# Payload CMS vs UUSEC WAF

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Payload CMS | UUSEC WAF |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 59/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS | #2 of 3 in Web Application Firewall |
| GitHub stars | 45 559 ✓ | 1 718 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +647 ✓ | +6 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 ✓ | 9 |
| Latest release | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | v7.2.6 · 12 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | MIT | BSD-2-Clause |
| Main language | Typescript | Shell |

## Which one should you pick?

Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 59/100 for UUSEC WAF, so it is the safer default.

Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 9 for UUSEC WAF.

Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+647 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Payload CMS](https://selfhost.directory/project/payload-cms) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/payload-cms.md)
- [UUSEC WAF](https://selfhost.directory/project/uusec-waf) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/uusec-waf.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-uusec-waf