NodeBBvsPhoton
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| NodeBB | Photon | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 54/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #16 of 85 in Feed Reader |
| GitHub stars | 15 243 | 557 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +18 | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 31 | 9 |
| Latest release | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 | v2.4.3 · 30 Jul 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Svelte |
Which one should you pick?
NodeBB scores 73/100 against 54/100 for Photon, so it is the safer default.
NodeBB ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 9 for Photon.
NodeBB is growing faster right now (+18 stars in 30 days).
NodeBB details →Photon details →