# actions-runner-controller vs NodeBB

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | actions-runner-controller | NodeBB |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 71/100 | 73/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #6 of 28 in CI/CD | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 6 614 | 15 243 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +96 ✓ | +18 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 | 31 ✓ |
| Latest release | gha-runner-scale-set-0.15.1 · 23 Oct 2026 | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Go | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

NodeBB scores 73/100 against 71/100 for actions-runner-controller, so it is the safer default.

NodeBB ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for actions-runner-controller.

If you want the quickest setup, NodeBB is easier to run; actions-runner-controller needs more configuration.

actions-runner-controller is growing faster right now (+96 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [actions-runner-controller](https://selfhost.directory/project/actions-runner-controller) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/actions-runner-controller.md)
- [NodeBB](https://selfhost.directory/project/nodebb) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nodebb.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/actions-runner-controller-vs-nodebb