EMQXvsPayload CMS
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| EMQX | Payload CMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 | 83/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Messaging | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 16 869 | 45 573 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +114 | +641 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 20 |
| Latest release | 6.3.2 · 16 Oct 2026 | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | Erlang | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 78/100 for EMQX, so it is the safer default.
Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for EMQX.
If you want the quickest setup, Payload CMS is easier to run; EMQX needs more configuration.
Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+641 stars in 30 days).
EMQX details →Payload CMS details →