Comparison of Internet forum software (PHP)

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This is a comparison of the features of various Internet forum packages written in PHP.

Contents

[edit] General Information

Basic general information about the forums: creator/company, license/price etc.

Creator Current stable version Cost (USD) License Latest release date
AEF URL Electron, Pulkit, Ronak 1.0.6 Free Other 2008-04-14
BabbleBoard URL Dave Murchison 1.1.6 Free Other 2008-03-19
bbPress URL Automattic 0.9.0.2 Free GPL 2008-01-05
Beehive Forum URL Mark Rendle, Matt Beale 0.8.2 Free GPL 2008-01-19
Burning Board URL WoltLab GmbH 3.0.5 €99.99 standard license, €199.99 professional license Proprietary / Parts under LGPL 2008-04-02
Deluxe Portal URL Nomative Systems 2.0.1 Free GPL 2007-03-01
ExpressionEngine Discussion Forums URL EllisLab 1.6.3 $49.95 (non-commercial), $99.95 (commercial license), requires licensed copy of ExpressionEngine Web Publishing System Proprietary 2008-03-20
Fire Soft Board URL Genova 2.0.0 Free GPL 2007-12-24
FlexBB URL FlexBB Softwares 0.6.8 Free GPL 2007-09-20
FluxBB URL FluxBB.org Developers 1.2.18 Free GPL 2008-05-09
FUDforum URL Ilia Alshanetsky 2.7.7 Free GPL 2007-10-01
FusionBB URL InteractivePHP, Inc. 2.3 $149 Standard License, $39 Renewal Proprietary 2008-04-11
IceBB URL XAOS Interactive 1.0-rc9.1 Free GPL 2008-04-12
Invision Power Board URL Invision Power Services Inc. 2.3.5 $149.99 Standard License, $299.99 Business License Proprietary 2008-04-29
KNova Boards URL Keith "KNova" Novak 1.501 Free GPL 2007-08-16
kusaba URL tj1991 1.0.4 Free GPL 2008-03-11
MercuryBoard URL Jason Warner, Mark Elliot, and Jonathan West 1.1.6 Free GPL 2007-11-09
MesDiscussions.net URL Doctissimo software 2007.2 5$/month (Shared), 30$/month (Serenity), 575$/year (Professional) Proprietary 2007-09-03
miniBB URL Paul Puzyrev & Sergei Larionov 2.2 Free / Paid plugins GPL 2008-02-19
MWBB URL Wikimedia Foundation 0.2 Free GPL 2007-10-28
MyBB URL MyBB Group 1.2.12 Free Other 2008-01-20
MyProBB URL CubicleSoft 2.1 Free for personal use / Business purposes $25/year Other 2008-03-30
myUPB URL PHP Outburst 2.2.1 Free Other 2008-04-27
NextBBS URL Chris FR & Team 0.5.3 Free GPL 2008-02-18
NuclearBB URL Peter Ricca, Ben Pilbrow Alpha-2.0 Free GPL 2007-08-12
Orca Interactive Forum Script URL BoonEx Ltd. 1.1 Free GPL 2007-02-12
OvBB URL Jonathon Freeman & Brian Otto V0.16a Free MIT 2007-04-06
Phorum URL Brian Moon 5.2.7 Free Phorum License 2 (BSD like) 2008-03-20
phpBB URL phpBB Group 3.0.1 Free GPL 2008-04-07
PunBB URL Rickard Andersson 1.2.17 Free GPL 2008-02-20
Quezza URL Luke Cousins 1.2.0 Free GPL 2006-02-04
Quicksilver Forums URL Geoff Dunn, Roger Libiez (Samson) & The Quicksilver Forums Development Team 1.4.1 Free GPL 2007-09-29
Shiichan URL Shii 3956 Free GPL Unknown
SMF1 URL Simple Machines 1.1.5 Free Other 2008-04-30
SMF2 URL Simple Machines 2.0 b3.1 Free Other 2008-04-30
tForum URL Toan 'typus' Huynh a0.95.1.5 Free GPL Unknown
Think Tank Forums URL Lucas Reddinger 1-alpha Free BSD Unknown
UBB.threads URL Groupee, Inc. 7.3 $199 standard license, $99 renewal Proprietary 2008-05-07
Unclassified NewsBoard URL Yves Goergen 1.6.4 Free GPL 2007-09-09
UseBB URL Dietrich Moerman 1.0.9 Free GPL 2008-05-29
Vanilla URL Mark O'Sullivan [1] 1.1.4 Free GPL 2007-10-21
vBulletin URL Jelsoft Enterprises 3.7.0 $85 one year license + updates / $160 lifetime license + $30 per year for updates. Note: See vBulletin web site for licensing and pricing changes taking effect on 2 June 2008. Changes effect both annual lease and ownership pricing, license renewal / maintenance fees, and pricing and maintenance for add-on modules (blog and project tools). Proprietary 2008-04-10
Vikingboard URL Vikingboard 0.2 Beta Free GPL 2007-12-20
Viscacha URL MaMo Net 0.8 RC4 PL1 Free GPL 2008-03-28
WowBB URL Aycan Gulez 1.7 See Website. Prices vary on usage type. Proprietary 2006-07-16
WowClassic URL Nancy Chandler 1.5 $99 Lifetime License -Minor upgrades Free/Major Upgrades as announced. Proprietary 2008-02-22
WowUltra URL Jim Hale 1.15 Final $99 Lifetime License - Upgrades free.. Proprietary 2008-03-30
WSN Forum URL Paul Knierim 4.1.39 Free / $48.50 Proprietary 2008-05-16
XMB URL XMB Software 1.9.9 Lite Free GPL 2008-03-25
Creator Current stable version Cost License Latest release date

