# NodeBB vs Steward

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

| | NodeBB | Steward |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 ✓ | 46/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #2 of 2 in Cloud |
| GitHub stars | 15 244 ✓ | 201 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +19 ✓ | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 31 ✓ | 6 |
| Latest release | v4.16.5 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ | v0.4.0 · 4 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

NodeBB scores 73/100 against 46/100 for Steward, so it is the safer default.

NodeBB ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for Steward.

NodeBB is growing faster right now (+19 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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