Payload CMSvsPterodactyl
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Payload CMS | Pterodactyl | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 75/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS | #4 of 62 in Game Servers |
| GitHub stars | 45 568 | 9 438 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +636 | +183 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 | 11 |
| Latest release | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 | v1.15.2 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | MIT | Other |
| Main language | Typescript | PHP |
Which one should you pick?
Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 75/100 for Pterodactyl, so it is the safer default.
Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 11 for Pterodactyl.
If you want the quickest setup, Payload CMS is easier to run; Pterodactyl needs more configuration.
Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+636 stars in 30 days).
Payload CMS details →Pterodactyl details →