Payload CMS
Developer-first headless CMS and application framework.
Payload CMS vs WordPress
Two self-hosted Content Management Systems (CMS) apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.
Side by side
| Payload CMS | WordPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Developer-first headless CMS and application framework. | World's most-used blogging and CMS engine. |
| GitHub stars | 45,674 | 21,518 |
| Forks | 4.4k | – |
| Open issues (incl. PRs) | 1.5k | – |
| Commits (12 months) | 1.8k | 2.9k |
| Last activity | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-05 |
| Latest release | v4.0.0-beta.7 (2026-11-04) | – |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language / platform | Nodejs | PHP |
| Docker Hub image | – | – |
| Docker pulls | – | – |
| Est. server size | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $5/mo | $5/mo |
| Categories | Content Management Systems (CMS) | Content Management Systems (CMS) |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- Payload CMS is more popular on GitHub: 45.7k stars vs 21.5k for WordPress.
- WordPress had more commits in the last 12 months (2,893 vs 1,783).
- Payload CMS publishes GitHub releases (latest v4.0.0-beta.7); no GitHub release was found for WordPress.
- Payload CMS is licensed under MIT, WordPress under GPL-2.0. Payload CMS's license is permissive; WordPress's is copyleft (changes you distribute must stay open).
- Payload CMS is written in Nodejs; WordPress in PHP.
Summary: Payload CMS leads on GitHub popularity; WordPress leads on commit activity. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.
This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-05. It does not rate features or quality.
Frequently asked questions
Is Payload CMS or WordPress more popular?
Payload CMS has more GitHub stars (45,674 vs 21,518 for WordPress, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, Payload CMS or WordPress?
WordPress had more commits over the last 12 months (2,893 vs 1,783). The last recorded activity was 2026-11-04 for Payload CMS and 2026-11-05 for WordPress. Our health labels: Payload CMS is “Active”, WordPress is “Active”.
What licenses do Payload CMS and WordPress use?
Payload CMS: MIT. WordPress: GPL-2.0. Payload CMS's license is permissive; WordPress's is copyleft (changes you distribute must stay open).
Can I run Payload CMS and WordPress with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
WordPress
World's most-used blogging and CMS engine.
Browse all self-hosted Content Management Systems (CMS) apps.