OrcavsPayload CMS
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Orca | Payload CMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 91/100 | 83/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 209 in AI Agents | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS |
| GitHub stars | 109 264 | 45 565 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +9 357 | +633 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 16 | 20 |
| Latest release | v1.4.244 · 29 Oct 2026 | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Orca scores 91/100 against 83/100 for Payload CMS, so it is the safer default.
Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 16 for Orca.
If you want the quickest setup, Orca is easier to run; Payload CMS needs more configuration.
Orca is growing faster right now (+9 357 stars in 30 days).
Orca details →Payload CMS details →
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