Forum software, contrary to popular belief, does not have to cost several hundred dollars to be a complete solution. This forum, for example, does not use paid forum software. While very large forums may benefit from paid solutions such as Xenforo, vBulliten, or IP.Board, it certainly isn't mandatory to use paid software to build a successful forum. In this post, we'll compare the most popular free forum software solutions and give you a comprehensive list of pros and cons to each.

The three main contenders for free forum software are phpBB, myBB, and SMF. Minor contenders include solutions such as Drupal forum or FluxBB/punBB. This guide will focus on comparing the giants of free forum software: phpBB, SMF, and MyBB.

phpBB

A very large portion of the internet's forums are powered by phpBB. phpBB is often considered a good choice for people who need a simple forum that works. It is also very user friendly on its front-end user interface. In addition, its server overhead is generally very low, making it a good choice for users with limited server resources.

The overall interface of the ACP (admin control panel) is very nice as well, but some things about managing your forum can be a bit confusing. For new users, creating and setting up boards with the correct permissions, installing mods, etc... can be a bit overwhelming. phpBB also has a general lack of advanced features beyond what's available in the core package, due to its limiting plugin system.

Pros:
* Huge community of users
* User friendly
* Nice default theme
* Very solid package for a simple forum

Cons:
* Very poor plugin system
* Lack of advanced plugins with good compatibility
* Confusing board permissions

SMF

SMF is another one of the giants of free forum software. It is well known for being able to handle very large forums without trouble. It also has many very good, powerful plugins available. For this reason, SMF is a popular choice for commercial forums that need advanced features such as downloads systems, advanced portal software, blog systems, subscription systems, premium account capabilities integrated with paypal, etc...

SMF is also a good choice for smaller websites. Its huge user community and active development makes it a good choice for many forum admins, especially with complex needs. Its administration interface is a bit disappointing, however. When I personally started using SMF, I found it difficult to find what I was looking for. Thankfully, the admin panel has two display modes. The alternative, expanded mode is much nicer, making it easier to find your way around basic administration settings.

SMF also does not have a good template system, which is a disappointment for many advanced users. For that reason, many modifications can be a little confusing, and FTP is often required for a very simple template modification. The large user base of plugins makes up for it, however.

Pros:
* Huge community of users
* Very powerful plugin base
* Active development
* Ability to handle very large forums
* Very good portal plugins available

Cons:
* Confusing administration interface
* Poor template system

MyBB

MyBB was once an outcast in the world of free forum software. Over the past few years, it has quickly become a user favorite, however. It is very difficult to beat MyBB in terms of user friendliness, and the installation of plugins is almost always very easy and free of trouble. MyBB is a very stable package that is very good for those new to using forum software, as all of the core features are very easy to find and use. MyBB also has many advanced features available in a core installation, with many great plugins available.

The plugin base and community of users is not nearly as large as that of SMF, but myBB's user base is growing rapidly. While the possibilities available through plugins aren't quite as extensive as SMF, myBB is still a great choice for users who need a simple solution for forum software that is complete, easy to use, and stable.

Pros:
* Very easy to use and set up.
* Very stable and complete package
* Very easy installation of plugins
* Simple and user-friendly interface

Cons:
* Plugin and user community is not as large as that of SMF
* Poor default theme

what's right for your community?

With these three forum software options all being plausible options for your community, deciding between them is often a difficult task. In many cases it simply comes down to a matter of personal taste. It's usually worth installing all three and deciding which one works best for your needs from there. However, depending on the type of community you are trying to create, we can make a few recommendations from our experience.

SMF is usually the best option for large and/or commercial websites, due to the giant user base and large database of plugins. It contains many of the features you'll need to create a large, commercial website either out of the box or via a plugin. It is known to be able to handle very large forums without having performance problems as a result, making it a good choice for large forums.

MyBB is a great choice for small to medium size forums, but it can handle large forums as well. Being much easier to use than SMF, it allows you to focus firsthand on what matters most: your community. MyBB has a reputation for stability and quality, making it a great choice for forum admins who want great forum software packed with features without having to deal with the extra difficulty in setting up an SMF forum.

phpBB works for forums of all sorts and sizes, but is usually at its best for forums with simple needs. Due to its lack of a good plugin system, it can be limiting to use it for advanced, commercial websites. Its stability, user friendliness, and simplicity is hard to beat for forums with simple needs, however. It is often a great choice for websites that simply need a forum software solution that is solid and works well out of the box.

