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Comparison · Infra & APIs

AdGuard Home vs Payload CMS

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

AdGuard Home vs Payload CMS: at a glance

FeatureAdGuard HomePayload CMS
SectorInfra & APIsInfra & APIs
Velocity score5.05.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesdns, ad-blocking, self-hosted, securityheadless-cms, v4-beta, file-uploads, auth
Last editorial update8d ago1h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is AdGuard Home?

AdGuard Home's 1.0 beta matches stable's security fixes and reworks client settings

AdGuard Home v0.107.80 is a security release on the stable line: a Go update for the 1.27.3 fixes, Multipath TCP disabled for CVE-2026-98432 and macOS 13 dropped. The beta channel moved to the new UI and v1.0.0 numbering at the end of September; v1.0.0-b.2 on November 5 carries the same security changes, splits per-client global settings so blocked services have their own switch, and fixes a run of DHCP and client ID validation bugs.

Read the full AdGuard Home trajectory →

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.

Read the full Payload CMS trajectory →

AdGuard Home vs Payload CMS: editorial side-by-side

A
AdGuard Home
INFRA · APIS
5.0

AdGuard Home's 1.0 beta matches stable's security fixes and reworks client settings

◆ Current state

AdGuard Home v0.107.80 is a security release on the stable line: a Go update for the 1.27.3 fixes, Multipath TCP disabled for CVE-2026-98432 and macOS 13 dropped. The beta channel moved to the new UI and v1.0.0 numbering at the end of September; v1.0.0-b.2 on November 5 carries the same security changes, splits per-client global settings so blocked services have their own switch, and fixes a run of DHCP and client ID validation bugs.

◆ Where it's heading

The two lines are now patched in step on security, while the 1.0 beta absorbs UI corrections and validation fixes ahead of a stable switch. The beta fixes are mostly about settings that did not save or validate correctly, which is the cleanup a new UI needs before it replaces the old one.

◆ Prediction

Expect more 1.0 betas fixing settings and validation in the new UI; the entries give no date for 1.0 stable.

P
Payload CMS
INFRA · APIS
5.0

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 AdGuard Home 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 AdGuard Home or Payload CMS.

See all AdGuard Home alternatives → · See all Payload CMS alternatives →

Recent activity from AdGuard Home and Payload CMS

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

  1. 17h agoPayload CMSv4 beta.9: version-aware image transforms, richer session details
  2. 3d agoPayload CMSv4 beta.8: OAuth login for MCP, request-time image transforms
  3. 9d agoAdGuard Home1.0.0-b.2: security fixes, per-client settings split, DHCP fixes
  4. 9d agoPayload CMSv4 beta.7: refresh tokens and a batch of security fixes
  5. 10d agoAdGuard Home0.107.80 disables Multipath TCP for a CVE and drops macOS 13
  6. 15d agoPayload CMSv4 beta.6: Lexical 0.53, restores always return as drafts
  7. 17d agoPayload CMSv4 beta.5: signed upload receipts, stricter password reset
  8. 22d agoPayload CMSv4 beta.4: Node 24.22.1 minimum and accessibility audit fixes
  9. 1mo agoAdGuard HomeBeta channel moves to the new UI as v1.0.0-b.1
  10. 1mo agoAdGuard HomeBeta b.91 fixes DHCP lease persistence and DNS64 chains
  11. 2mo agoAdGuard HomeAdGuard Home 0.107.79 hardens DNS-over-QUIC against exhaustion
  12. 3mo agoAdGuard HomeBeta b.90 carries the DNS-over-QUIC exhaustion fix

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between AdGuard Home and Payload CMS?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. AdGuard Home 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 AdGuard Home better than Payload CMS?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. AdGuard Home 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 AdGuard Home?

Top AdGuard Home alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "AdGuard Home alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/adguard-home 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.