# NodeBB vs Pelican Panel

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

| | NodeBB | Pelican Panel |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 ✓ | 64/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #13 of 62 in Game Servers |
| GitHub stars | 15 243 ✓ | 2 413 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +18 | +83 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 31 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | PHP |

## Which one should you pick?

NodeBB scores 73/100 against 64/100 for Pelican Panel, so it is the safer default.

NodeBB ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Pelican Panel.

Pelican Panel is growing faster right now (+83 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [NodeBB](https://selfhost.directory/project/nodebb) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nodebb.md)
- [Pelican Panel](https://selfhost.directory/project/pelican-panel) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/pelican-panel.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/nodebb-vs-pelican-panel