GravityKit
GravityKit folds every GravityView extension into one Pro plugin.
Comparison · Infra & APIs
Dashy vs Payload CMS
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Dashy and Payload CMS — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Dashy vs Payload CMS: at a glance
What is Dashy?
Dashy's release-per-PR run keeps closing authentication gaps around header auth and OIDC
Dashy ships one release per merged PR. Recent releases fix header auth for users not listed in the config, OIDC re-login losing the requested page, and a theme flash plus sub-page styling bug. The two releases on 7 November are a ten-package Dependabot bump and a fix for a slow sub-page load replacing the page the user had already moved to.
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.
Dashy vs Payload CMS: editorial side-by-side
Dashy
5.0INFRA · APIS
Dashy's release-per-PR run keeps closing authentication gaps around header auth and OIDC
◆ Current state
Dashy ships one release per merged PR. Recent releases fix header auth for users not listed in the config, OIDC re-login losing the requested page, and a theme flash plus sub-page styling bug. The two releases on 7 November are a ten-package Dependabot bump and a fix for a slow sub-page load replacing the page the user had already moved to.
◆ Where it's heading
Authentication is the recurring thread: lookalike-origin trust on October 31, then header auth for unlisted users and OIDC redirects on November 2. Dashy is hardening its auth options for setups behind reverse proxies and identity providers, while the rest of the stream is small UI fixes and dependency updates.
◆ Prediction
More single-PR patch releases, likely including further auth and SSO fixes; nothing in the entries points to a feature release.
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 Dashy 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 Dashy 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 Dashy alternatives → · See all Payload CMS alternatives →
Recent activity from Dashy and Payload CMS
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 17h agoPayload CMSv4 beta.9: version-aware image transforms, richer session details
- 3d agoPayload CMSv4 beta.8: OAuth login for MCP, request-time image transforms
- 6d agoDashyDashy 4.9.17 stops slow sub-pages overriding navigation
- 6d agoDashyDashy 4.9.16 bundles ten dependency updates
- 9d agoPayload CMSv4 beta.7: refresh tokens and a batch of security fixes
- 11d agoDashyDashy 4.9.15 fixes header auth for users not in the config
- 11d agoDashyDashy 4.9.14 keeps the requested page after OIDC re-login
- 11d agoDashyDashy 4.9.13 fixes theme flash and sub-page styles
- 13d agoDashyDashy 4.9.12 fixes auth-header trust of lookalike origins
- 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
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Dashy and Payload CMS?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Dashy 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 Dashy better than Payload CMS?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Dashy 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 Dashy?
Top Dashy alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Dashy alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/dashy 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.