NodeBBvspylon
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| NodeBB | pylon | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 45/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #112 of 166 in Developer Tools |
| GitHub stars | 15 244 | 231 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +19 | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 31 | 3 |
| Latest release | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 | v2.12.2 · 29 Jul 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
Which one should you pick?
NodeBB scores 73/100 against 45/100 for pylon, so it is the safer default.
NodeBB ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for pylon.
NodeBB is growing faster right now (+19 stars in 30 days).
NodeBB details →pylon details →