October CMS vs Payload CMS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted content management systems options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
October CMS
Laravel-based CMS focused on simplicity for developers
VS
Payload CMS
TypeScript-native headless CMS and application framework
| Feature | October CMS | Payload CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Content Management Systems | Content Management Systems |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,140 | ★ 44,043 |
| First released | 2014 | 2021 |
| Replaces | WordPress, Wix | Contentful, Sanity |
Why pick each one
Choose October CMS if…
- Great for Laravel developers
- Simple, transparent architecture
Choose Payload CMS if…
- Excellent TypeScript developer experience
- No vendor lock-in
Frequently asked questions
Is October CMS or Payload CMS better?
Neither is universally better. Payload CMS has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are October CMS and Payload CMS free and open-source?
Yes. October CMS is licensed under MIT and Payload CMS under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run October CMS and Payload CMS with Docker?
October CMS: yes. Payload CMS: yes.