# Mailcow vs Payload CMS

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

| | Mailcow | Payload CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 77/100 | 83/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 106 in Email | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 13 715 | 45 573 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +205 | +641 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 16 | 20 ✓ |
| Latest release | 2026-10 · 21 Oct 2026 | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | JavaScript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 77/100 for Mailcow, so it is the safer default.

Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 16 for Mailcow.

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

Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+641 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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