Payload CMSvsSandstorm
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Payload CMS | Sandstorm | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 65/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS | #1 of 5 in Web Hosting |
| GitHub stars | 45 563 | 7 078 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +651 | +1 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 | 0 |
| Latest release | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | MIT | Other |
| Main language | Typescript | JavaScript |
Which one should you pick?
Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 65/100 for Sandstorm, so it is the safer default.
Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Sandstorm.
Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+651 stars in 30 days).
Payload CMS details →Sandstorm details →