# Mailu vs Payload CMS

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

| | Mailu | Payload CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 69/100 | 83/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #8 of 106 in Email | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 7 591 | 45 571 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +69 | +639 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 22 ✓ | 20 |
| Latest release | 2024.06.67 · 23 Oct 2026 | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | Python | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 69/100 for Mailu, so it is the safer default.

Mailu ships more often: 22 stable releases in the past year, against 20 for Payload CMS.

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

## Details

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