# Payload CMS vs Piik

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

| | Payload CMS | Piik |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 73/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS | #1 of 4 in Live Streaming |
| GitHub stars | 45 573 ✓ | 3 893 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +641 ✓ | +435 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 ✓ | 14 |
| Latest release | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | v2.5.0 · 26 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 73/100 for Piik, so it is the safer default.

Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for Piik.

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

## Details

- [Payload CMS](https://selfhost.directory/project/payload-cms) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/payload-cms.md)
- [Piik](https://selfhost.directory/project/piik) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/piik.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/payload-cms-vs-piik