# actions-runner-controller vs Payload CMS

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | actions-runner-controller | Payload CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 71/100 | 83/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #6 of 28 in CI/CD | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 6 623 | 45 571 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +105 | +639 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 | 20 ✓ |
| Latest release | gha-runner-scale-set-0.15.1 · 23 Oct 2026 | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 71/100 for actions-runner-controller, so it is the safer default.

Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for actions-runner-controller.

If you want the quickest setup, Payload CMS is easier to run; actions-runner-controller needs more configuration.

Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+639 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [actions-runner-controller](https://selfhost.directory/project/actions-runner-controller) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/actions-runner-controller.md)
- [Payload CMS](https://selfhost.directory/project/payload-cms) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/payload-cms.md)

## Related comparisons

- [Ghost vs Payload CMS](https://selfhost.directory/compare/ghost-vs-payload-cms)
- [directus vs Payload CMS](https://selfhost.directory/compare/directus-vs-payload-cms)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/actions-runner-controller-vs-payload-cms