MailpitvsPayload CMS
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Mailpit | Payload CMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 77/100 | 83/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 106 in Email | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 10 789 | 45 571 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +354 | +639 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 23 | 20 |
| Latest release | v1.32.0 · 22 Oct 2026 | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 77/100 for Mailpit, so it is the safer default.
Mailpit ships more often: 23 stable releases in the past year, against 20 for Payload CMS.
If you want the quickest setup, Mailpit is easier to run; Payload CMS needs more configuration.
Mailpit details →Payload CMS details →
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