Hey...

Just wanted to know which forum software do you prefer and like the most!

Please do vote and post your comments here

I prefer UltimaBB which is biased on my part as it's my own software and not released yet but for what is on the list. I prefer IPB hands down. best damn software available on the market today for a commercial app.

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Regards, John Briggs
UltimaBB Lead Developer/Founder/Project Manager

These are not really forum software:
Post-Nuke, Jumla, Excoboard, Phpbb-Nuke

They use other sofware.

Anyway, like John Briggs, I am biased towards AZbb as it is my own software.

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AZbb :: AZ Bulletin Board - Secure PHP BBS script, front page CMS, Chat, No Database

dam straight it is.. i am an IPB man my self.. even though i dont own a license.. but own a vb license. how did that work out? people shrowding my better judgement again :blaf:

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I own a lifetime license to IPB and not that perpetual crap they offer now. Mine is literally old school life time I had a vb license but it expired and I never could afford to renew and figured I I did ever renew I would get there big license so I would have to pay $80 each year. That's my only gripe about them. They are expensive in the long run vs IPB. I find it insane that if you don't have $80 to renew you literal have to take your forums offline. With IPB you can atleast continue using the forum software even if you don't renew your license.

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Regards, John Briggs
UltimaBB Lead Developer/Founder/Project Manager

vBulletin, though the more I learn about it, the more shortcomings I notice. As such, I can't wait to see CX Boards in action, as it has the potential to conform more to my desire for the ideal forum software. That said, I'd count IPB as a somewhat close second.

Phpbb can be good once heavily modded, but the base software is garbage. And you've got to be careful with them, as many of the mods are poorly written. SMF has a better base package, but sucks for modding and even more for skinning.

Never used UBB and only have a passing knowledge of XMB. Used Excoboards and nuke a bit, but not to keen on them.

As has been said, Joomla is portal software, not a forum. And post-nuke is more a fake forum than anything.

You've also missed some major ones on your list: YaBB, ASP.NET, ASP Playground, Burning Boards, IkonBoards, ect.

Some I've used to varying extents and would like to become more experienced with: wtcbb, ovbb, mybb, usebb, ocBB, MegaBBS, Ultimataforums, Mercury Boards, FudForums, Quicksilver, AzBB, Jive, ect.

Well Mine is also limited, because I have yet to try any of the paid versions of forum software my experience stands with free ones, though of those I have found Excoboards to be the most appealing so far.

Mostly in the fact that they actually listen to their member's suggestions to better their site and forum design, that is a great help, and the best thing I've seen so far for any forum type.

I also see them becoming as good as phpBB if they keep it up, and phpBB would be my second favorite forum host so far.

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PhpBB is the best I think, although a lot of people say that phpBB is not safe, phpBB is one of the most safest forum-software base's.

VBulletin is good, but it cost a lot of $/€/£.

Invision Power Board, what should I say about it, since the forum-software is become a paid forum-software a lot of mod writers and template makers run away from the forum-software.

Simple Machine Forums, I don't know of lot of this forum-software but it looks promissing.

The Forums module of Post-Nuke is a modified phpBB version, correct me if I'm wrong.

Joomla (not Jumla), is like Post-Nuke, a Content Management System, which has forum modules.

What kind of shortcomings?

Why do you think IPB is that good, since it became paid software, a lot of mod writers and template authors run away. What has IPB over phpBB?

Excuse me, but phpBB is one of the best base software. Why? PhpBB is safe (their update system is one of the best to be honest), okay, phpBB hasn't got unlimited subforums, but does that make the software garbage?

There are a lot of mods avaible for phpBB and the same goes for the templates. There are thousands avaible.

Mods are 3rd party software so that has nothing realy to do with the safety of phpBB.

Excoboard is I believe remotely hosted so that's more of a service (This is not a statement about the quality of Excoboards, I haven't used it) and php-nuke's forum module is a modified version phpBB.

ASP.NET that's a interpeter, like php.
I agree YaBB is a missed one, Burning Boards and IkonBoards aren't that large. PhpBB is the biggest and vBulletin is a large player, the rest is very very small.



Further, it's php-nuke not phpBB-nuke.

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.premodded - Premodded phpBB.

I have experience with all three popular softwares (phpbb, ipb, and vb) and I must honestly say that vBulletin is the superior among them all...their support, template system, and hacking resource is what truly makes my decision...

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@ABCDE, my response without organized quote by quote set-up:

With respect to vB, the shortcomings are less actual problems, and more things I think ought to be standard within forum software, like ability for an admin to PM a member even if their inbox is full, requiring reagreement with the TOS before being able to use the board if they've been changed, ect.

IPB had alot more going for it as a modding and skinning community when it wasn't exclusively commercial. Since going comercial, they've constructed a stronger base product with features that put it on a more or less equal plane with vB. And while they're the only company that releases official supported add-ons, I still find it below vB as its got a weaker modding community.

My problem with phpBB is that 2.0.x has been in use for years and is far out of date. The standard ACP and base system is shameful. When well modded it can be excellent. For example, your premod is a great start. But IMHO it requires a ton of work to make it usable.

My criticism of poorly coded mods isn't a security one. I know that they're from a 3rd party. But I also know that they seem to have a higher rate of poorly coded mods when stacked against paid BBS options like vB and IPB.

Yes, excoboards is remotely hosted, and you're right about php-nuke. Still, neither are my cup of tea.

Burning Boards is major. Its the 3rd largest selling forum software. And IkonBoards is big. Its been downloaded over 2 million times.