LathevsNodeBB
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Lathe | NodeBB | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 52/100 | 73/100 |
| Rank in category | #7 of 30 in Education | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 1 708 | 15 243 |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +18 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 | 31 |
| Latest release | v0.5.0 · 20 Jul 2026 | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Go | JavaScript |
Which one should you pick?
NodeBB scores 73/100 against 52/100 for Lathe, so it is the safer default.
NodeBB ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for Lathe.
If you want the quickest setup, Lathe is easier to run; NodeBB needs more configuration.
NodeBB is growing faster right now (+18 stars in 30 days).
Lathe details →NodeBB details →
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