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What forum software is better: phpBB, vBultein, Ekarte, SMF?

Discussion in 'Web Development & Web Performance' started by Tillwesso, May 12, 2025.

  1. Tillwesso

    Tillwesso Member

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    What forum software is better: phpBB, vBultein, Ekarte, SMF?

     
  2. Hostingsource

    Hostingsource Member

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    Like pbpBB. Completely free to use with a strong open-source community.
    No licensing fees, making it ideal for hobbyists and organizations alike.
     
  3. duderuud

    duderuud Active Member

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    Xenforo
     
  4. victor

    victor New Member

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    MariaDB 10
    Xenforo - Paid
    Flarum - Free
     
  5. duderuud

    duderuud Active Member

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    I think we have some kind of seo bot on our hands here.

    Try to Google "ekarte forum"...
     
  6. victor

    victor New Member

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    I would like to add to your statement that seo-bot is not very grammatically correct. Instead of eLkarte it uses ekarte.
     
  7. MaximilianKohler

    MaximilianKohler Member

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    Naming various software is not useful if you're not explaining the reason for your preference/recommendation, along with other software you've used for comparison.
     
  8. eva2000

    eva2000 Administrator Staff Member

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    Nginx 1.31.x
    MariaDB 10.x/11.4+/12.3+
    Just use Xenforo and be very happy :D
     
  9. Jon Snow

    Jon Snow Active Member

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    Isn't Discourse supposed to be better than Flarum?
     
  10. victor

    victor New Member

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    For lightweight lamp stack - Flarum.
    For long-term - discourse
     
  11. Exmasters-Mark

    Exmasters-Mark New Member

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    PhpBB is free and it is okay. Don't forget that if your web host has outgrown its shared web host solution, it may be time to move it to virtual web hosting, which is often seen as a low cost alternative to getting your own dedicated server.
     
  12. swisslayer

    swisslayer New Member

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    Also Understand Your Needs. Determine whether you need shared, VPS, dedicated, or cloud hosting based on your website’s traffic and functionality. Choosing the right type ensures optimal performance and cost-effectiveness.
     
  13. Menserret

    Menserret New Member

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    Suggest you choosing phpBB - No licensing costs and full control over the software. Runs well on shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated servers. Clean URLs and good indexing when properly configured.
     
  14. MaximilianKohler

    MaximilianKohler Member

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    What other forum software have you used that you can compare to phpBB?
     
  15. Grombahen

    Grombahen New Member

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    Like many community-driven platforms, MyBB is completely free to use, helping reduce startup and operational costs.