Open Source Forum Scripts

[Mika]

If you want to build online communities, you have multiple options, one, use premium scripts, two use, open source scripts, and three, build from scratch. Building from scratch requires knowledge and skills in a programming language. Therefore easier options are using premium scripts or open-source scripts. While premium scripts cost money, open source is completely free. If you want to build online communities like forums without spending any money, you can try the following platforms. Well, these are free but you still need a domain and hosting to create forums.

phpBB: This is one of the most popular open-source forum script, phpBB is written in PHP. It offers clean interface and is very easy to use. You can customize the script and create a good forum by using add-ons.

MyBB: MyBB is also in PHP. You can easily create online community by using MyBB. You can customize your forum with a variety of plugins and themes.

SMF (Simple Machines Forum): This is easy to use forum script, ideal for beginners. It is also very powerful script written in Php, therefore, also very good for experienced.

Flarum: Not is very popular as the aforementioned forum script, you can also use this free and open-source forum script to create your forum. It is also written in Php.

Vanilla Forums: This is also not very popular like MyBB or phpBB, but very useful forum script for creating and managing a community forum.

 

[Jasmine]

Well, I have no experience with forum, I mean I have never tried building forums myself, however, I have helped a few friends to set up forums and also used multiple forums (as a user of course). Based on my limited experience I cannot say whether open source forum scripts are better than premium forum softwares, or if free forums are better than paid ones. However, I believe free forum scripts are more popular than the paid ones. If you use paid ones, you will have to pay subscription fees every year and your forum running cost will be higher.