# NodeBB/NodeBB

Node.js based forum software built for the modern web

Repository: https://github.com/NodeBB/NodeBB
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/nodebb
Homepage: https://nodebb.org
Language: JavaScript
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: nodebb, javascript, redis, forum, node, mongodb, websockets, socket-io, community, nodejs, postgresql
Last push: 2026-08-26T23:40:51+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 95/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:39:23.370411+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 86, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4881, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 14, "gap_med": 6.0, "n_releases_24m": 83}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 15203, forks 2991 (observed 2026-08-28T04:11:09.382339+00:00)

## What it is
NodeBB is open-source forum software built on Node.js that supports Redis, MongoDB, or PostgreSQL backends and uses web sockets for real-time interactions. It offers a flexible theming engine, a full REST API, and extensibility through third-party plugins and themes.

## Use cases
- host a community forum for my product
- self-host a discussion board on my own server
- build a support community for an open-source project
- migrate an old phpBB forum to a modern platform
- add real-time streaming discussions to a website
- run a branded community forum for customers
- create a forum with single sign-on integration

## When to choose
- you want a modern, mobile-responsive forum with real-time notifications
- you need a self-hosted Node.js forum with Redis, MongoDB, or PostgreSQL
- you want plugin and theme extensibility with a REST API
- you need community forum software with active development and enterprise support options

## When to avoid
- you need a simple static comment section rather than a full forum
- you cannot run Node.js or a supported database on your server
- you want a Q&A-style platform like Stack Overflow rather than a traditional forum
- you require a lightweight mailing-list style discussion tool

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: stable
- function: web-framework, websocket, http-server, plugin-system, search-engine, auth, api-framework, internationalization
- domain: web-development, self-hosted, cms, social-media, backend
- platform: self-hosted, cross-platform
- tags: forum-software, community-platform, discussion-board, real-time, rest-api, theming, socket-io, redis, mongodb, postgresql, nodejs, web-server, docker

## Member repositories
- NodeBB/NodeBB (main) score 95

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:09.382339+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:06:33.630765+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/NodeBB/NodeBB (fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:09.382339+00:00, sha d675c3707085)
  - homepage: https://nodebb.org (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:46.394555+00:00, sha 781a0174414c)
  - site_page: https://docs.nodebb.org/ (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:46.400372+00:00, sha 87c3aec1a2f0)
  - site_page: https://docs.nodebb.org (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:46.402267+00:00, sha 87c3aec1a2f0)
  - site_page: https://nodebb.org/about (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:46.404070+00:00, sha 3d21331ec437)
  - registry_npm: https://registry.npmjs.org/nodebb (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:46.405711+00:00, sha 56da6202a628)
  - site_page: https://nodebb.org/pricing (fetched 2026-08-29T08:04:46.398284+00:00, sha 00811061613a)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.