# Payload CMS vs terrapod

> 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 | 45 565 ✓ | 264 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +633 ✓ | +0 |
| 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 (+633 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

## Related comparisons

- [Ghost vs Payload CMS](https://selfhost.directory/compare/ghost-vs-payload-cms)
- [directus vs Payload CMS](https://selfhost.directory/compare/directus-vs-payload-cms)

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