phpBB forum – Comparison of phpBB to other forum solutions

This article provides a comparison of phpBB forum to other forum solutions

Here you can find a list of different points comparing phpBB forum to other forum software.

Comparison of phpBB3 to other Popular Forum Solutions

Feature	phpBB3	Invision Power Board (IPB)	vBulletin (vB)	Simple Machines Forum (SMF)
General
License:	GPL	Proprietary	Proprietary	Proprietary
License Price:	Free	US$149.99 License PriceIncludes support and updates for six months; US$25 renewal[?]	US$160 License PriceIncludes one year of updates and lifetime support; US$30 renewal[?]	Free
Programming Language:	PHP	PHP	PHP	PHP
Latest Version:	3.0.0	2.3.3	3.6.8-pl2	1.1.4
Release Date:	13, Dec 2007	05, Nov 2007	05, Nov 2007	27, Sep 2007

Security
Permanent Bans:	Yes Permanent BansIncluding reason shown to user and Moderator comment[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes
Temporary Bans (Suspension):	Yes Temporary Bans (Suspension)Including Reason shown to user and Moderator comment[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes
Permissions:	Yes PermissionsAdvanced and Customisable Permissions System — See below Permissions Section for additional details[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes
Paid Security Code Audit:	Yes	Yes	No	No
Form Handling:	Yes Form HandlingUser based forms[?]	–	–	Yes
Type Aware Parameter Handling:	Yes	–	Yes	No
Type Aware Database Layer:	Yes	–	–	No
Password Hashing:	Yes Password HashingMethod: Multiple Runs, Salted, and/or MD5[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes

Anti-Spam
CAPTCHA Visual Confirmation:	Yes CAPTCHA Visual ConfirmationCustomise Difficulty and CAPTCHA Noise[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes
Flood Control:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Groups:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ACLs:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Word Censor:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Banning:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Suspensions:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Warnings:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
User Logging:	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
User Post IP Logging:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Report Posts:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Post Moderation:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

Data Management
MySQL:	Yes MySQLMySQL 3.23+, MySQLi[?]	Yes MySQLMySQL 4.0+[?]	Yes	Yes
MSSQL Server:	Yes	Yes MSSQL ServerWith an additional driver, US$60[?]	No	No
MSSQL ODBC:	Yes	Yes MSSQL ODBCWith an additional driver, US$60[?]	No	No
PostgreSQL:	Yes	No	No	No
Oracle:	Yes	Yes OracleWith an additional driver, US$60[?]	No	No
Firebird:	Yes	No	No	No
SQLite:	Yes	No	No	No
Database (DBMS) Backups:	Yes	Yes	Yes	–
Database (DBMS) Restore:	Yes	–	–	–
Post/Topic Pruning:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Registration
COPPA Registrations:	Yes COPPA RegistrationsToggle On/Off[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes
Limit Registration Attempts:	Yes	–	–	No
Set min/max Username Length:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Set min/max Password Length:	Yes	–	–	Yes
Limit username Chars:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Set Password Complexity Requirements:	Yes	–	–	Yes
Force Password Change:	Yes	–	–	–
Allow/Disallow e-mail Address Re-usage:	Yes Allow/Disallow e-mail Address Re-usageAllow or Disallow Duplicate E-Mail Addresses[?]	–	Yes	No

Posting
Topic Display Method:	Flat	Flat or Threaded	Flat or Threaded	Flat
BBCode:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Custom BBCode Buttons:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
WYSIWYG Editor:	No	Yes	Yes	No
HTML in posts:	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Smilies/Emoticons:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Quoting:	Yes QuotingNested, Configurable maximum nested depth[?]	Yes	Yes QuotingLimited to one level[?]	Yes
Quote Multiple Posts:	Yes Quote Multiple PostsMultiple post quoting through Topic Review[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes
Formatting Toolbar:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Syntax Highlighting:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Attachments:	Yes (Multiple)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Post Drafts:	Yes	No	Yes	No
Polls:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Multiple Poll Option Voting:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
User based Poll Tracking:	Yes	–	Yes	Yes
Allow/Disallow Vote Change:	Yes	–	–	Yes
Beaten-to-Posting Review:	Yes	–	Yes	Yes
Posting Preview:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Flood Control:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Attachments
Automatic Image Thumbnails:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Attachment Types:	Yes Attachment TypesImages, Documents, Audio Streams, Video Streams, Archives[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes
Multiple Attachments:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Customisable Attachment Placement:	Yes Customisable Attachment PlacementInline and/or standard[?]	Yes	No	Yes

Profiles / Memberlist
Custom Profile Fields:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
User Posting Stats:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
User Instant Messengers:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
User Profile details:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Memberlist Searching:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
User Rating:	No	Yes	Yes	No

