# Novu vs zusam

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

| | Novu | zusam |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 ✓ | 44/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 19 in Notifications | #58 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 40 221 ✓ | 223 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +161 ✓ | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 12 ✓ | 2 |
| Latest release | @novu/framework@v2.14.0 · 28 Sept 2026 ✓ | 0.6.1 · 2 Mar 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | PHP |

## Which one should you pick?

Novu scores 76/100 against 44/100 for zusam, so it is the safer default.

Novu ships more often: 12 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for zusam.

If you want the quickest setup, zusam is easier to run; Novu needs more configuration.

Novu is growing faster right now (+161 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Novu](https://selfhost.directory/project/novu) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/novu.md)
- [zusam](https://selfhost.directory/project/zusam) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/zusam.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/novu-vs-zusam