head to head · open source
Payload vs wagtail
Payload has 44,793 GitHub stars, 4,164 forks, 1,127 open issues and last shipped yesterday. wagtail has 20,503 stars, 4,608 forks, 1,007 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Payload leads on adoption by 118% (44,793 vs 20,503 stars). Payload is written in TypeScript under MIT; wagtail is written in Python under BSD-3-Clause. Payload has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, wagtail 22%. 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.
← all 8884 open source comparisons
Side by side
| Payload | wagtail | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 45K | ★ 21K |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.2K | ⑂ 4.6K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Payload if
- You weight community size — 45K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick wagtail if
- You want the wagtail feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the BSD-3-Clause license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and wagtail fits your workflow better
About Payload
Payload is an open source, MIT licensed headless CMS and fullstack framework, written in TypeScript and built to run natively inside a Next.js /app folder, aimed at developers who want a TypeScript backend and admin panel without signing up for another SaaS.
read the full Payload overview →
About wagtail
Wagtail is an open source content management system built on Django, for developers, designers and editors who need a fast authoring interface alongside precise control over front end design and content structure.
read the full wagtail overview →
More in Content & Publishing
Related comparisons
More Content Management Systems (CMS) projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Content Management Systems (CMS) field.
Frequently asked questions
Is Payload or wagtail more popular?
Payload has 44,793 GitHub stars and wagtail has 20,503. Payload has the larger community by that measure.
Are Payload and wagtail free?
Both are open source. Payload is licensed under MIT and wagtail under BSD-3-Clause. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Payload and wagtail?
Payload is written in TypeScript and wagtail 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 wagtail?
Choose Payload if you want the larger community (44,793 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose wagtail if its feature set, stack or BSD-3-Clause licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.