22 applications in this category
Forums & Communities
This category gathers forum and community software: platforms where registered users open discussion threads and reply to messages, organized into categories and subcategories.
See applications ↓When does this category make sense?
A forum makes sense when the goal is for users themselves to generate content and conversation among each other, not just read articles published by an editor.
Catalog
Forums & Communities applications
| Application | Needs a database? | Size | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|---|
| AEF | Yes | 3.62 MB | Small communities that want to combine forum, news and quick chat in a lightweight install. |
| bbPress | Yes | 75.04 MB | Sites already using WordPress that want to add a forum without managing user accounts separately. |
| Beehive | Yes | 10.93 MB | Projects that need to manage several related forums with the same users, and value visual accessibility. |
| Carbon Forum | Yes | 13.79 MB | Communities that want a tag-based Q&A format instead of a traditional category-based forum. |
| ElkArte | Yes | 16.77 MB | Communities coming from SMF that want a more modern version, with mentions, likes and video embedding. |
| Flarum | Yes | 56.23 MB | Communities that want the most modern, clean interface in this category, extendable via extensions as needed. |
| Flatboard | No | 4.36 MB | Small projects that want maximum portability and simplicity, avoiding a database entirely. |
| FluxBB | Yes | 1.41 MB | Small communities that prioritize simplicity, speed and database flexibility. |
| FUDforum | Yes | 4.62 MB | Multi-language communities that want a forum with extra features like a mailing list manager or XML feed aggregator. |
| LayerBB | Yes | — | Small communities or support forums with moderate traffic that want a simple forum to administer. |
| miniBB | — | 1.20 MB | Sites that want a standalone, customizable forum that integrates with an existing membership system. |
| my little forum | Yes | 5.45 MB | Communities that prefer the classic hierarchical tree view for following complex conversations with many nested replies. |
| MyBB | Yes | 8.57 MB | Communities that value a member reputation system and a very high average user rating (4.74/5). |
| Phorum | Yes | 4.43 MB | Developers who want to deeply customize the forum's behavior via a module and hook system. |
| phpBB | Yes | 22.38 MB | Communities looking for the most proven and documented option on the market, with database flexibility and an advanced permissions system. |
| PunBB | Yes | 1.98 MB | Communities that prioritize speed and lightness over having every possible feature from day one. |
| SMF | Yes | 10.90 MB | Communities that want to deeply customize the forum's appearance and extend functionality via the package manager. |
| TangoBB | Yes | 15.12 MB | Technically-minded administrators who prefer managing the forum via a command terminal in addition to the web panel. |
| TidyBB | Yes | 39.55 MB | New communities looking for a modern interface and a very high user rating (4.94/5). |
| Unclassified NewsBoard | Yes | 2.42 MB | Technical communities that value Jabber IM notifications and very detailed list-based access control. |
| Vanilla | Yes | 76.81 MB | Communities that want to grow through SEO and modern social tools, with the option to integrate into an existing site. |
| XMB | Yes | 5.06 MB | Communities that need clear hierarchical organization and anti-spam protection via image verification. |
AEF
A lightweight PHP/MySQL forum with a WYSIWYG editor, news system and built-in shoutbox.
See full guide →bbPress
A forum created by the WordPress developers, with deep integration and a shared single account.
See full guide →Beehive
A forum with polls of up to 20 options, multiple forums sharing a single user base, and dyslexia-friendly styling.
See full guide →Carbon Forum
A topic-based PHP forum with a Quora/StackOverflow-style design, real-time notifications and async design.
See full guide →ElkArte
A modern forum born as a reimagining of SMF, with mentions, likes, autosave and OpenID authentication.
See full guide →Flarum
A modern, minimalist discussion platform, successor to esoTalk and FluxBB, with a powerful extension API.
See full guide →Flatboard
A database-free flat-file forum, with JSON storage and writing in Markdown or BBcode.
See full guide →FluxBB
A free, fast, lightweight and easy-to-use PHP forum, compatible with MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQLite.
See full guide →FUDforum
A fast, feature-rich forum that also works as a mailing list manager and XML feed aggregator.
See full guide →LayerBB
A lightweight, easy-to-moderate PHP forum, built for small communities and support forums.
See full guide →miniBB
A lightweight, standalone forum, easy to integrate with existing membership systems and with full HTTPS support.
See full guide →my little forum
A forum with Usenet-style tree view, the Smarty template engine and several views (classic, table, collapsed).
See full guide →MyBB
A free forum with a member reputation system, fulltext search and built-in polls.
See full guide →Phorum
One of the most veteran PHP/MySQL forums, with a flexible module and hook system for deep customization.
See full guide →phpBB
The world's most widely used open-source forum platform, with unlimited subforums and support for multiple databases.
See full guide →PunBB
A fast, lightweight PHP forum, with a one-click extension system and topic splitting/merging.
See full guide →SMF
A free, professional forum with a comprehensive template system and a package manager for modifications.
See full guide →TangoBB
A simple forum with an admin terminal for one-line commands and Gravatar-based avatar support.
See full guide →TidyBB
A compact, robust forum with a modern, polished interface, great configuration flexibility and near-perfect ratings.
See full guide →Unclassified NewsBoard
A PHP/MySQL message board with real-time Jabber IM notifications and list-based access control.
See full guide →Vanilla
A modern, customizable forum with its own API, social tools and a focus on SEO-driven growth.
See full guide →XMB
A PHP forum with private user-to-user (U2U) messaging and image verification anti-spam for registration.
See full guide →Frequently asked questions about forums & communities
Which forum is easiest for a small team to moderate?
phpBB and MyBB are two of the most widespread options, with mature moderation tools and plenty of documentation available.
Can I combine a forum with my existing website?
Yes, the usual approach is to install the forum on a subdomain or subfolder of the main site, both supported on miHosting's professional shared hosting.
Install any of these applications today
All of them are available from minute one on miHosting's professional shared hosting, with Softaculous, PHP and databases already configured.