Payload CMSvsWarpgate
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Payload CMS | Warpgate | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 75/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS | #11 of 78 in Security |
| GitHub stars | 45 561 | 8 159 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +649 | +199 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 | 33 |
| Latest release | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 | v0.30.2 · 26 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Rust |
Which one should you pick?
Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 75/100 for Warpgate, so it is the safer default.
Warpgate ships more often: 33 stable releases in the past year, against 20 for Payload CMS.
If you want the quickest setup, Warpgate is easier to run; Payload CMS needs more configuration.
Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+649 stars in 30 days).
Payload CMS details →Warpgate details →