Frameworks · Updated 10 November 2026 · 9 min read

Where to host Payload CMS in Europe in 2026

Payload needs a Next.js server, a database and a home for uploads. Five setups in Europe compared on all three, with prices from each provider.

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Payload runs inside a Next.js app, so you need three things from a host: a Node.js server, a Postgres, MongoDB or SQLite database, and somewhere uploads survive a restart. Sliplane gives you all three from one German company, Clever Cloud and Scalingo pair a Node.js app with a managed database from a French company, and Coolify on Hetzner keeps the bill small if you're willing to run the server. Eurobase suits the public website that reads content from Payload, not the Payload admin itself.

Payload hosts in Europe at a glance

Platform	How Payload runs	Database for Payload	Uploads	Starts at
Sliplane	Container on a server you rent	Managed Postgres, from €19 + VAT	Server volume or S3-compatible object storage	€9 per server + VAT
Clever Cloud	Node.js app from your start script	PostgreSQL or MongoDB add-on	Cellar object storage or an FS Bucket	Free credits, then by instance size
Scalingo	Node.js container	PostgreSQL or MongoDB, Postgres from €7.20 a month excl. VAT	External S3-compatible storage	€7.20 a month for 256 MB, excl. VAT
Coolify on Hetzner	Your own server with a deploy dashboard	One-click Postgres or MongoDB on the same server	Server disk or Hetzner Object Storage	Servers from €5.49 a month excl. VAT, if available to order
Eurobase	Next.js on V8 isolates	SQLite databases only, no TCP drivers	No object storage binding	Free, then €10 a month + VAT

Prices are from each provider's own page, checked on 9 and 10 November 2026.

What to check before you pick a Payload host

Database adapter. Payload officially supports MongoDB, Postgres and SQLite through separate adapters. Pick a host that runs the one you've chosen.
Where uploads live. Payload's deployment docs warn that hosts with an ephemeral filesystem lose uploaded files on restart. On those hosts you need a storage adapter, such as @payloadcms/storage-s3 pointed at an S3-compatible bucket.
A long-running Node.js process. Payload is built with the normal Next.js build and usually started with next start or the standalone server.js. A host that runs a plain Node.js process can start it as built.
Supported versions. Payload's installation page lists exact Next.js ranges, such as 15.4.11 to 15.4.x or 16.2.6 and later, and Node.js 22.23.4 or 24.22.1 and later. Check the host's Node.js versions match.
Who you sign with. Payload's own deployment guides cover Vercel and Cloudflare Workers, both US companies. If an EU contract matters, read EU region vs EU company.

1. Sliplane

Sliplane, a German company based in Berlin, runs your app as a container on a server you rent, and you can put as many services on that server as fit. It also sells managed PostgreSQL and S3-compatible object storage next to the app runtime, so Payload, its database and its media can come from one bill. Server plans include 20 GB of NVMe storage and automatic daily volume backups, which is enough for a small media library on disk.

Best for: a Payload site or two where you want the app, a managed Postgres and file storage from a single European provider at a fixed monthly price.
Price: servers from €9 + VAT for 1 vCPU and 1 GB of RAM. Managed PostgreSQL starts at €19 + VAT for 1 vCPU, 1 GB of RAM and 10 GB of storage. Object storage gives you the first 1 GB free, then €5 a month per 250 GB block, excl. VAT.
What it lacks: a free tier for managed PostgreSQL. Sliplane also has US and Singapore regions alongside Germany and Finland, so set the region deliberately.

2. Clever Cloud

Clever Cloud is a French platform based in Nantes. A Payload app deploys like any Node.js app: Clever Cloud installs your dependencies and runs scripts.start from package.json. It offers PostgreSQL and MongoDB as add-ons, so either Payload adapter has a managed database beside it.

Clever Cloud never updates a running instance. It starts a new one on each deployment, resize or maintenance, and files written to the instance's disk go with the old one. Its docs say files in Cellar, its S3-compatible object storage, or in an FS Bucket persist, so point Payload's S3 adapter at Cellar.

Best for: teams that want Payload, a managed Postgres or MongoDB and object storage from one French provider.
Price: you pay for the size and number of instances you run, and new accounts get free credits. Each add-on has its own price.
What it lacks: a Payload or Next.js guide. Its framework guides cover other stacks, so you write the build and start setup yourself.

3. Scalingo

Scalingo SAS is registered in Strasbourg, and both of its public regions are in Paris, France, on 3DS Outscale. It runs Payload as a Node.js app in a Heroku-style container and offers managed PostgreSQL and MongoDB.

