What's the best forum software out there?

Shole

Shole

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So I want to start a few forums, but I am still undecided free vs paid, xenforo vs vbulletin, smf vs phpbb?
What in your opinion is the best?
 
It really depends on what kind of forum you want to run and how far you want to divert from vanilla forum software (that is, how many cool extensions do you need). I second @Ashlynn S vouch for Flarum, and would like to shoot in that Discourse is pretty cool as well. They are both quite lightweight though, and if you want a bit more functionality then XenForo is the way to go.
 
XenForo for me as well. Flarum looks good but I still prefer the traditional forum layout so it's an easy win for XF. Looks great, feels great, and has a great selection of addons and themes to truly customise your forum to your liking.
 
All of them can be the best depending on how much work you want to put into it. Free software will require more DIY (Do-It-Yourself) knowhow. Now if you're some person who just wants stuff "out of the box" then you might want to consider premium software. However, premium software has to be installed, unlike free software which can be auto-installed on most software. That's ironic. :sneaky:
 
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Xenforo
It has a modern social media feel while mataining all layout of a traditional forum.

I tried Flarum it’s okay but is limited in the backend side.
 
Xenforo for straight-up forums, so technically it is the winner here.
IPS for more expanded communities and websites.
phpBB for hobbies (e.g. coders) and for large teams of developers needing a platform that will fit their needs.

Overall all, the correct answer is as others have stated, the product that fits your needs best.
 
When it comes to paid forum software I would definitely have to say that Xenforo is the best hands down, with all the features that they offer you with the base software, you can set up a forum with added incentives for members right from the start.

In terms of free forum software, MyBB is my personal favorite, I feel it is similar to Xenforo in a sense in terms of being a user and also being an owner.
 
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