[edit] Features

Flat Threaded User-selectable themes Calendar Image attachment Unread message tracking WYSIWYG Editor
AEF Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Yes
BabbleBoard Yes No Yes No Yes Full No
bbPress Yes No No No No No No
Beehive Forum Yes Yes Yes No Yes Full No
Burning Board Yes No Yes Yes Yes Full Yes
Deluxe Portal Yes No Yes No Yes Full No
ExpressionEngine Discussion Forums Yes No Yes Yes Yes Hybrid  ?
Fire Soft Board Yes No Yes No Yes  ? Yes
FlexBB Yes No Yes No Yes No No
FluxBB Yes No Yes No No Session No
FUDforum Yes Yes Yes No Yes Full  ?
FusionBB Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Full No
IceBB Yes No Yes No Yes Full No
Invision Power Board Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Yes
KNova Boards Yes No Yes No No Session No
kusaba Yes No Yes No Yes  ? No
MercuryBoard Yes No Yes No Yes Session No
MesDiscussions.net Yes No Yes No Yes Full Yes
miniBB Yes No Yes Yes Yes  ? No
MWBB Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No
MyBB Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Session No
MyProBB Yes No No No No Full No
myUPB Yes No No No Yes Yes No
NextBBS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Yes
NuclearBB Yes No Yes No Yes Full No
Orca Interactive Forum Script Yes No No No Yes No Yes
Phorum Yes Yes Yes No Yes Full No
phpBB Yes No Yes No Yes Full No
PunBB Yes No Yes No No Session No
Quezza Yes No Yes Yes Yes Full  ?
Quicksilver Forums Yes No Yes No Yes Full No
Shiichan Yes No Yes No No  ?  ?
SMF1 Yes No Yes Yes Yes Full No
SMF2 Yes No Yes Yes Yes Full Yes
tForum Yes No No Yes Yes  ?  ?
Think Tank Forums Yes No No No No Full No
UBB.threads Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Full No
Unclassified NewsBoard Yes No Yes No Yes Full No
UseBB Yes No Yes No No Session No
Vanilla Yes No Yes No No Full No
vBulletin Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Yes
Vikingboard Yes No Yes No No Full No
Viscacha Yes No Yes No Yes Session No
WowBB Yes No Yes Yes Yes Full Yes
WowClassic Yes No Yes Yes Yes Full Yes
WowUltra Yes No Yes Yes Yes Full Yes
WSN Forum Yes No Yes Yes Yes  ?  ?
XMB Yes Yes Yes No Yes  ? No
Flat Threaded User-selectable themes Calendar Image attachment Unread message tracking WYSIWYG Editor

[edit] Data storage

Information about what data storage system can be used.

Flat file MySQL PostgreSQL MSSQL Oracle SQLite Access Firebird
AEF No Yes No No No No No No
BabbleBoard No Yes No No No No No No
bbPress No Yes No No No No No No
Beehive Forum No Yes No No No No No No
Burning Board No Yes No No No No No No
Deluxe Portal No Yes No No No No No No
ExpressionEngine Discussion Forums No Yes No No No No No No
Fire Soft Board No Yes Yes No No Yes No No
FlexBB No Yes No No No No No No
FluxBB No Yes Yes No No Yes No No
FUDforum No Yes Yes No No No No No
FusionBB No Yes No No No No No No
IceBB No Yes No No No No No No
Invision Power Board No Yes No Yes ($60) Yes ($60) No No No
KNova Boards No Yes No No No No No No
kusaba No Yes No No No No No No
MercuryBoard No Yes No No No No No No
MesDiscussions.net No Yes No No No No No No
miniBB No Yes No No No No No No
MWBB No Yes No No No No No No
MyBB No Yes No No No No No No
MyProBB No Yes No No No No No No
myUPB Yes No No No No No No No
NextBBS No Yes No No No Yes No No
NuclearBB No Yes No No No No No No
Orca Interactive Forum Script No Yes No No No No No No
Phorum No Yes Yes No No No No No
phpBB No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
PunBB No Yes Yes No No Yes No No
Quezza No Yes No No No No No No
Quicksilver Forums No Yes No No No No No No
Shiichan Yes No No No No No No No
SMF1 No Yes No No No No No No
SMF2 No Yes Yes No No Yes No No
tForum No Yes No No No No No No
Think Tank Forums No Yes No No No No No No
UBB.threads No Yes No No No No No No
Unclassified NewsBoard No Yes No No No No No No
UseBB No Yes No No No No No No
Vanilla No Yes No No No No No No
vBulletin No Yes No No No No No No
Vikingboard No Yes No No No No No No
Viscacha No Yes No No No No No No
WowBB No Yes No No No No No No
WowClassic No Yes No No No No No No
WowUltra No Yes No No No No No No
WSN Forum No Yes No No No No No No
XMB No Yes No No No No No No
Flat file MySQL PostgreSQL MSSQL Oracle SQLite Access Firebird

[edit] See also

[edit] External links