Figma Acquires Payload CMS: What this Mean to the Future of Web Development ?

On June 17, 2025, Figma officially announced its acquisition of Payload CMS, bringing the entire Payload team in-house. Despite the acquisition, Payload remains MIT-licensed, fully open-source, and self-hosted—a commitment confirmed by both Figma and James Mikrut | CEO PayloadCMS, who now joins Figma as part of the team. This strategic move marks a major shift in the tech landscape, as Figma pushes beyond design into development and deployment, aiming to unify the entire product creation workflow.

Image credits: FIGMA

What Makes Payload CMS Special?

1. Payload CMS is open-source and truly developer-first—built by developers, for developers. What sets it apart is its code-first schema, where content models are defined directly in code, typically using TypeScript. It features a sleek, modern React-based admin UI that’s easy to customize and extend.

2. Out of the box, Payload ships with powerful tools like built-in REST and GraphQL APIs, authentication, access control, file uploads, and more—no plugins required. It also integrates seamlessly with frontend frameworks like Next.js, making it ideal for modern web apps.

3. Compared to platforms like WordPress, Strapi, and even headless DXPs, Payload stands out for its clean developer experience, flexibility, and full-stack capabilities. It’s a CMS that feels more like a powerful application framework than a content tool.

Why Figma Took the Leap

When Figma introduced Figma Sites at Config 2025, it signaled a bold move: bringing design, backend, and deployment into a single, unified workflow. But to do that well, they needed a robust content system built for modern development.

That’s where Payload fits perfectly. Its code-first schema and React-based admin UI integrate naturally with Figma Sites, providing the missing backend and editorial layer.

Beyond just tech, Payload brings a strong open-source community and developer following, making it an ideal cultural and strategic match for Figma—both companies value collaboration, customization, and empowering creators.

Good News: Faster Collaboration & Better Teams

The Figma–Payload partnership brings a new level of collaboration to product teams:

No more hand-off headaches
The frustrating back-and-forth between design and development is gone. Design, content, and deployment now happen in one seamless flow.

Live, real-content prototypes
Designers can now plug actual content and images from Payload collections directly into Figma mockups. No more placeholder text or lorem ipsum.

One shared data source
Everyone—from designers to developers to content creators—works from a unified structure. Content models, layouts, and assets live in one shared system.

Post-launch flexibility
Once a site is live, editors and marketers can update content without involving engineers, speeding up iterations and reducing bottlenecks.

Empowerment for global teams
Especially for teams in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, this integration means faster delivery, lower costs, and greater independence in managing web products.

A perfect fit for Mjini Digital

At Mjini Digital, we already use Payload, Next.js, and Figma in our workflow. This tighter integration will supercharge our productivity—and empower our clients with smarter, scalable solutions.

Worries: Will Open‑Source Survive?

While the Figma–Payload partnership looks promising, it also raises important questions—especially around the future of open-source.

Yes, Figma is a venture-capital–backed company, and with that comes natural concern about whether Payload CMS will remain free, flexible, and community-driven in the long term.

Here are some of the top concerns developers have raised:

1. Monetization worries
Will Figma introduce premium tiers, feature gating, or shift focus to enterprise clients?

2. Community trust
Open-source thrives on transparency and participation. If governance becomes opaque, the vibrant Payload community could suffer.

3. Impact on low-budget teams
Developers and startups in Africa, Asia, and other developing regions worry that enterprise-level pricing could block access and limit innovation.

4. A familiar pattern
The tech world has seen similar moves before. When Netlify acquired Gatsby, some community trust eroded. There’s historical caution here.

A fair concern voiced by one Payload user on Reddit reflects this sentiment:

“Figma is a Venture Capital backed company… How can we make the maximum amount of profit from Payload CMS? Is this good for an OSS project? I have serious doubts.”
— u/doglover-slim on r/PayloadCMS

Addressing Those Fears

The good news is, Payload CMS remains fully open-source under the MIT license. You can still self-host, extend it, and use it freely just like before the acquisition.

In an official GitHub discussion, both Figma and Payload CEO James Mikrut confirmed that there are no changes to Payload’s licensing model. The focus right now is on adding resources, improving documentation, and building out new capabilities—not locking features behind paywalls.

“Payload will remain an open-source product. In the immediate future, nothing is changing for users. We will continue to actively invest in and improve the open-source project.”
— Figma Blog, June 2025

And from James Mikrut, CEO of Payload (now at Figma):

“We built Payload with the community in mind—and that’s not changing. We’re excited to bring more resources to the table while staying true to the open-source mission.”
— James Mikrut, via Payload GitHub

That said, the future will depend on how Figma handles governance, pricing, and enterprise offerings. Many in the developer community are watching closely to ensure that openness isn’t slowly replaced by monetization pressure.