Let us know if you have any additional thoughts or points of comparison!

There are many graphics design solutions available on the market today, with some being pricier than others. Personally, I don't have the money to spend on photoshop or some other expensive solution, so the GIMP cuts it for me. It also has some pretty neat features, and is really great for animations, etc... I've been able to do some pretty cool stuff with it.

Any other GIMP users here?

Have a suggestion? Post it here! We do look over and consider all suggestions, so they are definitely appreciated.

We've all seen a fierce competition between Google and Bing. The question is, which one is better? Be sure to register your vote!

Welcome to the mature discussions/philosophy and debate section of Makestation! Mature discussions, current events, debates related to controversial topics, religious and political discussions, etc. can all be posted here. In order to keep the peace, we have set some guidelines that participants in this section are required to follow. Please do your best to abide by these guidelines to keep this section enjoyable for everyone.

General rules:

• Be respectful of the opinions of others, even if you disagree. Debates that become chaotic or uncivil will be locked or removed by a staff member in order to preserve free and open discussion. 
  
• A user's post in this board only represents the opinion of the user that posted it. In no case will a user's viewpoint represent the viewpoint of many, or the entire site. 
  
• We welcome free and open discussion on this board. As a result, in order to preserve free and open discussion, we ask that you to refrain from attacking another user's beliefs or taking offense because they disagree with your viewpoint. No user is required to participate in any of the debates in this board if they feel uncomfortable doing so. 
  
• Staff members are allowed to participate. However, they are held to the same rules anyone else is held to. In no case will the viewpoint of a staff member represent the viewpoint of the entire site. 
  
• This section has a PG-13 content restriction. We do have a non-public 18+ section of the forum for mature topics that do not fit the PG-13 requirements. Please note that this section has the same restrictions against graphically offensive and/or pornographic content that are held elsewhere on the forums. If you are at or over the age of 18 and are interested in joining the 18+ section of the forum, you may join the "downstairs" usergroup via your Usergroups Management Panel. Please note that we will request your birthdate via PM to verify your age before you are granted access to the downstairs section of the forum.
  

Welcome to Makestation! We are a community aimed at making it possible for members with any creative edge to show their works and projects to others who are like minded. We also welcome all kinds of discussion and philosophical debates among our members to create a community. Such discussion can include

* Your latest graphics design projects
* What you've done with a popular gaming engine
* Your minecraft creations
* You a musician? Show us your music projects!
* Created a new forum? Show us here.
* Working in a real life model of the twin towers, show us pictures!

And much, much more. We are aimed at being as non-strict as possible, while keeping content PG-13 rated to ensure that the community is friendly towards some of our younger members.

We also openly encourage discussion on various other topics:

* Current events
* Your latest desktop background
* General off-topic
* Philosophical debates

And much, much more. Be sure to join us!

-The staff

How did you find this website? Be sure to vote in the poll. If you selected "other," let us know in a reply below.

Thanks, -the staff

I found this stumbling around on the internet. It's a list of the worst websites yet for 2013. It certainly isn't the only list out there.

The internet has changed quite a bit even over the last several years. Websites once considered state of the art are now, well, falling behind Have any websites you've stumbled across worth showing us?

Social networking, without doubt, has become very popular over the past decade. It has also evolved significantly. Originally mySpace was the hit. Then facebook hit the scenes. While facebook is undoubtedly still the largest social network today, networks such as twitter and instagram are becoming increasingly popular at a rapid pace.

Personally, I love social networking. I'm active at many social networking sites, but I also see a lot of people who post the strangest status updates possible. (Do I really need to know that you are going to the store at this very moment? ) I feel that, while it could be a great tool without doubt, it can also be harmful towards real relationships. What are your thoughts on the issue?

This game is simple. Just ask a stupid question, and get a stupid answer in return. Be sure to answer the question from the previous poster as well, in addition to asking your own. I'll get use started:

Why is the sky blue?