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Flarum vs NodeBB (2026): which should you pick?

As of Nov 13, 2026, NodeBB grades higher than Flarum: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.

Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA

Flarum grades higher on the free plan. NodeBB grades higher on value for money, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

Flarum

Free open-source forum software you host yourself

Free
Full detailsflarum.org

NodeBB

Open-source forum software with managed hosting plans

Free plan · from $20/mo
Full detailsnodebb.org

Which one is for you

Pick Flarum if

  • Fits if you can run a server and want a forum you control
  • Works for communities that want extensions and themes

Look elsewhere if

  • Skip it if you can't manage PHP, a database and SSH access
  • Not for you if you want courses, memberships or payments, as it has none
  • Watch out: support comes from the volunteer community forum, not a paid vendor
  • Watch out: no official migration tool, only the third-party Nitro Porter

Pick NodeBB if

  • Fits if you want a forum you can host or rent
  • Works for open-source projects, which can ask for a free Starter-level forum

Look elsewhere if

  • Tight if you grow, as hosted tiers jump from $20 to $100, $250 and $750
  • Skip it if you want no server work and a free forum, as free means self-hosting
  • Watch out: the hosted trial needs a credit card
  • Watch out: hosted plans are capped by monthly pageviews and storage

How we grade them

2.0GPAFlarumFair2.4GPANodeBBFair
Value for money
CFree software, but only if you host it yourself, and hosting is your cost. That puts it in the middle for value.
BHosted Starter is $20 a month, the cheaper-quarter line for the category, and self-hosting is free but needs your own server.
Free plan and trial
BThe whole software is free under the MIT license. You pay only for hosting.
CSelf-hosting costs nothing but a server; the hosted 14-day trial needs a card.
Features
CForums with groups, permissions, extensions, themes and notifications. It does that smaller job fully, and has no courses, memberships or payments.
BForum software with plugins, hosting, SSO and migration on offer. The listing shows no gap in the core work.
Ease of use
DIt needs PHP 8.3 or newer, a database and SSH access, which rules out much shared hosting. No store rating is on record.
CNo store rating on record. Hosted is easy, but self-hosting needs a server you run.
Platforms and integrations
CWeb only, with no integrations listed on the vendor pages.
CWeb only, and no integrations are listed.
Best fora free forum you host yourselfmodern forum software, hosted or self-run

The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Flarum and NodeBB. How we grade

Price against what you get

Flarum has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. NodeBB starts at $20 a month and scores 2.3.

NodeBB scores higher, and starts $20 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, none scores higher than Flarum for less, and 3 score higher than NodeBB for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$5$10$20$50$100$200$500$1kMore for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessFlarumNodeBB

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of course and community platforms, and the best at every price

Where they differ

    In commonFree planWebOpen sourceSelf-hostableCommunity

    At a glance

    FlarumNodeBB
    PricingFreeFree plan
    Starts atFree$20 per month for hosting; self-hosting is free
    Free planThe whole software is free under the MIT license; you pay only for your own hosting.The open-source software is free to install on your own server under the GPLv3; you pay for the server.
    Free trialNone listed14-day free trial on hosted plans, credit card required
    Web
    Made byFlarum FoundationNodeBB Inc.
    Price read fromdocs.flarum.orgnodebb.org
    CheckedNov 13, 2026Nov 13, 2026

    Worth knowing

    Flarum

    • You run it yourself: the installer needs PHP 8.3 or newer, a supported database and SSH access, which rules out much shared hosting.
    • No official migration tool; the docs point to Nitro Porter, a third-party import and export tool.
    • It has no courses, memberships or payment features, only forums.
    • Support comes from the volunteer community forum rather than a paid vendor.

    NodeBB

    • Hosted plans are limited by monthly pageviews and storage, and the next tier up costs several times more.
    • The free trial for hosted plans requires a credit card.
    • Self-hosting means you provide, secure and update the server yourself.

    Key features

    Flarum

    Groups and permissions
    Assign permissions to groups, control member access across categories, and use built-in moderation and flagging.
    Extensions
    Hundreds of community-built extensions add features, and bundled ones include Tags, Messages, Realtime, Statistics and Markdown.
    Themes and styling
    Change the look through admin settings, install themes, or add custom CSS that applies across the whole forum.
    Editors
    Supports lightweight Markdown editors and full WYSIWYG editors, depending on the extensions you install.
    Notifications
    In-browser notifications and email digests, with real-time updates available through the bundled Realtime extension.
    Choice of database
    Flarum 2.0 runs on MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite or PostgreSQL, and search can be swapped to another engine through search drivers.

    NodeBB

    Forum software you can host yourself
    The code is on GitHub under the GPLv3, with installation instructions in the documentation portal.
    Managed hosting
    Hosted plans include SSL, a custom domain, unlimited staff users, custom plugins and priority support.
    Pageview-based tiers
    Hosted plans step from 50,000 to 10,000,000 pageviews a month, with storage from 5 GB to 300 GB.
    Enterprise services
    Custom feature development, theme customization, single sign-on, migration from an existing forum and self-hosting options.
    Free hosting for open-source projects
    Qualifying public open-source projects can ask for a free Starter-level forum on a project.nodebb.com address.

    Plans

    Flarum

    • Flarum$0

      Free MIT-licensed software that you install and run on your own server.

    NodeBB

    • Self-hosted (open source)$0

      Free to download under the GPLv3. You install and maintain it on your own server.

    • Starter$20

      per month, up to 50,000 pageviews

      Hosted. 5 GB storage, weekly backups, custom domain, SSL and custom plugins.

    • Hamlet$100

      per month, up to 500,000 pageviews

      Hosted. 20 GB storage and daily backups.

    • Village$250

      per month, up to 2,000,000 pageviews

      Hosted. 100 GB storage and daily backups.

    • City$750

      per month, up to 10,000,000 pageviews

      Hosted. 300 GB storage and daily backups.

    Ways to pay less

    Flarum

    No public discounts listed.

    NodeBB

    • Nonprofit

      Special pricing for nonprofits and startups

      NodeBB says it offers special pricing for non-profits and start-up companies; ask the company for terms.

    • Other savings

      Free hosting for open-source projects

      Public open-source projects that show a clear need can ask for free Starter-level hosting, at the company's discretion.

    Common questions

    Which is cheaper, Flarum or NodeBB?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, Flarum is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $20 a month for NodeBB. Flarum is free, and NodeBB starts at $20 per month for hosting; self-hosting is free.

    Which has a free plan, Flarum or NodeBB?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, both Flarum and NodeBB have a free plan.

    More comparisons

    How this page was made

    • The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
    • The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
    • Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
    • The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.
    How we review and grade