HiClawvsNodeBB
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| HiClaw | NodeBB | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 67/100 | 73/100 |
| Rank in category | #31 of 209 in AI Agents | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 5 889 | 15 244 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +220 | +19 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 31 |
| Latest release | v1.2.5 · 16 Oct 2026 | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | 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 67/100 for HiClaw, so it is the safer default.
NodeBB ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for HiClaw.
If you want the quickest setup, HiClaw is easier to run; NodeBB needs more configuration.
HiClaw is growing faster right now (+220 stars in 30 days).
HiClaw details →NodeBB details →