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

FeaturephpBB3Invision Power Board (IPB)vBulletin (vB)Simple Machines Forum (SMF)

General

License:GPLProprietaryProprietaryProprietary
License Price:FreeUS$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:PHPPHPPHPPHP
Latest Version:3.0.02.3.33.6.8-pl21.1.4
Release Date:13, Dec 200705, Nov 200705, Nov 200727, Sep 2007

Security

Permanent Bans:Yes Permanent BansIncluding reason shown to user and Moderator comment[?]YesYesYes
Temporary Bans (Suspension):Yes Temporary Bans (Suspension)Including Reason shown to user and Moderator comment[?]YesYesYes
Permissions:Yes PermissionsAdvanced and Customisable Permissions System — See below Permissions Section for additional details[?]YesYesYes
Paid Security Code Audit:YesYesNoNo
Form Handling:Yes Form HandlingUser based forms[?]Yes
Type Aware Parameter Handling:YesYesNo
Type Aware Database Layer:YesNo
Password Hashing:Yes Password HashingMethod: Multiple Runs, Salted, and/or MD5[?]YesYesYes

Anti-Spam

CAPTCHA Visual Confirmation:Yes CAPTCHA Visual ConfirmationCustomise Difficulty and CAPTCHA Noise[?]YesYesYes
Flood Control:YesYesYesYes
Groups:YesYesYesYes
ACLs:YesYesYesYes
Word Censor:YesYesYesYes
Banning:YesYesYesYes
Suspensions:YesYesYesYes
Warnings:YesYesYesNo
User Logging:YesNoYesYes
User Post IP Logging:YesYesYesYes
Report Posts:YesYesYesYes
Post Moderation:YesYesYesNo

Data Management

MySQL:Yes MySQLMySQL 3.23+, MySQLi[?]Yes MySQLMySQL 4.0+[?]YesYes
MSSQL Server:YesYes MSSQL ServerWith an additional driver, US$60[?]NoNo
MSSQL ODBC:YesYes MSSQL ODBCWith an additional driver, US$60[?]NoNo
PostgreSQL:YesNoNoNo
Oracle:YesYes OracleWith an additional driver, US$60[?]NoNo
Firebird:YesNoNoNo
SQLite:YesNoNoNo
Database (DBMS) Backups:YesYesYes
Database (DBMS) Restore:Yes
Post/Topic Pruning:YesYesYesYes

Registration

COPPA Registrations:Yes COPPA RegistrationsToggle On/Off[?]YesYesYes
Limit Registration Attempts:YesNo
Set min/max Username Length:YesYesYesNo
Set min/max Password Length:YesYes
Limit username Chars:YesYesYesNo
Set Password Complexity Requirements:YesYes
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[?]YesNo

Posting

Topic Display Method:FlatFlat or ThreadedFlat or ThreadedFlat
BBCode:YesYesYesYes
Custom BBCode Buttons:YesYesYesNo
WYSIWYG Editor:NoYesYesNo
HTML in posts:NoYesYesYes
Smilies/Emoticons:YesYesYesYes
Quoting:Yes QuotingNested, Configurable maximum nested depth[?]YesYes QuotingLimited to one level[?]Yes
Quote Multiple Posts:Yes Quote Multiple PostsMultiple post quoting through Topic Review[?]YesYesYes
Formatting Toolbar:YesYesYesYes
Syntax Highlighting:YesYesYesYes
Attachments:Yes (Multiple)YesYesYes
Post Drafts:YesNoYesNo
Polls:YesYesYesYes
Multiple Poll Option Voting:YesYesYesYes
User based Poll Tracking:YesYesYes
Allow/Disallow Vote Change:YesYes
Beaten-to-Posting Review:YesYesYes
Posting Preview:YesYesYesYes
Flood Control:YesYesYesYes

Attachments

Automatic Image Thumbnails:YesYesYesYes
Attachment Types:Yes Attachment TypesImages, Documents, Audio Streams, Video Streams, Archives[?]YesYesYes
Multiple Attachments:YesYesYesYes
Customisable Attachment Placement:Yes Customisable Attachment PlacementInline and/or standard[?]YesNoYes

Profiles / Memberlist

Custom Profile Fields:YesYesYesNo
User Posting Stats:YesYesYesYes
User Instant Messengers:YesYesYesYes
User Profile details:YesYesYesYes
Memberlist Searching:YesYesYesYes
User Rating:NoYesYesNo

Search System

Fulltext Search:YesYesYesYes
Customised Topic Search:YesYesYesNo
Customised Forum Search:YesYesYesYes
Author Search:YesYesYesYes
Advanced Search:YesYesYesYes
Unread Topics:YesYesYesYes
Active Topics:YesYesNoYes
Posts Since Last Visit:YesYesYesYes
Search Flood Control:YesYesNo

Forums

Categories:YesYesYesYes
Password Protected Forums:YesYesYesNo
Forum Specific Styles:YesYesYesYes
URL Link Redirect Forums:Yes URL Link Redirect ForumsToggle on/off Redirect Count[?]YesYesNo
Forum Rules:YesYesNoNo
Subforums:Yes SubforumsUnlimited Nested Levels[?]YesYesYes
Last Post:YesYesYesYes
Forum Pruning:YesYesYesYes
Display Active Topics:YesYesYesYes
Subscribe to Forums:Yes Subscribe to ForumsE-mail, Jabber/XMPP Notifications[?]YesYesNo
Subscribe to Topics:Yes Subscribe to TopicsE-mail, Jabber/XMPP Notifications[?]YesYesYes
Bookmark Topics:YesYesYesNo
Topic Sorting:Yes Topic SortingSort by Author, Selectable Post Time, Replies, Subject and Views in descending or ascending order[?]YesYesYes
Post Sorting:Yes Post SortingSort by Author, Selectable Post Time, and Subject in descending or ascending order[?]NoNoNo
Topic Participation Tracking:YesNoYesYes
Print Topics:YesYesYesYes
E-mail Topics:Yes E-mail TopicsE-mail Topic to friend with Language choice[?]YesYesYes

