# Orca vs Payload 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 | 109 348 ✓ | 45 566 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +9 441 ✓ | +634 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 17 | 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 17 for Orca.

If you want the quickest setup, Orca is easier to run; Payload CMS needs more configuration.

Orca is growing faster right now (+9 441 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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