magnolia - logo.svg
payload-logo.svg

We are the Magnolia to Payload migration experts

Challenges with Magnolia

Magnolia is the definition of “enterprise for the sake of enterprise.” The setup is heavy, the learning curve is brutal, and unless you have a Java team lying around, good luck getting anything done without burning through budget. The proprietary modules lock you in fast, integrations feel like a maze, and the admin interface slows to a crawl once you start dealing with real content volume. The pricing is expensive, opaque, and somehow still manages to feel bad value. If you're not a Fortune 500 with a tolerance for pain, it’s a project risk.

And honestly, who even uses Java anymore?

Key pain points

less ideal for beginners.png

Steep Java learning curve

Magnolia expects your team to be fluent in Java and its ecosystem, which slows onboarding and makes even simple tasks feel heavier than they should.

Omnichannel-ready (2).png

Resource-intensive setup

It demands serious infrastructure and long setup cycles, which immediately rules it out for teams that expect fast iteration or modern DevOps workflows.

feature 5.png

Vendor lock-in concerns

Once you're in, you're in. Magnolia’s proprietary modules make moving away painful, expensive, and often not worth the engineering time.

potentially high resource demand.png

Complex third-party integration

Connecting Magnolia with modern tools and APIs isn’t straightforward, usually requiring custom Java work instead of simple plug-and-play integrations.

frontend freedom.png

Native subscription support

Licensing is firmly enterprise-tier, with opaque pricing and steep annual fees that can balloon quickly, a bad fit unless you're Fortune 500.

Complexity in setup.png

Proprietary module reliance

Key features live behind Magnolia’s own tightly controlled modules, limiting flexibility and forcing teams to work the “Magnolia way” instead of choosing best-in-class tools.

Benefits of Payload

Payload CMS stands out as a robust and flexible content management solution, particularly for developers working with Next.js. Its seamless integration with Next.js allows for a smooth development experience, enabling developers to harness the full power of this popular framework while managing content efficiently. The CMS is open-source, which means it can be customized and extended to meet specific project requirements, offering unparalleled flexibility. With support for custom data models, Payload CMS can handle a wide variety of applications, from simple blogs to complex enterprise systems, making it a versatile choice for developers.

The user-friendly admin interface of Payload CMS enhances the content management process, making it accessible even to non-technical users. This intuitive interface simplifies tasks such as content creation and media management, allowing teams to focus on delivering quality content without technical hurdles. Furthermore, Payload comes equipped with rich features, including authentication, access control, and media management, right out of the box, which accelerates development and reduces the need for additional plugins. Supported by a growing community, developers can benefit from shared knowledge and contributions, ensuring that Payload CMS continues to evolve and improve over time.

Key Advantages

  • •Seamless integration with Next.js applications
  • •Fully customizable and extendable by developers
  • •Supports custom data models for diverse applications
  • •Intuitive admin UI for easy content management
  • •Custom plugins and APIs for added functionality
  • •Growing developer community for contributions and support
  • •Built-in authentication, access control, media management

Get in touch

Book a meeting with us to discuss how we can help or fill out a form to get in touch