# MacOS vs NodeBB

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

| | MacOS | NodeBB |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 ✓ | 73/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 15 in Virtualization | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 21 690 ✓ | 15 243 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +113 ✓ | +18 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 | 31 ✓ |
| Latest release | v3.12 · 21 Aug 2026 | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Shell | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

MacOS scores 76/100 against 73/100 for NodeBB, so it is the safer default.

NodeBB ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 18 for MacOS.

MacOS is growing faster right now (+113 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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