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Comparison · Infra & APIs

Authelia vs Payload CMS

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Authelia and Payload CMS — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Authelia vs Payload CMS: at a glance

FeatureAutheliaPayload CMS
SectorInfra & APIsInfra & APIs
Velocity score5.06.3
Sparks · 30d01
Top themesauth, oidc, self-hosted, securityheadless-cms, nextjs, tanstack, accessibility
Last editorial update1mo ago1d ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Authelia?

Authelia's 4.39.x series is a continuous patch stream: five releases in nine days, no new features

Authelia is in a sustained maintenance phase on the 4.39.x branch. The project has shipped at least five releases since September 8 — all bug-fix patches targeting OIDC conformance, web UI edge cases, SMTP IPv6, Envoy authz path handling, and storage correctness. The release cadence is high but the content is narrow: there is no visible feature investment in the recent window.

Read the full Authelia trajectory →

What is Payload CMS?

Payload 4.0 beta 4 works through the admin accessibility audit and raises the Node minimum.

Payload v4.0.0-beta.4 addresses the remaining admin accessibility audit findings (contrast, names and labels) and sets Node 24.22.1 as the minimum, matching the latest Node security release. It also fixes global version restoration, passes document IDs to field access, and adds localized filters in polymorphic Drizzle joins.

Read the full Payload CMS trajectory →

Authelia vs Payload CMS: editorial side-by-side

A
Authelia
INFRA · APIS
5.0

Authelia's 4.39.x series is a continuous patch stream: five releases in nine days, no new features

◆ Current state

Authelia is in a sustained maintenance phase on the 4.39.x branch. The project has shipped at least five releases since September 8 — all bug-fix patches targeting OIDC conformance, web UI edge cases, SMTP IPv6, Envoy authz path handling, and storage correctness. The release cadence is high but the content is narrow: there is no visible feature investment in the recent window.

◆ Where it's heading

The pattern across these releases is OIDC stabilization — multiple entries address consent handling, resource indicators, and JWT grant correctness. Authelia appears to be closing out conformance gaps accumulated during earlier 4.39.x development rather than adding surface area. The active committer footprint is small (primarily @james-d-elliott), which keeps the pace sustainable but limits breadth.

◆ Prediction

Given the absence of feature releases since well before May 2026, a 4.40.x or 5.0 branch with new capabilities is likely being developed in parallel. The current stream is support-mode maintenance.

P
Payload CMS
INFRA · APIS
6.3

Payload 4.0 beta 4 works through the admin accessibility audit and raises the Node minimum.

◆ Current state

Payload v4.0.0-beta.4 addresses the remaining admin accessibility audit findings (contrast, names and labels) and sets Node 24.22.1 as the minimum, matching the latest Node security release. It also fixes global version restoration, passes document IDs to field access, and adds localized filters in polymorphic Drizzle joins.

◆ Where it's heading

The 4.0 beta is landing every three or four days. beta.0 packaged the admin redesign, TanStack support and the new MCP; later betas moved the TanStack adapter to stable and React Flight, added Next.js cache components, and now close accessibility gaps. It is moving from features toward release readiness.

◆ Prediction

Expect more weekly betas focused on fixes and adapter polish, then a release candidate.

Alternatives to Authelia and Payload CMS

Other Infra & APIs products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Authelia or Payload CMS.

See all Authelia alternatives → · See all Payload CMS alternatives →

Recent activity from Authelia and Payload CMS

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 5d agoPayload CMSPayload 4.0 beta 4: accessibility fixes, Node 24.22.1 minimum
  2. 8d agoPayload CMSPayload 4.0 beta 3 adds Next.js cache components support
  3. 11d agoPayload CMSPayload 4.0 beta 2 moves to stable TanStack Start
  4. 13d agoPayload CMSPayload 4.0 beta 1: codemod and docs fixes
  5. 17d agoPayload CMSPayload 4.0 beta: admin redesign, TanStack support, new MCP ⚡
  6. 19d agoPayload CMSPayload 4.0 canary 39 removes deprecated APIs, adds upload versions
  7. 1mo agoAutheliaAuthelia v4.39.28 patch release
  8. 1mo agoAutheliav4.39.27
  9. 1mo agoAutheliav4.39.26
  10. 1mo agoAutheliav4.39.25
  11. 1mo agoAutheliav4.39.24
  12. 1mo agoAutheliav4.39.23

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Authelia and Payload CMS?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Payload CMS is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Authelia better than Payload CMS?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Payload CMS is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Infra & APIs products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Authelia?

Top Authelia alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Authelia alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/authelia for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Payload CMS?

Top Payload CMS alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Payload CMS alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/payload-cms for the full list with editorial commentary on each.