# Guardian vs NodeBB

> 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).

## Details

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

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