Side by side
NodeBB vs UNA
Both stand on community platforms. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APILinuxMac+3
NodeBB covers community discussions, moderation, integrations, and extensions, with a free self-hosted option and paid hosting from $20/mo. Consider its bundled search limits and the potential data collection of third-party plugins and themes.
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Free plan Open source AndroidAPIiPhone+3
UNA offers a broad set of community and collaboration tools with no-code configuration and self-hosting. Standard is free, while paid tiers add direct support and auto-updates with different limits.
Visit UNAThe facts
| NodeBB | UNA | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Yes |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | Android, API, iPhone, Linux, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Starter: $20 a month | Pro: $20 a month |
| Plans published | 6 | 4 |
| Maker | NodeBB | UNA |
| Website | nodebb.org | unacms.com |
| On community platforms | #4 of 126 | #1 of 126 |
NodeBB: what it does well
- Members can post using a visual editor or Markdown.
- Includes real-time chat and activity notifications.
- Administrators can create unlimited admin and moderator accounts.
- More than 500 plugins and themes are available.
- Self-hosted software is free under GPLv3.
What to know first
- Basic full-text search uses the bundled database engine.
- Solr and Elasticsearch require third-party plugins.
- Third-party plugins and themes may collect data outside its DPA.
UNA: what it does well
- No-code configuration for apps, roles, and pages
- Can be used as a complete platform or headless backend
- MIT-licensed and self-hostable
- All plans list unlimited projects and deployments
- AI agents can use 13 model providers
What to know first
- Pro limits auto-updates to one project
- Pro direct support covers one project
- Standard includes community support