# BigBlueButton vs NodeBB

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

| | BigBlueButton | NodeBB |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 73/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 25 in Video Conferencing | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 9 258 | 15 243 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +31 ✓ | +18 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 21 | 31 ✓ |
| Latest release | v3.0.40 · 28 Oct 2026 | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | LGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

BigBlueButton and NodeBB score the same (73/100), so the choice comes down to the details below.

NodeBB ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 21 for BigBlueButton.

If you want the quickest setup, NodeBB is easier to run; BigBlueButton needs more configuration.

## Details

- [BigBlueButton](https://selfhost.directory/project/bigbluebutton) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/bigbluebutton.md)
- [NodeBB](https://selfhost.directory/project/nodebb) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nodebb.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/bigbluebutton-vs-nodebb