phpBB or vBulletin?

okay,

i don't really take clients anymore because I want to spend more time with my children, but I am making an exception and working on a web site for my sister to sell her HCG easy gourmet e-cook book.

Anyhow, I need to get a forum up for her and I'm looking at phpBB or vBulletin.

lynn- i think this board used to be a phpBB but I've noticed you've switched to vBulletin, I'm wondering which is the best in your's and anyone elses opinion who cares to comment. What made you make the switch?

Thanks!

Hi Jennie,

I used PHPBB for more than 6 years, and liked it - there are a lot of great features and easy modifications. And of course it's free & open source. The reason I switched to vBulletin was for an automated paid forum solution for my private section.

I really like the features here, but if you don't need a standalone paid forum option, phpbb is a great option as well.

You could always start out with PHPBB since it is free and upgrade to vBulletin when your forum gets popular.

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Originally Posted by wahmjennie

I need to get a forum up for her and I'm looking at phpBB or vBulletin. I'm wondering which is the best in your's and anyone elses opinion who cares to comment.

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Jennie, I'm building my new forum, Reviews-by-Customers.com using VBulletin software. Before I made my decision, I demoed most of the forum software available. What sold me on VBulletin was the user-friendliness of the administrative panel, and the fast and responsive customer service. I remember asking a question about the software, and someone got back to me within 10 minutes. I also talked to several VBulletin owners who swear by the product.

I recommend you demo some of the forum software available, and make your decision based on your comfort level with the product.

David Jackson

Use vBulletin, while free is nice; phpBB is especially prone to hacking.

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Originally Posted by TraciKnoppe

Use vBulletin, while free is nice; phpBB is especially prone to hacking.

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Ok, I couldn't let this one go.

That statement is not correct.
phpbb is not prone to hacking any more than any other popular software is.

the more popular a product, the more the hackers try to attack it.
(phpbb is the most popular bulletin board software on the planet, free or paid)
also, being open source, the script kiddies can work on the code all they want without even having to buy the software.

phpbb, like any other software, has had it's share of problems.
however, the new phpbb3 was audited by a security service ( not affiliated with phpbb) before it was released and has no known exploits/hacks to date.

vbulletin has also had it's share of hacker problems over the years.
they just don't tell anyone about it or discuss it openly in their support boards, etc. They just quietly fix it and release patches/upgrades.

phpbb openly discusses their problems and quickly releases patches/upgrades to the public.

I know I am biased because supporting phpbb is what I do.
However, I would have made this same post if that false statement had been made about vbulletin.
'
luck,
robert

Hi Robert
My opinion was based on my own personal experiences using phpBB not only for myself, but for several of my web design clients.

That said, I have not used phpBB in a few years, so obviously their software could have improved; and from what you're saying - it has. That's a good thing!

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Originally Posted by robert adams

phpbb is not prone to hacking any more than any other popular software is.

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You're not exactly a neutral observer. You're obviously biased toward phpbb. That's cool. We all have a bias for the products we use. I'm biased when it comes to vBulletin.

David Jackson

I use both and prefer vBulletin - I find it easier to setup and easier to update & easier to add features - there is a great user base who have a lot of plugins available.

But free is good also and for some sites, free is better, at leaast whilst they are getting off the ground.

As David suggests, demo a couple and see which ticks more boxes for you.