# Leon vs NodeBB

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

| | Leon | NodeBB |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 63/100 | 73/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #16 of 120 in AI Assistant | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 17 618 ✓ | 15 243 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +74 ✓ | +18 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 31 ✓ |
| Latest release | tcp-server_v2.0.0 · 19 Feb 2026 | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

NodeBB scores 73/100 against 63/100 for Leon, so it is the safer default.

NodeBB ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Leon.

Leon is growing faster right now (+74 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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