LocomotiveCMS EnginevsPayload CMS
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| LocomotiveCMS Engine | Payload CMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 58/100 | 83/100 |
| Rank in category | #9 of 18 in Content Management | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 2 321 | 45 559 |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +647 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 20 |
| Latest release | — | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | Ruby | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 58/100 for LocomotiveCMS Engine, so it is the safer default.
Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for LocomotiveCMS Engine.
If you want the quickest setup, Payload CMS is easier to run; LocomotiveCMS Engine needs more configuration.
Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+647 stars in 30 days).
LocomotiveCMS Engine details →Payload CMS details →