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NodeBB
NodeBB · Canada · founded 2014
What it is
NodeBB is a community discussion platform for forums and online communities, including brand communities and product support boards. Members can compose topics and replies with either a WYSIWYG or Markdown editor, use real-time chat, and receive notifications for follows, likes, and topic subscriptions. Groups can have activity feeds, and members can tag topics and follow tags. Administrators can create unlimited administrator and moderator accounts and assign permissions. More than 500 plugins and themes are available through the control panel, and public Read and RESTful Write APIs support software integrations. Spam-prevention integrations include Akismet, StopForumSpam, and Project Honeypot. Self-hosted NodeBB is free to download and install under GPLv3; hosted plans start at $20/month. The basic full-text search uses the bundled database engine; Solr and Elasticsearch are available through third-party plugins. Installation documentation covers Linux, macOS, Windows, and cloud deployment options such as Docker. NodeBB offers community support, while paid hosting plans list priority support.
For and against
For
- WYSIWYG and Markdown posting options.
- Real-time chat and activity notifications.
- More than 500 plugins and themes.
- Free self-hosted software under GPLv3.
- Hosted plans list priority support.
Against
- Paid hosting starts at $20/month.
- Basic search uses the bundled database engine.
- Solr and Elasticsearch require third-party plugins.
- Third-party plugins are excluded from eligible bug bounty testing.
The verdict
NodeBB combines discussion, chat, groups, and moderation tools for online communities. Teams should weigh its bundled search limits and plugin-dependent alternatives alongside the choice between free self-hosting and paid hosting.
Who it suits
NodeBB suits organizations building a forum, brand community, or product support board. It may also fit administrators who want self-hosting, integrations, and configurable moderation permissions.
Plans and prices
Starter
50,000 Pageviews · 5gb Storage · Unlimited Staff Users · Weekly backups
Read 29 Sep 2026 · nodebb.org
Hamlet
500,000 Pageviews · 20gb Storage · Unlimited Staff Users · Daily backups
Read 29 Sep 2026 · nodebb.org
Village
2,000,000 Pageviews · 100gb Storage · Unlimited Staff Users · Daily backups
Read 29 Sep 2026 · nodebb.org
City
10,000,000 Pageviews · 300gb Storage · Unlimited Staff Users · Daily backups
Read 29 Sep 2026 · nodebb.org
Self-hosted
Install on your own server · Open-source software
Read 29 Sep 2026 · nodebb.org
Enterprise Solutions
Custom integrations and feature development · Theme customization · Single Sign-On · Migration services
Read 29 Sep 2026 · nodebb.org
On the record
- Administration
- Administrators can create unlimited administrator and moderator accounts and set permissions for each.nodebb.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- API
- NodeBB provides a public Read API and a RESTful Write API for software integrations.nodebb.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Audience
- NodeBB describes forums as useful for brand communities and product support boards.nodebb.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Chat and notifications
- The platform offers real-time chat and notifications for follows, post likes, and topic subscriptions.nodebb.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Company
- NodeBB says it was founded in 2014 by three developers and identifies the company as NodeBB, Inc.nodebb.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Custom domain
- Yesnodebb.org · read 21 Sep 2026
- Deployment
- NodeBB documentation provides installation guides for Linux distributions, macOS, Windows, and cloud deployment options including Docker.docs.nodebb.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Extensions
- The product page says more than 500 plugins and themes can be installed from the control panel.nodebb.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- GDPR
- NodeBB says registration presents users with data and rights information and requires affirmative consent; third-party plugins and themes may collect additional data outside its DPA.nodebb.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Groups and tags
- Members can create groups with activity feeds, and tag topics and follow tags for notifications.nodebb.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Moderation tools
- Yesnodebb.org · read 21 Sep 2026
- Posting
- Users can compose topics and replies with either a WYSIWYG editor or a Markdown editor.nodebb.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Private spaces
- Yesnodebb.org · read 21 Sep 2026
- Product
- NodeBB is a community discussion platform for forums and online communities.nodebb.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Search limit
- Basic full-text search uses the bundled database search engine; Solr and Elasticsearch search are available through third-party plugins.docs.nodebb.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Security
- NodeBB operates a bug bounty program, but eligible testing is limited to try.nodebb.org and third-party plugins are excluded.nodebb.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Spam protection
- NodeBB lists integration with Akismet, StopForumSpam, and Project Honeypot for spam prevention.nodebb.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- Paid from
- 20nodebb.org · read 21 Sep 2026
