Payload CMSvsPlik
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Payload CMS | Plik | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 63/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS | #6 of 27 in File Sharing & Collaboration |
| GitHub stars | 45 565 | 1 829 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +633 | +9 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 | 4 |
| Latest release | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 | 1.4.3 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | MIT | Other |
| Main language | Typescript | Go |
Which one should you pick?
Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 63/100 for Plik, so it is the safer default.
Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 4 for Plik.
If you want the quickest setup, Plik is easier to run; Payload CMS needs more configuration.
Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+633 stars in 30 days).
Payload CMS details →Plik details →