GuardianvsNodeBB
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Guardian | NodeBB | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 41/100 | 73/100 |
| Rank in category | #95 of 118 in Media Server | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 174 | 15 243 |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +18 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 13 | 31 |
| Latest release | v2.1.0 · 26 Oct 2026 | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | JavaScript |
Which one should you pick?
NodeBB scores 73/100 against 41/100 for Guardian, so it is the safer default.
NodeBB ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 13 for Guardian.
NodeBB is growing faster right now (+18 stars in 30 days).
Guardian details →NodeBB details →
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