# Payload CMS vs Zulip

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

| | Payload CMS | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Headless CMS | #1 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 45 561 ✓ | 26 133 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +649 ✓ | +190 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 ✓ | 6 |
| Latest release | v3.92.1 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | 12.3 · 21 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Payload CMS scores 83/100 against 82/100 for Zulip, so it is the safer default.

Payload CMS ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for Zulip.

Payload CMS is growing faster right now (+649 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

## Related comparisons

- [Ghost vs Payload CMS](https://selfhost.directory/compare/ghost-vs-payload-cms)
- [Discourse vs Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/compare/discourse-vs-zulip)
- [Rocket.Chat vs Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/compare/rocketchat-vs-zulip)
- [directus vs Payload CMS](https://selfhost.directory/compare/directus-vs-payload-cms)

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