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phpBB VS MyBB

Compare phpBB VS MyBB and see what are their differences

phpBB

Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry Pi is a cheap, credit-card sized computer. The official website uses phpBB for their discussion forums. phpBB is not affiliated with nor responsible for any of the sites listed on the showcase.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Alternatives Is it good?
MyBB

MyBB is a discussion board software that runs on PHP and MySQL

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Alternatives Is it good?
Botonomous.ai
A social network where all content is created by AI bots. Humans read, react, and discover — bots post, discuss, and moderate. sponsored

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, MyBB should be more popular than phpBB. It has been mentioned 8 times since March 2021.

social mentions
2 vs 8
Forums And Forum Software popularity
60% vs 40%
alternatives listed
119 vs 80

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

phpBB
MyBB
Website phpbb.com mybb.com
Pricing
Open source
Open source
Listed in
Forums And Forum Software Forums Community Platform Community Management Social Networks +2
Forums And Forum Software Forums Community Platform Community Management +1

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

phpBB 6 features
MyBB 7 features
  • Open Source
    phpBB is an open-source software, which means it is free to use, modify, and distribute. This can drastically reduce the cost of setting up a forum.
  • Customizability
    phpBB offers extensive customization options, including a wide array of plugins and themes to tailor the forum to specific needs.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The platform has comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and a supportive community, making it easier for users to navigate and solve issues.
  • Strong Security Features
    phpBB comes with built-in security features such as anti-spam measures and CAPTCHA validation to protect against unauthorized access and spam.
  • Scalability
    It is highly scalable, capable of handling small communities and large, high-traffic forums effectively.
  • Active Community
    There is a large, active user community which contributes to ongoing development and provides support.

Possible disadvantages

  • Complex Setup and Maintenance
    Setting up and maintaining phpBB can be complex and may require a certain level of technical expertise, especially for beginners.
  • Frequent Updates
    The need for frequent updates can be considered a downside as managing updates and compatibility with plugins and themes can be time-consuming.
  • Performance Issues
    Large forums with high traffic can experience performance issues if not properly optimized.
  • Limited Built-in Features
    Some advanced features are not available out-of-the-box and require additional plugins or custom development.
  • Potential Security Vulnerabilities
    As with any popular platform, phpBB can be a target for hackers if not properly maintained with timely updates and security best practices.
  • Free and Open-Source
    MyBB is free to download and use. Its open-source nature allows for complete customization and transparency.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The software offers a clean and intuitive interface, making it easy for both administrators and users to navigate.
  • Community Support
    A large, active community provides extensive documentation, plugins, themes, and support.
  • Extensible
    MyBB supports a wide range of plugins and themes, allowing users to extend its functionality and appearance easily.
  • Built-In Features
    It offers a variety of built-in features like private messaging, multi-quote, user tagging, and more.
  • SEO Friendly
    MyBB includes SEO-friendly URLs and settings that help improve the forum's visibility on search engines.
  • Security
    Regular security updates and a dedicated security team help ensure that the platform is secure.

Possible disadvantages

  • Outdated Design
    Some users may find the default themes and design elements outdated compared to modern forum software.
  • Limited Built-In Modern Features
    While MyBB has a lot of basic features, it lacks some modern functionalities out of the box, requiring additional plugins.
  • Learning Curve for Customization
    While it is highly customizable, new users may find it challenging to modify the software to fit their needs without digging into the documentation or community forums.
  • Performance
    The performance may degrade with a large number of users and posts, requiring additional optimizations or server resources.
  • Plugin Dependence
    To add advanced features, users often need to rely on third-party plugins, which may not always be up to date or secure.
  • Less Frequent Updates
    Compared to some other forum software, updates and new releases are less frequent, which can lead to delays in receiving new features or bug fixes.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

phpBB
MyBB

Overall verdict

  • phpBB is a good choice for those looking for a free and feature-rich forum platform. Its flexibility and customizability make it suitable for a variety of online communities. However, it may require a bit of a learning curve for users unfamiliar with forum software.

Why this product is good

  • phpBB is a popular open-source forum software known for its robust set of features, strong community support, and extensive customization options. It offers users the ability to create and manage forums with ease, supports a wide range of extensions, and provides a high level of security. Its comprehensive documentation and active support community make it an appealing choice for both beginners and experienced users.

Recommended for

    phpBB is recommended for individuals or organizations looking to build and manage an online community. It is well-suited for those who want a customizable and secure forum solution, especially if they have the technical skills to take advantage of its extensive features and customization options.

Overall verdict

  • MyBB is generally considered a good choice for those looking for reliable and flexible forum software without the need for extensive technical expertise. Its active community support and regular updates contribute to its reputation as a dependable platform.

Why this product is good

  • MyBB is a popular open-source forum software known for its ease of use, robust plugin system, and a supportive community. It offers a range of features such as customizable themes, user management, and a straightforward admin panel, making it an appealing choice for many forum administrators.

Recommended for

    MyBB is recommended for small to medium-sized communities, organizations looking to create a support forum, hobbyists who want to engage with like-minded individuals, and anyone prioritizing ease of use and extensibility in their forum solution.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

phpBB 2 videos + Add
MyBB 3 videos + Add

PHPbb for Beginners - Creating a Community Forum

More videos

  • - A SQL injection example using phpBB | Ars Technica

How to Build a Forum Website Free! MYBB review: Demo + Quick Setup Tutorial

More videos

  • - Host your Own Forums with MyBB
  • - How To Create / Set Up Your Own MyBB Forum 2019

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
phpBB
MyBB
60% 60%
Forums And Forum Software
40% 40%
62% 62%
Forums
38% 38%
63% 63%
Community Platform
37% 37%
44% 44%
Social & Communications
56% 56%

User comments

Share your experience with using phpBB and MyBB. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

phpBB no reviews yet
MyBB no reviews yet

We have no reviews of phpBB yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

phpBB 2 mentions
MyBB 8 mentions
  • Best way to host a small forum?
    Excellent! Glad we could get you sorted! Hosting can be scary and it's okay to be afraid to touch things or not understand certain settings or terms. Especially if you're new. The key is to read the documentation. For your forum needs,... Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Looking for resources to learn authentication and security in-depth
    You may find a current, object-oriented version of phpBB to be just the ticket. It will teach you how to structure the database, authenticate users, manage sessions and selectively display content according to user level, group... Source: over 5 years ago
  • Best way to host a small forum?
    Excellent! Glad we could get you sorted! Hosting can be scary and it's okay to be afraid to touch things or not understand certain settings or terms. Especially if you're new. The key is to read the documentation. For your forum needs,... Source: almost 3 years ago
  • PhpBB
    I actually recommend myBB [0] over phpBB for anyone looking to set up a LAMP forum. It's cleaner, better written, and possibly better maintained and with a much less scary vulnerability history. I believe it started off as an attempt to... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • How can I create a forum using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript?
    As u/Marble_Wraith mentioned. You will find more help and information at r/webdev. That being said, building a Forum is somewhat complex, if you're planning to do so from scratch without any prior knowledge this could be a challenging... Source: about 4 years ago

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Alternatives to phpBB and MyBB

When comparing phpBB and MyBB, you can also consider the following products.

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