Decap CMSvsPayload CMS
Two self-hosted Headless CMS projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Decap CMS | Payload CMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 72/100 | 83/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 13 in Headless CMS | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 19 456 | 45 561 |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +649 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 20 |
| Latest release | — | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | JavaScript | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 72/100 for Decap CMS, so it is the safer default.
Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Decap CMS.
If you want the quickest setup, Decap CMS is easier to run; Payload CMS needs more configuration.
Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+649 stars in 30 days).
Decap CMS details →Payload CMS details →All Headless CMS projects →