1panelvsPayload CMS
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| 1panel | Payload CMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 79/100 | 83/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 10 in Control Panel | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 37 308 | 45 571 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +294 | +639 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 | 20 |
| Latest release | v2.4.1 · 22 Oct 2026 | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 79/100 for 1panel, so it is the safer default.
Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 18 for 1panel.
If you want the quickest setup, 1panel is easier to run; Payload CMS needs more configuration.
Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+639 stars in 30 days).
1panel details →Payload CMS details →
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