NodeBBvspolar
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| NodeBB | polar | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 71/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #1 of 13 in Billing |
| GitHub stars | 15 244 | 10 436 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +19 | +157 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 31 | 1 |
| Latest release | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 | @polar-sh/cli@3.0.0 · 16 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Python |
Which one should you pick?
NodeBB scores 73/100 against 71/100 for polar, so it is the safer default.
NodeBB ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 1 for polar.
If you want the quickest setup, NodeBB is easier to run; polar needs more configuration.
polar is growing faster right now (+157 stars in 30 days).
NodeBB details →polar details →