# HiClaw vs Payload CMS

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

| | HiClaw | Payload CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 67/100 | 83/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #32 of 209 in AI Agents | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 5 892 | 45 571 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +223 | +639 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 20 ✓ |
| Latest release | v1.2.5 · 16 Oct 2026 | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 67/100 for HiClaw, so it is the safer default.

Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for HiClaw.

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

Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+639 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [HiClaw](https://selfhost.directory/project/hiclaw) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/hiclaw.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)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/hiclaw-vs-payload-cms