Payload CMS
Developer-first headless CMS and application framework.
Payload CMS vs Wagtail
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 | Wagtail | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Developer-first headless CMS and application framework. | Django content management system focused on flexibility and user experience. |
| GitHub stars | 45,808 | 20,607 |
| Forks | 4.4k | – |
| Open issues (incl. PRs) | 1.6k | – |
| Commits (12 months) | 1.8k | 1.4k |
| Last activity | 2026-11-09 | 2026-11-09 |
| Latest release | v4.0.0-beta.7 (2026-11-04) | v8.1 (2026-11-02) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language / platform | Nodejs | Python |
| 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: 45.8k stars vs 20.6k for Wagtail.
- Payload CMS had more commits in the last 12 months (1,811 vs 1,390).
- Payload CMS published a release more recently (v4.0.0-beta.7 on 2026-11-04; Wagtail's latest is v8.1 on 2026-11-02).
- Payload CMS is licensed under MIT, Wagtail under BSD-3-Clause.
- Payload CMS is written in Nodejs; Wagtail in Python.
Summary: Payload CMS leads on GitHub popularity and 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 2026-11-15. It does not rate features or quality.
Frequently asked questions
Is Payload CMS or Wagtail more popular?
Payload CMS has more GitHub stars (45,808 vs 20,607 for Wagtail, as of 2026-11-15). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, Payload CMS or Wagtail?
Payload CMS had more commits over the last 12 months (1,811 vs 1,390). Both had repository activity on 2026-11-09. Our health labels: Payload CMS is “Active”, Wagtail is “Active”.
What licenses do Payload CMS and Wagtail use?
Payload CMS: MIT. Wagtail: BSD-3-Clause.
Can I run Payload CMS and Wagtail with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
Wagtail
Django content management system focused on flexibility and user experience.
Browse all self-hosted Content Management Systems (CMS) apps.