# Payload CMS vs Rocket.Chat

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

| | Payload CMS | Rocket.Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS | #1 of 13 in Instant Messaging |
| GitHub stars | 45 565 | 46 349 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +633 ✓ | +179 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 | 36 ✓ |
| Latest release | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | 8.5.4 · 16 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | Other |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 82/100 for Rocket.Chat, so it is the safer default.

Rocket.Chat ships more often: 36 stable releases in the past year, against 20 for Payload CMS.

Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+633 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

## Related comparisons

- [Ghost vs Payload CMS](https://selfhost.directory/compare/ghost-vs-payload-cms)
- [Discourse vs Rocket.Chat](https://selfhost.directory/compare/discourse-vs-rocketchat)
- [Rocket.Chat vs Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/compare/rocketchat-vs-zulip)
- [directus vs Payload CMS](https://selfhost.directory/compare/directus-vs-payload-cms)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/payload-cms-vs-rocketchat