User Control Panel

User Signatures:YesYesYesYes
User Avatars:YesYesYesYes
User Ranks:YesYesYesYes
Users Online List:YesYesYesYes
User Preferences:YesYesYesYes
User Profile Settings:YesYesYesYes
Manage Saved PM/Post Drafts:YesYesNoNo
Manage Bookmarks:YesYesYesNo
Manage Attachments:YesYesYesNo
Manage Subscribed Topics:YesYesYesYes
Custom Profile Fields:YesYesYesNo
Friends/Foe List:YesYesYesYes

Private Messaging

Additional PM Folders:YesYesYesYes Additional PM FoldersLabels[?]
Customisable PM Filter Rules:YesNoNoNo
Send to Multiple Recipients:Yes Send to Multiple RecipientsGroups and/or Users[?]YesYesYes
Send Blind Carbon Copies:YesYesYesYes
Send to Groups:YesNoNoNo
Forward Messages:YesYesYesYes
Address Book:Yes Address BookUsing Friends list[?]YesNoNo
Message Drafts:YesYesNoNo
Export Messages:YesYesYesYes
Attachments for Messages:YesYesNoNo
Conversation View:YesNoNo
Custom Message Handling Rules:YesNoNoNo

Usergroups

Group Types:Yes Group TypesHidden, Closed, Open, Request[?]YesYes
UCP Group Management:YesYesNo
UCP Manage Group Memberships:YesNoNo
Multiple Group Leaders:Yes Multiple Group LeadersMultiple Group Leaders[?]YesNo
Custom Group Colours:YesYesYesYes
Group Ranks:YesYesYes
Group Avatars:YesYes
Group-based Memberlist Display:YesYesYesNo

Moderation Control Panel

Global Moderators:YesYesYesYes
Forum Moderators:YesYesYesYes
Post Moderation Queue:YesYesYesNo
Manage Reported Topics/Posts:YesYesYesNo
Topic History:YesYes
Forum/Topic Logs:YesNo
Localised Moderator Logs:YesYesNo
Post Editing:YesYesYesYes
Post Locking:Yes Post LockingPost Locking prevents user from editing post[?]YesNo
Post Details:YesNo
Change Post Author:YesNo
Quick-Mod Tools:YesYesYesYes
Moving Topics:YesYesYesYes
Move Multiple Topics:YesYesYesNo
Merging Topics:YesYesYesYes
Merging Posts:YesYes
Merging Multiple Topics:YesYesYesNo
Split Topics:YesYesYesYes
Locking Topics:YesYesYesYes
Deleting Topics:YesYesYesYes
Copying Topics:YesNoNo
Global Topics:YesYesYesNo
Announcement Topics:YesYesYesNo
Sticky Topics:YesYesYesYes
Manage Bans:Yes Manage BansManage Suspensions (Temporary Bans), Permanent Bans, plus reason for ban[?]YesNo
Manage User Warnings:YesYesNo
Banning by Username:YesYesYesNo
Banning by E-mail Address:YesNoNoNo
Banning by IP Address:YesYesYesNo
User Notes:YesNoNo

Administration Control Panel

Founder Status/Board Creator:YesYesNoNo
Load Settings:YesYes
Automatic MOD Installer:NoYesYesYes
Prune Inactive Users:YesYesYesNo
Manage Ranks:YesYesYesYes
Manage Groups:YesYesYesYes
Manage Group Memberships:YesNoYes
Manage Attachments and Settings:YesYesYesYes
Manage User Attachments:YesYesYes
User Editing:Yes User EditingAdvanced Interface — Complete User Administration: Overview, profile, preferences, permissions, groups, avatar, signature, and settings[?]YesYesYes
Topic Icons:YesYesYesYes
Mass e-mail:YesYesYesYes
Manage report/denial Reasons:YesYesNo
Module Management:YesYesYesYes
Custom BBCodes:YesYesYes
Custom Profile Fields:YesYesYesNo
Manage Bans:Yes Manage BansManage Suspensions (Temporary Bans), Permanent Bans, plus reason for ban[?]YesYesYes
Banning by Username:YesYesYesYes
Banning by E-mail Address:YesYesNoYes
Banning by IP Address:YesYesYesYes

Styles

User Selectable Styles:YesYesYesYes
Install/Manage Custom Styles:YesYesYesYes
Customise/Edit Templates:YesYesYesYes
Customise/Edit Themes:YesYesYesYes
Customise/Edit Imagesets:YesYesNoNo

Notifications

E-mail:YesYesYesYes
Instant Messaging:Yes Instant MessagingJabber Support[?]NoNo
Bookmarks:YesYesYesNo
RSS/Syndication:NoYesYesYes

Localisation

Support for Multiple Language Packs:YesYesYesYes
Number of Translations:614 (officially)37
Right to Left Support:Yes
Language Pack Web-Editor:YesYesYesNo

Installation / Upgrade

Installation Wizard:YesYesYesYes
Update Wizard:YesYesYesYes
Convertor Wizard:YesYes Convertor WizardConvertors from some boards are at additional charge[?]Yes
File Merge Diff Update Engine:YesNoYes

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[?]NoYes 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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

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