# Backstage vs Novu

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

| | Backstage | Novu |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 ✓ | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #8 of 166 in Developer Tools | #2 of 19 in Notifications |
| GitHub stars | 34 734 | 40 219 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +52 | +170 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 ✓ | 12 |
| Latest release | v1.57.0-next.0 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | @novu/framework@v2.14.0 · 28 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Advanced ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Backstage scores 78/100 against 76/100 for Novu, so it is the safer default.

Backstage ships more often: 14 stable releases in the past year, against 12 for Novu.

Novu is growing faster right now (+170 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Backstage](https://selfhost.directory/project/backstage) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/backstage.md)
- [Novu](https://selfhost.directory/project/novu) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/novu.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/backstage-vs-novu