Payload CMSvsunleash
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Payload CMS | unleash | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 75/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS | #1 of 8 in Feature Flags |
| GitHub stars | 45 563 | 13 912 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +651 | +90 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 | 15 |
| Latest release | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 | v8.3.0 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 75/100 for unleash, so it is the safer default.
Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for unleash.
If you want the quickest setup, unleash is easier to run; Payload CMS needs more configuration.
Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+651 stars in 30 days).
Payload CMS details →unleash details →