[Foxx]

What is your favorite forum software and why?

Mine is vBulletin and always has been for a few years now. I remember the first time I ever saw a vBulletin forum I thought it was the weirdest thing ever. I couldn't understand why anyone would join this forum. Mainly because the user info/avatar/post count was above the posts. I eventually got used to it and started to see it differently. I began to like the features of the user CP and profile viewing. Overall it began to grow on me and I fell in love with it over time. This was from previously using phpBB.

I eventually became a moderator on a vBulletin forum and saw the inside of the administrator panel for the first time. This, to me, blew away what I was getting out of phpBB. Now I wanted vBulletin. I loved it. Hands down. A while after that I met someone that had "17" vBulletin licenses. Now I'm not sure if that was true but he did indeed have at least one. He set one up for me and gave it to me. So now I had my own vBulletin forum. This forum grew but only lasted for about a month and a half until it just vanished. Going to its URL would bring up nothing and the guy that gave it to me had disappeared.

I still love vBulletin for all of its features, modifications, themes, admin CP, and everything else about it. When you compare these things to other forum software they are a lot "better" in my eyes. I'm not saying I don't like other forum software, I am just saying why this one is my favorite.

So, I'd like to hear what your favorite is and why. And maybe a little story like I wrote for how I found out/learned about my favorite. Go!

[BamaStangGuy]

vBulletin

If you are going to pay for forum software I don't think you can do any better than it.

[dvduval]

I don't think you are going to beat vbulletin on quality.

[Canadian]

I have used mybb, phpbb, e107, wowbb, ipb (the free one) and SMF and I would say so far Mybb is my favourite.

I was going to buy a vb license but my members said if I were to leave wowbb they prefer MyBB to switch too. I do use mybb for a site I set up for a friend and I think it is awesome. But I have just as many members who like the wowbb set up as it is different, so I dunno if I will be changing things anytime soon.

[Joy]

Definitely vBulletin, you can't get a better software in my opinion.

[ses5909]

From both an end-user's and admin's standpoint, I will say vB. I have used punBB and phpBB as well, but nothing has the flexibility that vB has. Also, vB seems to have a great community around the software offering support.

[bdude]

From spending 5 minutes with vB I realise why it costs $160

[bcmtouring]

vBulletin, due to the features and ease of use it provides. Even though I started my first forum on phpbb (which I think is the best free forum script), I did have prior moderation and administration experience with vBulletin and as an admin I did miss all those nifty moderation features.

Finally I decided to switch my forum to vBulletin this month and I am loving it!

Though I am still a phpbb fan due to lightness and ease of use it has, but it’s sad to see they are still leaving out so many features even in the phpbb 3, which has taken ages to achieve the RC stage.

[Matthew]

I use vB and IPB - IMO they are both equal, both have strengths and weaknesses and I like both (it would be a bit like trying to say which is better - indian takeaway or chinese takeaway - both have their delicious bits!).

[StaticAge]

vBulletin, it's so... what's the word? Oh yes... AWESOME!