Payload CMSvsterrapod
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Payload CMS | terrapod | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 51/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS | #8 of 8 in DevOps |
| GitHub stars | 45 563 | 264 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +651 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 | 43 |
| Latest release | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 | v1.11.2 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | MIT | MPL-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Python |
Which one should you pick?
Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 51/100 for terrapod, so it is the safer default.
terrapod ships more often: 43 stable releases in the past year, against 20 for Payload CMS.
If you want the quickest setup, Payload CMS is easier to run; terrapod needs more configuration.
Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+651 stars in 30 days).
Payload CMS details →terrapod details →