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Team chat and collaboration with channels, audio/video calls, and task management
Discover top open-source software, updated regularly with real-world adoption signals.

Real-time forum platform built on Node.js and websockets
NodeBB delivers a modern, real-time discussion board with responsive design, flexible theming, and RESTful APIs, supporting MongoDB, Redis, or PostgreSQL for scalable community engagement.

NodeBB combines the classic bulletin‑board hierarchy with modern web technologies. Built on Node.js and powered by Socket.io, it delivers instant notifications and live thread updates. The platform ships with a core set of features and a robust plugin system, allowing developers to add functionality ranging from social login to advanced moderation tools.
Ideal for community managers, developers, and organizations that need a scalable, real-time discussion space. NodeBB runs on any server that supports Node 20+ and can connect to MongoDB, Redis, or PostgreSQL. Deployments can be containerized via Docker, hosted on cloud providers, or installed on‑premise behind an Nginx proxy. The theming engine, based on Bootstrap 5 and SCSS, lets designers create responsive layouts without deep coding.
A vibrant ecosystem of third‑party plugins and themes accelerates customization. Regular releases and an active community provide documentation, translation support, and upgrade paths, making long‑term maintenance straightforward.
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NodeBB can use MongoDB (v5+), Redis (v7.2+), or PostgreSQL as its data store.
Yes, clustering requires Redis to coordinate multiple Node.js processes.
NodeBB’s theming engine uses Bootstrap 5 and SCSS, allowing full design customization.
Official documentation provides Docker instructions for cloud‑based installations.
NodeBB is released under the GPL‑3.0 license.
Project at a glance
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