Payload CMSvsForem Selfhost
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Payload CMS | Forem Selfhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 51/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS | #2 of 6 in Community |
| GitHub stars | 45 565 | 1 480 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +633 | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 | 0 |
| Latest release | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Jinja |
Which one should you pick?
Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 51/100 for Forem Selfhost, so it is the safer default.
Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Forem Selfhost.
If you want the quickest setup, Payload CMS is easier to run; Forem Selfhost needs more configuration.
Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+633 stars in 30 days).
Payload CMS details →Forem Selfhost details →