AnswervsPayload CMS
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Answer | Payload CMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 71/100 | 83/100 |
| Rank in category | #5 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 15 702 | 45 568 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +21 | +636 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 | 20 |
| Latest release | v2.0.3 · 22 Sept 2026 | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | 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 Answer, so it is the safer default.
Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for Answer.
If you want the quickest setup, Answer is easier to run; Payload CMS needs more configuration.
Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+636 stars in 30 days).
Answer details →Payload CMS details →