NodeBB
Forum software built for the modern web.
High commit volume, frequent releases and growing activity.
Commit activity more than 94% of tracked projects; popularity more than 84%. How this is calculated.
Commits, last 11 months
| Stars | 15k |
|---|---|
| Latest release | v4.16.0 · 16 Sept 2026 |
| Repo updated | 28 Sept 2026 |
| Licence | GPL-3.0 |
| Built with | Nodejs, Docker |
Is NodeBB actively maintained?
Over the last 11 months the project absorbed 3152 commits, of which 1274 arrived in the most recent quarter — roughly 425 commits a month.
The most recent tagged release, v4.16.0, shipped within the last month — a current, installable version exists today.
Among the 40 communication - social networks and forums projects we track, NodeBB currently has the highest health score.
What NodeBB actually does
NodeBB is a forum application designed for web-based discussion and community interaction. It provides structured spaces for users to post topics, reply to threads, and organise conversations.
Best fit: It suits administrators who want to host a traditional discussion board using modern JavaScript technology stacks.
Worth knowing: You must manage server resources, community moderation, and potential performance scaling under high traffic loads yourself.
Deployment notes
As a Node.js application containerised via Docker, you will typically need to run it behind a reverse proxy for TLS termination and connect it to a persistent database instance.
NodeBB as a replacement for
Alternatives to NodeBB
Projects in the same categories, ordered by health score.
Federated microblogging server.
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Collaborative decision-making tool that makes it easy for anyone to participate in decisions which affect them.
Social Communication Server.