NATSvsNodeBB
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| NATS | NodeBB | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 | 73/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 12 in Message Broker | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 20 954 | 15 243 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +189 | +18 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 | 31 |
| Latest release | v2.14.9 · 26 Oct 2026 | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Go | JavaScript |
Which one should you pick?
NATS scores 80/100 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 NATS.
NATS is growing faster right now (+189 stars in 30 days).
NATS details →NodeBB details →
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