# Mailpit vs Payload 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.

## Details

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