existing data, data-centric projects. |
| Who modifies the design? | A developer, in the code | A developer |
| Admin tailored to your team | Very high | High |
| Tools that must work together | One: site and admin together | Two: the site and the CMS |
| Where is your content hosted? | With the host of your choice, in France if you prefer | With the host of your choice |
| Software cost | Free (open source) | Free for small organizations, paid license beyond |
| If you switch providers | The new provider takes over everything: code, content, access | The new provider takes over everything |
| Open source | Yes | No (code viewable, proprietary license) |
| Possible limitation | Design and new features require a development team. | A less natural fit for a custom Next.js site. |
Our take on Directus. If your project is primarily a website, Payload CMS is the better choice: the site and its admin form a single, easier-to-maintain tool. Directus is ideal if you mainly need to manage existing data, such as a catalog or business database.
Zéro Doute recommends service companies in Charente, vetted before being recommended, with feedback from clients it has directly surveyed. We developed the custom website and its admin: company profiles, testimonials linked to each business, articles, and contact requests logged in the CRM.
zerodoute.fr
From a static prototype to a full site, entirely managed in Payload: pages, projects, services, and images.
parallaxe-studio.fr
agence-scroll.com runs on Payload: content, translations, blog, and case studies are managed daily.
A dedicated team, from scoping to delivery, with a dedicated project manager.
We clarify your goals, audiences, content, expected features, and what you want to manage yourself.
We define content types (pages, articles, projects, etc.), their fields, and admin access rights.
We design pages and reusable sections, or build from your team’s or agency’s mockups.
We develop the site, admin panel, forms, tool integrations, and technical SEO.
We test content, forms, redirects, speed, analytics, and access rights before going live.
We train your team on the admin panel, then provide maintenance and updates if desired.
We start from what you have: content to migrate, features to retain, and redirects to preserve for SEO. Webflow to Payload migration
Next.js and Payload 3 in the same application, in TypeScript, with a PostgreSQL database. Each project has development, staging, and production environments. Content is also accessible via API (REST and GraphQL) for a mobile app or other services.
Approved for the French Innovation Tax Credit (CII)
For an SME, 20% of our fees on an innovative project can be recovered as a tax credit.
Is my project eligible?Let’s discuss your needs: design, features, and content management. We can design your site or develop it from your team’s or agency’s mockups.
Noel Vignacq, Sales DirectorHe’ll respond within 24 business hours.