vBulletin vs. phpBB


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vbulletin costs money but with a paid product you do have support. It also in my opinion is more refined than phpBB. It has a lot more features and I think has better performance options as well. You also have the whole vbulletin brand itself people take a forum powered by vbulletin more serious than one by phpBB. At least with the vbulletin one someone paid for it so maybe the forum is a little more serious than just some random forum on the internet.

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I currently own three vBulletins, two of which run right here on Hawk Host. It really comes down to your own preferences and how much you want to invest in the software. As it currently stands, vBulletin costs $160 for a lifetime owned license. phpBB is free obviously.

I choose vBulletin for my "serious" websites for a number of reasons.

- Its professional. Since it costs money, your forum is in business for the long term.

- Products & mods. vBulletin has some of the best modifications like vBSEO. These products import in seconds and don't require any file edits or coding skill.

- Styles & templates. vBulletin has the templates stored in the database so they are quick and easy to edit, no file uploads required (unless adding new styles!).

- Depth of administrative tools. vBulletin & Invision Boards offer a rich administrative backend that give you a great deal of control over the forums. You can setup complex permissions, usergroups & masks, and scheduled tasks that are in a league far above phpBB.

In the end, you get what you pay for. phpBB is free and is a good jumping off point for anyone getting into forums. vBulletin & Invision Boards cost money, but they are an investment in the quality of your site. If you end up not liking the product, you can always (receive permission first) re-sell your vBulletin license.

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  • 5 months later...

I operate a forum and currently use VB, but They have had a ton of customer service issues the past year and the new 4.0 they are selling was rushed out and has significant bugs.

I will not be upgrading to the 4.0 version of VB. When the 3.8 version reaches end-of-life, I will be jumping to IBP. They are feature rich and priced well with VB. Take a look at all of your options before, jumping to VB.

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