Payload CMSvsSure
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Payload CMS | Sure | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 74/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS | #4 of 62 in Personal Finance |
| GitHub stars | 45 565 | 10 712 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +633 | +680 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 | 15 |
| Latest release | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 | v0.7.5-hotfix.3 · 24 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Ruby |
Which one should you pick?
Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 74/100 for Sure, so it is the safer default.
Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for Sure.
If you want the quickest setup, Sure is easier to run; Payload CMS needs more configuration.
Payload CMS details →Sure details →