head to head · open source
Payload vs CMSeeK
Payload has 45,624 GitHub stars, 4,384 forks, 1,127 open issues and last shipped yesterday. CMSeeK has 2,594 stars, 515 forks, 36 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. Payload leads on adoption by 1,659% (45,624 vs 2,594 stars). Payload is written in TypeScript under MIT; CMSeeK is written in Python under GPL-3.0. Payload has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, CMSeeK 20%. Payload was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (cms, content-management-system), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Payload | CMSeeK | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 46K | ★ 2.6K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-07-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 515 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Payload if
- You weight community size — 46K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick CMSeeK if
- You want the CMSeeK feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and CMSeeK fits your workflow better
About Payload
Explore the Docs · Community Help · Roadmap · View G2 Reviews [!IMPORTANT] Star this repo or keep an eye on it to follow along. Payload is the first ever Next.js native CMS that can install directly in your existing /app folder. It's the start of a new era for headless CMS. Benefits over a regular CMS It's both an app framework & headless CMS Deploy anywhere, including serverless on Vercel for free Combine your front+backend in the same /app folder if you want Don't sign up for yet another SaaS Payload is open source Query your database in React Server Components Both admin and backend are 100% extensible No…
read the full Payload overview →
About CMSeeK
What is a CMS? A content management system (CMS) manages the creation and modification of digital content. It typically supports multiple users in a collaborative environment. Some noteable examples are: WordPress, Joomla, Drupal etc . Release History Changelog File Functions Of CMSeek: Basic CMS Detection of over 180 CMS Drupal version detection Advanced Wordpress Scans Detects Version User Enumeration Plugins Enumeration Theme Enumeration Detects Users (3 Detection Methods) Looks for Version Vulnerabilities and much more! Advanced Joomla Scans Version detection Backup files finder Admin page finder Core…
read the full CMSeeK overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Payload or CMSeeK more popular?
Payload has 45,624 GitHub stars and CMSeeK has 2,594. Payload has the larger community by that measure.
Are Payload and CMSeeK free?
Both are open source. Payload is licensed under MIT and CMSeeK under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Payload and CMSeeK?
Payload is written in TypeScript and CMSeeK in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Payload or CMSeeK?
Choose Payload if you want the larger community (45,624 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose CMSeeK if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.