chatwootvsPayload CMS
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| chatwoot | Payload CMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 84/100 | 83/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Customer Support | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 38 531 | 45 568 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 370 | +636 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 | 20 |
| Latest release | v4.19.1 · 24 Oct 2026 | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | Ruby | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
chatwoot scores 84/100 against 83/100 for Payload CMS, so it is the safer default.
Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 18 for chatwoot.
If you want the quickest setup, Payload CMS is easier to run; chatwoot needs more configuration.
chatwoot is growing faster right now (+1 370 stars in 30 days).
chatwoot details →Payload CMS details →