# Payload CMS vs polar

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

| | Payload CMS | polar |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 71/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS | #1 of 13 in Billing |
| GitHub stars | 45 573 ✓ | 10 437 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +641 ✓ | +158 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 ✓ | 1 |
| Latest release | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | @polar-sh/cli@3.0.0 · 16 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 71/100 for polar, so it is the safer default.

Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 1 for polar.

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

Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+641 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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