Search System
Fulltext Search:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Customised Topic Search:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Customised Forum Search:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Author Search:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Advanced Search:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Unread Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Active Topics:	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Posts Since Last Visit:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Search Flood Control:	Yes	Yes	–	No

Forums
Categories:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Password Protected Forums:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Forum Specific Styles:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
URL Link Redirect Forums:	Yes URL Link Redirect ForumsToggle on/off Redirect Count[?]	Yes	Yes	No
Forum Rules:	Yes	Yes	No	No
Subforums:	Yes SubforumsUnlimited Nested Levels[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes
Last Post:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Forum Pruning:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Display Active Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Subscribe to Forums:	Yes Subscribe to ForumsE-mail, Jabber/XMPP Notifications[?]	Yes	Yes	No
Subscribe to Topics:	Yes Subscribe to TopicsE-mail, Jabber/XMPP Notifications[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bookmark Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Topic Sorting:	Yes Topic SortingSort by Author, Selectable Post Time, Replies, Subject and Views in descending or ascending order[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes
Post Sorting:	Yes Post SortingSort by Author, Selectable Post Time, and Subject in descending or ascending order[?]	No	No	No
Topic Participation Tracking:	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Print Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
E-mail Topics:	Yes E-mail TopicsE-mail Topic to friend with Language choice[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes

User Control Panel
User Signatures:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
User Avatars:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
User Ranks:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Users Online List:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
User Preferences:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
User Profile Settings:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Manage Saved PM/Post Drafts:	Yes	Yes	No	No
Manage Bookmarks:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Manage Attachments:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Manage Subscribed Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Custom Profile Fields:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Friends/Foe List:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Private Messaging
Additional PM Folders:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes Additional PM FoldersLabels[?]
Customisable PM Filter Rules:	Yes	No	No	No
Send to Multiple Recipients:	Yes Send to Multiple RecipientsGroups and/or Users[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes
Send Blind Carbon Copies:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Send to Groups:	Yes	No	No	No
Forward Messages:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Address Book:	Yes Address BookUsing Friends list[?]	Yes	No	No
Message Drafts:	Yes	Yes	No	No
Export Messages:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Attachments for Messages:	Yes	Yes	No	No
Conversation View:	Yes	–	No	No
Custom Message Handling Rules:	Yes	No	No	No

Usergroups
Group Types:	Yes Group TypesHidden, Closed, Open, Request[?]	Yes	–	Yes
UCP Group Management:	Yes	–	Yes	No
UCP Manage Group Memberships:	Yes	–	No	No
Multiple Group Leaders:	Yes Multiple Group LeadersMultiple Group Leaders[?]	–	Yes	No
Custom Group Colours:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Group Ranks:	Yes	Yes	Yes	–
Group Avatars:	Yes	Yes	–	–
Group-based Memberlist Display:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

Moderation Control Panel
Global Moderators:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Forum Moderators:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Post Moderation Queue:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Manage Reported Topics/Posts:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Topic History:	Yes	Yes	–	–
Forum/Topic Logs:	Yes	–	–	No
Localised Moderator Logs:	Yes	–	Yes	No
Post Editing:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Post Locking:	Yes Post LockingPost Locking prevents user from editing post[?]	Yes	–	No
Post Details:	Yes	–	–	No
Change Post Author:	Yes	–	–	No
Quick-Mod Tools:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Moving Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Move Multiple Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Merging Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Merging Posts:	Yes	Yes	–	–
Merging Multiple Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Split Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Locking Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Deleting Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Copying Topics:	Yes	No	–	No
Global Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Announcement Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Sticky Topics:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Manage Bans:	Yes Manage BansManage Suspensions (Temporary Bans), Permanent Bans, plus reason for ban[?]	Yes	–	No
Manage User Warnings:	Yes	Yes	–	No
Banning by Username:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Banning by E-mail Address:	Yes	No	No	No
Banning by IP Address:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
User Notes:	Yes	No	–	No

Administration Control Panel
Founder Status/Board Creator:	Yes	Yes	No	No
Load Settings:	Yes	–	–	Yes
Automatic MOD Installer:	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Prune Inactive Users:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Manage Ranks:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Manage Groups:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Manage Group Memberships:	Yes	–	No	Yes
Manage Attachments and Settings:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Manage User Attachments:	Yes	Yes	Yes	–
User Editing:	Yes User EditingAdvanced Interface — Complete User Administration: Overview, profile, preferences, permissions, groups, avatar, signature, and settings[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes
Topic Icons:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mass e-mail:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Manage report/denial Reasons:	Yes	Yes	–	No
Module Management:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Custom BBCodes:	Yes	Yes	Yes	–
Custom Profile Fields:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Manage Bans:	Yes Manage BansManage Suspensions (Temporary Bans), Permanent Bans, plus reason for ban[?]	Yes	Yes	Yes
Banning by Username:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Banning by E-mail Address:	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Banning by IP Address:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Styles
User Selectable Styles:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Install/Manage Custom Styles:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Customise/Edit Templates:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Customise/Edit Themes:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Customise/Edit Imagesets:	Yes	Yes	No	No