For now, open-source developers can breathe easy—but stay alert..

Near-Term Developments (6–12 Months)

Figma CMS private beta

Will link Figma component IDs to Payload fields, enabling one-click deploy of real content directly from design files. A preview was shared at Figma Config 2025. Read more: Figma+8UI Things+8Wikipedia+8

Learning curve

Designers will need to get comfortable with collections, relational data models, and content schemas—a shift from purely visual work to structured content thinking. UI Things

IPO momentum

Figma filed its S-1 on July 1, 2025, revealing strong growth ($228 M Q1 revenue, $44.9 M net income). The IPO story reinforces its positioning as a full-stack platform—now covering design, development, and deployment. Sherwood News+12Reuters+12Investopedia+12

AI integration

CEO Dylan Field has hinted at upcoming AI-based tools to automatically connect designs with backend schemas—potentially reducing manual linking steps. Figma Help Center+15UI Things+15figmalion.com+15

Community input

Developers and open-source contributors are watching closely. How governance, feature gating, and pricing evolve will shape trust and adoption in the long term.

Long-Term Vision 🚀

Schema sync from design: Rename a component in Figma; CMS updates automatically.

Multi-tenant apps: Build SaaS dashboards in Figma with Payload backends.

Template marketplace: Pre-built design+schema bundles could launch.

Local adaptation: Developers in emerging markets can customize and localize faster.

Why This Matters for Emerging Ecosystems

No lock-in: Self-hosted, open-source tools are crucial in regions with strict data needs.

Empowerment: Payload + Figma reduce dependencies on foreign platforms.

Local innovation: African teams, including Mjini Digital, can prototype, build, and ship entire projects independently.

Open-source continuing: Payload staying open ensures long-term accessibility.

How Mjini Digital is Reinventing Web Development in Nairobi with Payload + Next.js + Figma

At Mjini Digital, we love Figma, Payload, and Next.js. Here’s our stack:

👉 Payload CMS for backend and data.

👉 Next.js for fast, scalable, user-friendly front ends.

👉 Figma for design and prototyping.

Adding Figma-native CMS capabilities means we’ll:

Design pages in Figma.

Define content models in Payload.

Deploy one-click sites with real data.

It’s a powerful workflow. Especially for web developers and web designers in Kenya who need speed and independence.

FAQ

Q: Is Payload still open-source and self-hosted?

A: Yes! Payload remains fully open-source under the MIT license. You can still self-host and extend it freely. Both Figma and Payload’s CEO James Mikrut have reaffirmed their commitment to the open-source, community-driven model.

Q: Will Figma add paid features to Payload?

A: So far, Figma hasn’t announced any new monetization plans. While enterprise features or tiers may be introduced later, core CMS functionality is expected to remain free and open. The focus now is on resource investment, not locking features.

Q: Can I still use Payload with Next.js and Figma?

A: Absolutely. That’s where the magic happens. Payload integrates naturally with Next.js for fast front-ends, and now it aligns even better with Figma for design. You get a powerful, flexible stack—design → content → deploy.

Q: What about AI features?

A: Figma’s CEO, Dylan Field, has hinted at AI-powered tools that can automatically link designs to backend schemas. While these features are still early, they could make workflows even faster. Manual control, however, will still be important for precision.

Q: Should developers in emerging markets be excited or worried?

A: Both. Be optimistic—open-source remains intact and this stack enables faster, more affordable digital products. But also be cautious. Stay involved in the community. Watch how governance and pricing evolve. Your voice and feedback matter, especially from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Q: What’s Mjini Digital’s view?

A: We’re all in. At Mjini Digital, we already use Payload CMS, Next.js, and Figma. This deeper integration boosts our speed, creativity, and autonomy. We believe this is a huge opportunity for African developers and digital teams—and we encourage others to explore it too.

Final Word

Yes, the deal has raised concerns. But it also brings real promise—especially for developers in emerging markets.

Faster project delivery. More autonomy. Stronger local ecosystems. Open‑source promise.

Figma is no longer just a design tool. Payload makes it a full-stack partner. And for teams that can speak “design,” “code,” and “content,” this is a leap forward.

Next Steps for Developers

Join the Figma Sites + Payload private beta.

Start a local Payload instance:

bash

CopyEdit

npx create-payload-app

Map design tokens in Figma to Payload fields.

Join the community: Payload + Figma Discords.

Create a simple site locally. Deploy it from Figma to payload to the web.

Back up your data—mirror repos, export content.

This story is still being written. But for now, we’re optimistic. As long as the developer community stays active and vocal, this can be the start of a new chapter where design, content, and deployment work together—elevating projects around the world.