# NodeBB

> NodeBB is a Toronto-based software company behind the open-source forum platform of the same name, built on Node.js and real-time WebSockets. Founded in 2014 by Julian Lam, Andrew Rodrigues, and Barış Soner Uşaklı, it modernizes the classic message board with live notifications, chat, plugins, and mobile-first design. The company earns revenue through managed hosting plans and enterprise services while keeping the core software free under GPLv3. NodeBB powers communities for Opera, Vivaldi, Moz, and MLB: The Show, and in 2025 became one of the first forum platforms to make ActivityPub federation a core feature, connecting forums to the wider fediverse.

- **Founded:** 2014
- **Headquarters:** Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- **Founders:** Julian Lam (Co-Founder), Andrew Rodrigues (Co-Founder), Barış Soner Uşaklı (Co-Founder)
- **Team size:** ~10 employees (estimate)
- **Products:** NodeBB (open source), NodeBB Managed Hosting, NodeBB Enterprise
- **Notable:** Won the 2015 CMS Critic People's Choice Award for Best Forum Software, One of the first forum platforms to make ActivityPub federation a core (not plugin) feature in v4.0 (January 2025), Powers communities for Opera, Vivaldi, Moz, MLB: The Show, Qt and Notepad++

## Products & services

- **NodeBB (open source)** — Node.js-based forum software with real-time posts, chat, notifications, plugins, theming, SEO, GDPR support and ActivityPub federation. Free under GPLv3, backed by Redis, MongoDB or PostgreSQL.
- **NodeBB Managed Hosting** — Fully hosted, maintained NodeBB installs with backups, SSL, custom plugins, custom domains and priority support. Plans: Starter $20, Hamlet $100, Village $250, City $750 per month.
- **NodeBB Enterprise** — Custom feature development, theme customization, Single Sign-On integration, migration services from legacy forums, and self-hosted or premium hosting options for larger organizations.

## Achievements

- Won the 2015 CMS Critic People's Choice Award for Best Forum Software
- One of the first forum platforms to make ActivityPub federation a core (not plugin) feature in v4.0 (January 2025)
- Powers communities for Opera, Vivaldi, Moz, MLB: The Show, Qt and Notepad++
- Widely adopted open-source project on GitHub with a large plugin ecosystem
- 882 installations checked in within 24 hours of the federation release

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — NodeBB v4.0.0 shipped with ActivityPub federation as a core feature, joining the fediverse; new forums federate automatically and existing forums can opt in.
- **2023-mid** — Co-founder Julian Lam began the effort to connect NodeBB forums via federation, backed by NLnet Foundation grant funding.

## Links

- Website: https://nodebb.org
- LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/nodebb-inc-
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/NodeBB
- GitHub: https://github.com/NodeBB/NodeBB
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NodeBB

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nodebb
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-06