head to head · open source
Payload vs Publii
Payload has 45,613 GitHub stars, 4,378 forks, 1,127 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Publii has 7,387 stars, 475 forks, 300 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Payload leads on adoption by 517% (45,613 vs 7,387 stars). Payload is written in TypeScript under MIT; Publii is written in HTML under GPL-3.0. Payload has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, Publii 6%. Payload was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (cms), 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 | Publii | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 46K | ★ 7.4K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | HTML |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-10-31 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 475 |
| 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 Publii if
- You want the Publii feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches HTML
- You evaluated both and Publii 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 Publii
Publii Static CMS for privacy focused, SEO optimized websites. Publii is a desktop based CMS for Windows, Mac and Linux that makes creating static websites fast and hassle free, even for beginners. Current version: 0.47.9 build 17481 Why Publii? Unlike static site generators that are often unwieldy and difficult to use, Publii provides an easy to understand UI much like server based CMSs such as WordPress or Joomla!, where users can create posts and other site content, and style their site using a variety of built in themes and options. Users can enjoy the benefits of a super fast and secure static website, with…
read the full Publii overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Payload or Publii more popular?
Payload has 45,613 GitHub stars and Publii has 7,387. Payload has the larger community by that measure.
Are Payload and Publii free?
Both are open source. Payload is licensed under MIT and Publii under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Payload and Publii?
Payload is written in TypeScript and Publii in HTML. 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 Publii?
Choose Payload if you want the larger community (45,613 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Publii if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.