# OpenDesign vs Payload CMS

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

| | OpenDesign | Payload CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 83/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 7 in Design | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 104 639 ✓ | 45 563 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 808 ✓ | +651 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 10 | 20 ✓ |
| Latest release | open-design-v0.26.1 · 22 Oct 2026 | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

OpenDesign and Payload CMS score the same (83/100), so the choice comes down to the details below.

Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 10 for OpenDesign.

OpenDesign is growing faster right now (+1 808 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [OpenDesign](https://selfhost.directory/project/open-design) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/open-design.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)
- [OpenDesign vs penpot](https://selfhost.directory/compare/open-design-vs-penpot)
- [directus vs Payload CMS](https://selfhost.directory/compare/directus-vs-payload-cms)

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