# docker-mailserver vs Payload CMS

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

| | docker-mailserver | Payload CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 | 83/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #1 of 16 in Mail Server | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 19 705 | 45 571 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +831 ✓ | +639 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 20 ✓ |
| Latest release | v16.0.1 · 4 Sept 2026 | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | Shell | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 80/100 for docker-mailserver, so it is the safer default.

Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for docker-mailserver.

If you want the quickest setup, Payload CMS is easier to run; docker-mailserver needs more configuration.

## Details

- [docker-mailserver](https://selfhost.directory/project/docker-mailserver) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/docker-mailserver.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/docker-mailserver-vs-payload-cms