Mattermost
Platform for secure collaboration across the entire software development lifecycle, can be integrated with Gitlab (alternative to Slack).
Mattermost vs Novu
Two self-hosted Communication - Custom Communication Systems apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.
Side by side
| Mattermost | Novu | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Platform for secure collaboration across the entire software development lifecycle, can be integrated with Gitlab (alternative to Slack). | Notification infrastructure for developers. |
| GitHub stars | 39,530 | 40,274 |
| Forks | – | – |
| Open issues | – | – |
| Commits (12 months) | 2.1k | 2.4k |
| Last activity | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-04 |
| Latest release | v12.1.0-rc3 (2026-11-04) | @novu/framework@v2.14.0 (2026-09-28) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | ⊘ Proprietary | MIT |
| Language / platform | Go, Docker, K8S | Docker, Nodejs |
| Docker Hub image | – | – |
| Docker pulls | – | – |
| Est. server size | ~2 GB, 1 vCPU | ~2 GB, 1 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $10/mo | $10/mo |
| Categories | Communication - Custom Communication Systems | Communication - Custom Communication Systems |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- Mattermost and Novu have a similar number of GitHub stars (39.5k vs 40.3k).
- Mattermost published a release more recently (v12.1.0-rc3 on 2026-11-04; Novu's latest is @novu/framework@v2.14.0 on 2026-09-28).
- Mattermost is licensed under ⊘ Proprietary, Novu under MIT.
- Mattermost is written in Go; Novu in Nodejs.
- Deployment options listed upstream: Mattermost: Docker, K8S; Novu: Docker.
Summary: On the numbers we track, Mattermost and Novu are evenly matched. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.
This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-05. It does not rate features or quality.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mattermost or Novu more popular?
They are close: Mattermost has 39,530 GitHub stars and Novu has 40,274 (as of 2026-11-05).
Which is more actively maintained, Mattermost or Novu?
Commits in the last 12 months: Mattermost 2,118, Novu 2,446. Both had repository activity on 2026-11-04. Our health labels: Mattermost is “Active”, Novu is “Active”.
What licenses do Mattermost and Novu use?
Mattermost: ⊘ Proprietary. Novu: MIT. Note: Mattermost includes a non-free license component.
Can I run Mattermost and Novu with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. The upstream listing mentions Docker as a deployment option for Mattermost and Novu. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
Novu
Notification infrastructure for developers.
Browse all self-hosted Communication - Custom Communication Systems apps.