Scalingo's filesystem docs say each restart or redeploy gives the app a new filesystem, so earlier files are gone. They suggest an external store with an S3-compatible API, such as Outscale OOS, Amazon S3 or OVH Public Cloud Storage. With Payload, that means the S3 storage adapter from day one.

Best for: a Payload project that wants an ISO 27001-certified French platform, Review Apps for each pull or merge request, and a managed database.
Price: a 256 MB container costs €7.20 a month excl. VAT, or €8.64 in its SecNumCloud region. The smallest Postgres is €7.20 a month excl. VAT for 512 MB and 10 GB. There's a 30-day free trial.
What it lacks: its own object storage. Uploads need a bucket from another provider.

4. Coolify on Hetzner

Coolify is an open-source deploy dashboard you install on a server you own. You deploy Payload from Git, and Coolify can start a one-click PostgreSQL or MongoDB on the same server with scheduled backups to S3-compatible storage. Hetzner, a German host, rents servers in Europe in Falkenstein, Nuremberg and Helsinki, and also sells S3-compatible Object Storage in the same three locations.

Because the server's disk stays put, Payload's local uploads keep working, though a bucket makes backups and a second server easier.

Best for: developers who can patch a Linux server and want Payload, its database and its files on hardware they control.
Price: Coolify costs nothing when you host it yourself; its Cloud version is $5 a month and connects 2 servers. On Hetzner, the smallest cloud server is listed at €5.49 a month excl. VAT in Helsinki or €6.49 in Falkenstein and Nuremberg, but those entry plans were marked unavailable to order on 10 November 2026. Object Storage has a base price of €6.49 a month excl. VAT, including 1 TB of storage and 1 TB of egress.
What it lacks: someone else to fix it. Updates, database restores and security are your job.

5. Eurobase, for the site in front of Payload

Eurobase builds Next.js apps with OpenNext and runs them on V8 isolates, on European infrastructure run by Scaleway, a French provider. The business is registered in Warsaw, Poland. It doesn't document Payload, and Payload itself is a poor match today: Postgres and MongoDB drivers that connect over TCP can't reach a database from a Worker, and Payload's Cloudflare template declares an R2 bucket for uploads, a binding that fails the build on Eurobase. Eurobase also doesn't resize images.

Where it fits is the public site. A separate Next.js, Astro or Nuxt front end that fetches content from your Payload API over HTTPS can run on Eurobase while Payload sits on one of the hosts above.

Best for: the visitor-facing site of a headless Payload setup, deployed from Git or by a coding agent through the MCP server or CLI.
Price: start on the Free plan; paid plans cost €10 or €20 a month + VAT and cover the whole workspace. There are no usage charges today: work over a limit is refused, apps on V8 isolates and Functions stop until the monthly reset, and containers and static sites keep serving.
What it lacks: managed Postgres or MongoDB, object storage, preview deployments and image resizing. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 audits haven't finished yet.

See Next.js hosting on Eurobase and Workers for the limits in detail.

How to choose

Want everything from one vendor with little setup? Start with Sliplane if you'll use Postgres, or Clever Cloud if you'd rather keep MongoDB.
Need Review Apps or a SecNumCloud region? Look at Scalingo, and budget for a separate bucket.
Want a small bill and you're comfortable running a server? Coolify on Hetzner.
Running Payload headless with a separate front end? Put the front end on Eurobase and Payload on one of the others.

For the database half of the decision, see managed Postgres in Europe and MongoDB Atlas alternatives in Europe. For the media bucket, see European object storage.

Frequently asked questions

Can I self-host Payload CMS?

Yes. Payload is open source and its docs say it deploys anywhere Next.js runs. You bring a database, file storage for uploads if you use them, an email provider and usually a CDN.

Which database should I use for Payload?

Payload's docs suggest MongoDB when you have many localized fields, arrays or blocks, and Postgres or SQLite when you want the database to enforce relationships and you're happy with migrations. Nearly every Payload feature works on all three adapters, with the point field still missing on SQLite.

Why do my Payload uploads disappear after a deploy?

Your host gives each deployment or restart a fresh filesystem, which is how Scalingo, Clever Cloud and many container platforms work. Install a storage adapter such as @payloadcms/storage-s3 and point it at an S3-compatible bucket in Europe.

Can I run Payload on Cloudflare Workers or Eurobase?

Payload publishes a Cloudflare template using D1 for the database and R2 for uploads, and its README says it needs Cloudflare's paid Workers plan because of size limits. On Eurobase, the R2 binding in that template fails the build, so run Payload elsewhere and keep only the front end on Eurobase.