NodeBBvsOTOBO
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| NodeBB | OTOBO | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 54/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #5 of 9 in Helpdesk |
| GitHub stars | 15 243 | 338 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +18 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 31 | 2 |
| Latest release | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 | rel-11_0_15 · 4 Feb 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Perl |
Which one should you pick?
NodeBB scores 73/100 against 54/100 for OTOBO, so it is the safer default.
NodeBB ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for OTOBO.
If you want the quickest setup, NodeBB is easier to run; OTOBO needs more configuration.
NodeBB is growing faster right now (+18 stars in 30 days).
NodeBB details →OTOBO details →