# NodeBB vs SafeLine

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

| | NodeBB | SafeLine |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 81/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #1 of 3 in Web Application Firewall |
| GitHub stars | 15 243 | 23 073 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +18 | +403 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 31 ✓ | 11 |
| Latest release | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ | v9.4.3 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

SafeLine scores 81/100 against 73/100 for NodeBB, so it is the safer default.

NodeBB ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 11 for SafeLine.

SafeLine is growing faster right now (+403 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [NodeBB](https://selfhost.directory/project/nodebb) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nodebb.md)
- [SafeLine](https://selfhost.directory/project/safeline) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/safeline.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/nodebb-vs-safeline