Figma Acquires Payload: What It Means for Website Design & Development

Why Figma’s acquisition matters for businesses and agencies, what it means for desginers, developers, and why we're loving it.

When Figma announced the acquisition of Payload CMS, it confirmed something we’ve believed for years: the future of the web is headless, developer-first, and open source.

For agencies and businesses in Australia, especially those investing in Brisbane website design, this marks a shift that’s hard to ignore. Figma has already reshaped how teams collaborate on design. Payload is doing the same for content management. Together, they create the foundation of an end-to-end workflow where a design file can flow seamlessly into structured content and production code.

At BFJ Digital, this news feels like a vindication. We chose Payload long before this acquisition, powering our own website and pitching client builds alongside WordPress with it. Why? Because it was modern, open source, and built to scale.

While many agencies defaulted to WordPress or SaaS CMSs, we bet on a stack that gave us flexibility and ownership. Now Figma’s backing shows the world that this approach is not just viable — it’s the future.

Why This Acquisition Matters

Figma has always been the tool designers live in. But the handoff to development often breaks down — files get rebuilt, content is copied over, and inconsistencies creep in. Payload closes that gap. It manages structured content, integrates with modern frameworks, and can now sit natively inside the same ecosystem Figma is building.

This matters because:

• Speed: Faster design-to-dev workflows save weeks of time and tens of thousands in development costs.
• Open source: Payload will remain free and transparent. No licence fees or vendor lock-in.
• Future-proofing: Legacy CMS platforms can’t keep up with integrations into CRMs, AI tools, and automation. Payload thrives here.
• Signal to the market: When Figma backs a CMS, headless goes mainstream.

What Is Payload?

Payload is a TypeScript-based, open-source headless CMS. Unlike traditional CMSs, it doesn’t force a front-end framework or lock you into templates. Instead, it provides a content backend that developers connect to any modern stack — React, Next.js, Vue, you name it.

Key benefits:

• Super fast performance (looking at you SEO lovers)
• Way more secure then other CMS options
• Custom content modelling with code-level control
• API-driven, works with any frontend
• Fully open source, so you own your data and code
• Integrates with MarTech stacks like HubSpot, GA4, and automation tools
• Built for performance and scalability — no plugin bloat

Why BFJ Backed Payload Early

We moved our own site to Payload long before this acquisition. For us, it wasn’t a gamble. It was the logical choice:

• Open source meant we weren’t at the mercy of licensing or vendor pricing
• It matched our technical strengths as a website design and transformation agency
• It integrated neatly with our AI workflows, HubSpot, and attribution models
• Compared to legacy systems, builds were faster, lighter, and easier to maintain

This choice set us apart locally. While others leaned on WordPress or proprietary SaaS, we were already delivering Payload-powered headless websites.

Open Source: WordPress vs Payload

Both WordPress and Payload are open source, but they deliver very different outcomes. WordPress is monolithic, while Payload is headless and modern.

Comparison: Payload vs Other Headless CMSs

We’ve evaluated all the major headless CMS platforms. Here’s how Payload stacks up against Sanity, Contentful, Strapi, and Directus.

James Mikrut the Founder and CEO of Payload said the aquistiion has been a while in the makings, and the purpose of the project: "When we first started talking, it was about Figma investing in Payload and what we were doing in open source. They saw what we were building was unique, and it lines up well with how they see the world.

Along that process, we talked deeply about the future. There's still friction in the design -> code gap. Marketers currently use fragmented tools that don't play well with their CMS. LLMs can output JSX, but retaining high design fidelity and connecting to data is still messy and manual.
It immediately became apparent that Figma + Payload together could solve these problems in completely new ways if we joined forces more deeply than just an investment in our Series A."

His Linkedin post here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7340777527755292672/

Why Designers Should Care

Designers spend most of their day in Figma, but often lose control when their work moves into development. With Payload in the mix, the gap between design and live websites narrows. This means design systems can carry through to production with less compromise, fewer rebuilds, and higher fidelity. For website design teams, that means more of the original creative intent survives into the finished site.

Why Developers Should Care

Developers gain a CMS that’s open source, TypeScript-first, and backed by Figma’s resources. Instead of hand-coding workarounds to match design files, they’ll be able to plug Payload into modern frameworks and keep full control of performance and integrations. It streamlines workflow, reduces repetitive rebuilds, and makes headless development faster and cleaner.

How It Will Impact Our Clients

For clients, the biggest win is speed and ROI. Websites will move from design to live faster, with fewer hours lost in translation. Open source architecture means no licence lock-in, so long-term costs stay predictable. And because Payload integrates seamlessly with marketing tools like HubSpot and GA4, clients get websites that aren’t just pretty — they’re measurable, scalable, and built for growth.

Real-World Payload Case Studies

If you’re wondering what Payload can handle in practice, here are examples from their case studies:

• Mythical Society – Membership community site. Payload enabled extensibility and memberships

• Surveillance Watch – Interactive, data-heavy site. Payload enabled structured data and visual fidelity

• Mazda – Auto brand site syncing with internal systems, integrated design fidelity

• Microsoft – Education/documentation site with Payload for scalable custom workflows

The most common questions we're getting asked about Payload and headless websites.

Q: Will Payload remain open source under Figma?
A: Yes, confirmed by Figma and Payload.

Q: Does this replace WordPress or Shopify?
A: No. But for complex builds, Payload is better suited.

Q: Can BFJ deliver Payload projects today?
A: Yes, we’ve already built multiple headless websites in Brisbane.

Q: How does this affect marketing teams?
A: Cleaner admin, faster launches, easier integrations.

Q: What’s next for Figma users?
A: Direct path from prototype to production.