Paid or Free Forum Software?

[Anachiwo]

If it comes to the kind of forum software you're going to recommend for a newbie to webmaster industry, which one would you recommend he or she start out with?

Would it be using a free forum software or a paid forum software? Would you ever consider using a free forum software over the paid software and if yes, what would be your reason for that decision?

 

[Cedric]

My recommendation to a newbie: Start small, without spending much money, but at least some hosting and a domain. Keep an eye out for the future and the transition to a more secure and updated board software. In this case I would start with MyBB and when you have an established community and some forum managing experience up your sleeve, then upgrade to a paid software that you like. That way you can bring the community and not lose any content to the new software by importing the database.

 

[Anachiwo]

My recommendation to a newbie: Start small, without spending much money, but at least some hosting and a domain. Keep an eye out for the future and the transition to a more secure and updated board software. In this case I would start with MyBB and when you have an established community and some forum managing experience up your sleeve, then upgrade to a paid software that you like. That way you can bring the community and not lose any content to the new software by importing the database.

This your recommendation is very good especially on the part of starting up small without spending too much money. This way, even if things doesn't go out as planned, you wouldn't lose too much money but only your efforts invested in the it.

 

[Phabbyfundz]

Free is good if you are just starting and don't really know much about website and forums Management but as you advance you would want to get a paid forum software for a more professional and unique look.

 

[Anachiwo]

Free is good if you are just starting and don't really know much about website and forums Management but as you advance you would want to get a paid forum software for a more professional and unique look.

It's indeed the right way to start with because it's the only way you can work with minimal risk. As long as there's a free forum software that would allow you to move your database when you decide to go big, it's the best way a newbie can begin.

 

[ladyquack]

I usually recommend free forums because I think it's a good place to start and doesn't require the financial commitment that paid forums require. Plus, if for some reason you need to shut down your forum, you're not losing a ton of money and/or a license.

 

[Daniel-cash]

If you have money, paid software is actually the best. As a newbie, you might think it's risky or not necessary to spend on software, but free things are always abuse by people. I'm speaking from experience. I have abaddon 3 blog that I created on free platform for trivia reason. If I spend money to create those blog, do you think I can abaddon them like that?

 

[Shortie]

The only recommendation I would give to someone new who is just starting out would be to start where they do not put much money into it at all. Purchase the hosting and the domain name as affordable as you can but then go for free forum software when you start out as you can always move over to paid when you are ready and when you feel it will be worth it. Free forum software such as MyBB is one I would recommend due to how much it has available for free that you could utilize. I always advise to start out spending as little as possible for two reasons, one in case you don't enjoy running a forum and 2. Just in case your site doesn't take off, nothing ever happens overnight.

 

[Cory]

I would recommend free software to get the feel of the controls and to firstly see if they even want to be a webmaster of a forum. If they were to use paid software they may very well give up easily because they find it’s overwhelming or just not their type of thing.

 

[Jason]

Actually MyBB is probably as good as paid software. However, some people are just "into" paid software. Myself, I have 6 XenForo licences, so why not use them?

 

[Tracy]

I keep seeing folks suggesting "free".... but actually, what the admin REALLY needs to determine is exactly WHAT they want to offer their users. In some cases, free scripts simply will never fit the bill.

Seems several are overlooking that simple point.
I honestly would not recommend anyone start a forum up in todays environment without giving serious consideration to what they want to offer their users that are different from others in their niche, and are they willing to financially support those "needs" if it's beyond what most "free" forum scripts offer.

I'm using SMF on a domain that I've had for a while.. but it was running IPS originally. Just to "hold" it, I've got SMF running on it, but it does NOT offer the features that the original IPS install offered. Main reason I keep it online is in case I decide I want to do something with it later, and at least with a simple forum, it "may" get some traffic.... that can be converted into a paid script later.

 

[Jason]

I keep seeing folks suggesting "free".... but actually, what the admin REALLY needs to determine is exactly WHAT they want to offer their users. In some cases, free scripts simply will never fit the bill.

View attachment 1522


Seems several are overlooking that simple point.
I honestly would not recommend anyone start a forum up in todays environment without giving serious consideration to what they want to offer their users that are different from others in their niche, and are they willing to financially support those "needs" if it's beyond what most "free" forum scripts offer.

I'm using SMF on a domain that I've had for a while.. but it was running IPS originally. Just to "hold" it, I've got SMF running on it, but it does NOT offer the features that the original IPS install offered. Main reason I keep it online is in case I decide I want to do something with it later, and at least with a simple forum, it "may" get some traffic.... that can be converted into a paid script later.

Well, in the case of phpBB, it needs a reactions mod. However, the slideshow mod is quite impressive and there are also advertising and payment ones.

 

[Tracy]

Well, in the case of phpBB, it needs a reactions mod. However, the slideshow mod is quite impressive and there are also advertising and payment ones.

And as I showed in my image to my navigation bar.. .it still FAR lacks what I currently offer (and consider a minimum).
Advertising is built into my script in a base format... slideshow.. feel free to visit my landing page to see such as an example for WELL more than images.... and reactions are built in.

 

[Arantor]

And as you showed, you have a bunch of addons. The other platforms do have addons, they just don’t all have the exact set of addons you have.

But most of those do exist in the SMF ecosystem in some fashion or another. I can’t speak for phpBB or MyBB because i haven’t spent years in their ecosystem.

 

[Jason]

And as you showed, you have a bunch of addons. The other platforms do have addons, they just don’t all have the exact set of addons you have.

But most of those do exist in the SMF ecosystem in some fashion or another. I can’t speak for phpBB or MyBB because i haven’t spent years in their ecosystem.

The phpBB platform had a reactions mod once. Does SMF have one?

 

[Arantor]

SMF has several, there’s a free one I helped the author write, but there’s at least one paid one still out there. I lost track of what was done and what was later abandoned.

 

[Tracy]

The phpBB platform had a reactions mod once. Does SMF have one?

The one I installed (Decent_946 who @Arantor helped) is somewhat problematic when running under nginx as when you go to edit reactions, you get a HTTP 500 error... but you can add them just fine. I'm still playing around in the logs to see if I can track down what's going on.... have an idea, but can't confirm it yet.
The other issue is that apparently all you can upload for its images are GIF format... really?

 

[Jason]

View attachment 1534

The one I installed is somewhat problematic when running under nginx as when you go to edit reactions, you get a HTTP 500 error... but you can add them just fine. I'm still playing around in the logs to see if I can track down what's going on.... have an idea, but can't confirm it yet.

Maybe I should have moved to SMF. Well, why not use XenForo when I don't even have to pay?

 

[Tracy]

Maybe I should have moved to SMF. Well, why not use XenForo when I don't even have to pay?

Maybe because you would want to try out "new things" to see how they've changed? Other than a few quirks and lack of add-ons that I could use... SMF isn't that bad.
I may end up putting XF on that domain... or I may break down and pay for IPS update... the thing that keeps me held off from that is the short life-span of their self-hosted script that has been talked about.