NodeBBvsPulse
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| NodeBB | Pulse | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 71/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #2 of 19 in Infrastructure Monitoring |
| GitHub stars | 15 243 | 6 973 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +18 | +232 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 31 | 43 |
| Latest release | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 | helm-chart-6.6.0 · 25 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | JavaScript | Go |
Which one should you pick?
NodeBB scores 73/100 against 71/100 for Pulse, so it is the safer default.
Pulse ships more often: 43 stable releases in the past year, against 31 for NodeBB.
If you want the quickest setup, Pulse is easier to run; NodeBB needs more configuration.
Pulse is growing faster right now (+232 stars in 30 days).
NodeBB details →Pulse details →