Notifications
E-mail:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Instant Messaging:	Yes Instant MessagingJabber Support[?]	No	–	No
Bookmarks:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
RSS/Syndication:	No	Yes	Yes	Yes

Localisation
Support for Multiple Language Packs:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Number of Translations:	61	–	4 (officially)	37
Right to Left Support:	Yes	–	–	–
Language Pack Web-Editor:	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

Installation / Upgrade
Installation Wizard:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Update Wizard:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Convertor Wizard:	Yes	Yes Convertor WizardConvertors from some boards are at additional charge[?]	Yes	–
File Merge Diff Update Engine:	Yes	No	–	Yes

Technical Features
CMS Software Integration:	Yes CMS Software IntegrationThird Party Bridge with Joomla! auth plug-in[?]	Yes CMS Software IntegrationTo at-extra-charge IPS products[?]	Yes CMS Software IntegrationWith at-extra-charge Jelsoft products.[?]	Yes CMS Software IntegrationMambo[?]
XHTML Compliant:	Yes XHTML CompliantXHTML 1.0 Strict Compliant[?]	No	Yes XHTML CompliantXHTML 1.0 Transitional Compliant[?]	Yes XHTML CompliantXHTML 1.0 Transitional Compliant[?]

phpBB3 is a widely supported and highly customizable online bulletin board script, perfect for building an online community with your FASTDOT Hosting.

phpBB is a popular and widely used open-source forum software that allows users to create and manage online discussion forums. It provides a comprehensive set of features and functionality, making it an ideal choice for building vibrant and interactive community-driven platforms.

With phpBB, you can easily set up and customize your forum to suit your specific needs. It offers a user-friendly interface, intuitive administration panel, and a wide range of customization options, allowing you to create a unique and personalized forum experience.

Key features of phpBB forum include:

User Management: phpBB provides robust user management features, allowing administrators to control user registrations, permissions, and access levels. Users can create accounts, participate in discussions, and interact with other members.
Discussion and Messaging: Users can create and participate in discussions across various topics and categories. They can post messages, reply to existing threads, and engage in meaningful conversations within the forum community.
Customization and Theming: phpBB offers extensive customization options, allowing you to modify the appearance and layout of your forum to match your branding and desired aesthetic. You can choose from a wide range of themes, templates, and styles, or create your own custom design.
Moderation Tools: Administrators have access to powerful moderation tools to manage and maintain the forum effectively. They can monitor discussions, enforce community guidelines, and take necessary actions to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all users.
Extensions and Plugins: phpBB forum has a vibrant community of developers who create extensions and plugins to enhance the functionality of the forum. These extensions allow you to add additional features, integrate with external services, and extend the capabilities of your forum.
Security and Stability: phpBB is known for its strong focus on security and stability. Regular updates and patches are released to address vulnerabilities and ensure the safety of your forum and its users’ data.

Whether you want to create a small community forum, support group, or a large-scale discussion platform, phpBB provides a reliable and feature-rich solution. Its flexibility, customization options, and active community support make it a preferred choice for individuals, organizations, and businesses looking to build thriving online communities.

What is phpBB – Introduction to phpBB Forum Hosting

Installing phpBB3

Get Online Today!

Your perfect domain name is waiting!

Search our huge portfolio for more domain name extensions and pricing below

Classic Domain Names

.COM | .AU | .CO | .NET | .BIZ | .ME | .EU | .ASIA | .TV | .MOBI | .NAME | .INFO | .ORG | .US | .NL| .FM | .HK | .ES | .CO.NZ | .DE | .CO.UK | .RU | .IM | .PM | .TW | .FR | .CN | .CA | .CH | .VN | .PL | .IL | .JP | .KR |

New Domain Name TLDs

phpBB forum – Comparison of phpBB to other forum solutions

This article provides a comparison of phpBB forum to other forum solutions

Comparison of phpBB3 to other Popular Forum Solutions

General

Security

Anti-Spam

Data Management

Registration

Posting

Attachments

Profiles / Memberlist

Search System

Forums

User Control Panel

Private Messaging

Usergroups

Moderation Control Panel

Administration Control Panel

Styles

Notifications

Localisation

Installation / Upgrade

Technical Features

Key features of phpBB forum include:

Related Articles

Categories

Get Online Today!

Your perfect domain name is waiting!

Search our huge portfolio for more domain name extensions and pricing below

Classic Domain Names

New Domain Name TLDs

Recent Articles

Recent Blogs

International Cloud Hosting

Legals

Design Articles

Contact