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Flarum vs NodeBB: catalog facts
Flarum	NodeBB
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.	Freemium Free to self-host; managed hosting is a paid monthly plan.
Self-hosted	Web, Self-hosted
Large ecosystem of community extensions Group permissions and built-in moderation	Self-hosted open-source edition Mobile-ready interface
Needs a PHP server to host Version 2.0 is still a release candidate	Self-hosting requires Node.js and server maintenance Hosted plans cost money after the trial
Self-hosted	Self-hosted, Hosted service
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Needs internet	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.