Chanty
Team chat and collaboration with channels, audio/video calls, and task management
NodeBB
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.
Overview
Overview
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.
Who it’s for & deployment
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.
Extensibility & maintenance
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.
Highlights
Real-time notifications and live updates via websockets
Flexible theming with Bootstrap 5, SCSS, and CSS
Extensible plugin architecture for custom functionality
Supports MongoDB, Redis, and PostgreSQL backends
Pros
- Scalable real-time interactions for active communities
- Responsive UI works on desktop and mobile devices
- Strong plugin and theme ecosystem
- Multiple database options provide deployment flexibility
Considerations
- Requires Node.js 20+ and a compatible database
- Clustering setups need Redis configuration
- Custom plugin development has a learning curve
- GPL‑3.0 license may limit some commercial use cases
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Fit guide
Great for
- Communities that need live chat‑style forum discussions
- Developers seeking an extensible JavaScript‑based platform
- Organizations preferring a full‑stack Node.js solution
- Projects that require mobile‑responsive design out of the box
Not ideal when
- Static sites without real-time interaction needs
- Teams lacking experience with Node.js or server administration
- Projects that require a permissive MIT‑style license
- Deployments unable to provision Redis for clustering
How teams use it
Live Q&A during webinars
Attendees see questions and answers instantly, fostering engagement
Gaming guild forum
Members receive real-time notifications about events and raids
Corporate knowledge base
RESTful API integrates forum content with internal tools and SSO
Educational course discussion
Students access a mobile‑responsive forum for coursework collaboration
Tech snapshot
JavaScript87%
Smarty11%
SCSS1%
HTML1%
Shell1%
Dockerfile1%
Frequently asked questions
Which databases does NodeBB support?
NodeBB can use MongoDB (v5+), Redis (v7.2+), or PostgreSQL as its data store.
Do I need Redis for clustering?
Yes, clustering requires Redis to coordinate multiple Node.js processes.
Can I customize the look and feel?
NodeBB’s theming engine uses Bootstrap 5 and SCSS, allowing full design customization.
Is there a Docker deployment option?
Official documentation provides Docker instructions for cloud‑based installations.
How is the project licensed?
NodeBB is released under the GPL‑3.0 license.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 14,915
- Watchers
- 14,915
- Forks
- 2,939
LicenseGPL-3.0
Repo age12 years old
Last commit13 hours ago
Primary languageJavaScript
Last synced 2 hours ago