GravityKit
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Comparison · Infra & APIs
authentik vs Payload CMS
A side-by-side editorial comparison of authentik and Payload CMS — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
authentik vs Payload CMS: at a glance
What is authentik?
authentik patches 2026.8 and 2026.5 together, with cert updates after the eMudhra CA compromise.
authentik is in maintenance mode on its release branches. 2026.8.5 fixes an endpoints MultipleObjectsReturned error, skips members already in Microsoft Entra groups during sync, stops the Agents tab flashing for unlicensed users, and bumps certificate dependencies after the eMudhra CA compromise. 2026.5.8 backports a longer list, including a consent re-grant error, websocket header handling and pool credential refresh.
What is Payload CMS?
Payload's v4 beta.9 keeps every past image crop and raises the Node floor again.
Payload has tagged nine v4 betas since October 10. Beta.9 reads saved crops and focal points from the new _transforms store, serves historical upload variants when a version is restored, adds labels and device details to sessions, and exports standalone CSS tokens from the UI package. It also bumps the minimum Node version to 24.22.3, the second Node floor raise in the cycle.
authentik vs Payload CMS: editorial side-by-side
authentik
5.0INFRA · APIS
authentik patches 2026.8 and 2026.5 together, with cert updates after the eMudhra CA compromise.
◆ Current state
authentik is in maintenance mode on its release branches. 2026.8.5 fixes an endpoints MultipleObjectsReturned error, skips members already in Microsoft Entra groups during sync, stops the Agents tab flashing for unlicensed users, and bumps certificate dependencies after the eMudhra CA compromise. 2026.5.8 backports a longer list, including a consent re-grant error, websocket header handling and pool credential refresh.
◆ Where it's heading
Since the 2026.8.0 Agent and Actors release, every entry has been a patch on 2026.8 or an older branch, and the team keeps three branches supported. The fixes are concentrated in sync providers, the proxy outpost and the new Agents UI.
◆ Prediction
Expect further 2026.8.x patches and a 2026.11 release candidate; the entries don't yet show what the next feature release contains.
Payload CMS
5.0INFRA · APIS
Payload's v4 beta.9 keeps every past image crop and raises the Node floor again.
◆ Current state
Payload has tagged nine v4 betas since October 10. Beta.9 reads saved crops and focal points from the new _transforms store, serves historical upload variants when a version is restored, adds labels and device details to sessions, and exports standalone CSS tokens from the UI package. It also bumps the minimum Node version to 24.22.3, the second Node floor raise in the cycle.
◆ Where it's heading
Three betas in a row have reworked file uploads around one stored original plus replayable transforms, and two have tightened sign-in and sessions. The v4 cycle is now finishing those two systems rather than adding new surfaces, which is the usual shape of a beta nearing a release candidate.
◆ Prediction
Expect more betas that close out the transforms and session work, with a release candidate once the fix lists shrink; the entries do not show a date.
Alternatives to authentik 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 authentik or Payload CMS.
Nautobot
Nautobot 3.3 alpha 2 adds test helpers and a cable location filter after 3.2.9's token-leak fix.
Clair
Clair 4.10 RC can read SBOMs to match Java vulnerabilities.
Shuffle
Shuffle tags builds almost daily, but the notes are empty.
KrakenD
KrakenD's community edition is shipping only dependency bumps.
Velociraptor
Velociraptor's recent releases are mostly about patching CVEs.
See all authentik alternatives → · See all Payload CMS alternatives →
Recent activity from authentik and Payload CMS
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 16h agoPayload CMSv4 beta.9: version-aware image transforms, richer session details
- 3d agoPayload CMSv4 beta.8: OAuth login for MCP, request-time image transforms
- 9d agoPayload CMSv4 beta.7: refresh tokens and a batch of security fixes
- 15d agoPayload CMSv4 beta.6: Lexical 0.53, restores always return as drafts
- 17d agoPayload CMSv4 beta.5: signed upload receipts, stricter password reset
- 22d agoPayload CMSv4 beta.4: Node 24.22.1 minimum and accessibility audit fixes
- 23d agoauthentik2026.8.5: Entra sync fix and eMudhra certificate update
- 23d agoauthentik2026.5.8: backported consent, websocket and cert fixes
- 1mo agoauthentikRelease 2026.8.4
- 1mo agoauthentik2026.8.3: Case-insensitive file search, search autocomplete, and blueprint fix
- 2mo agoauthentikRelease 2026.8.2
- 2mo agoauthentik2026.5.7: Backport CI and endpoint auth schema fixes
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between authentik and Payload CMS?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. authentik and Payload CMS are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 5.0 vs 5.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is authentik better than Payload CMS?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. authentik and Payload CMS are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 5.0 vs 5.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Infra & APIs products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to authentik?
Top authentik alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "authentik alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/authentik 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 for the full list with editorial commentary on each.