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Best Forum Software
I'm looking to introduce a forum (PremiumVM related). What would be, in your opinion, the best forum software? I usually use MyBB but want to explore other options too.
Preferably free, as there is no point in paying for something if an equivelent can be found that's free
Thanks 
Comments
Forums are pointless if you have a small customer base, it will be dead.
It's mainly going to be used for announcements from staff actually. I'd prefer that to the current WHMCS announcements thing. It would be used for announcements (outages, updates, promos) and there will be a customer section so that people can ask pre-sales stuff.
phpBB 3 and Vanilla are both good in my opinion. I love vanilla 'cause it's so so simple. SMF also is good but I haven't used it after I almost lost 50 000 messages due mySQL problem. But that was long ago and it's been fixed.
vBulletin 4.
But if free it must be, then Vanilla. Or MyBB with a nice theme (very hard to find).
MyBB is what I'd suggest.
Ask @Jack how his worked out.
I remember some previous OSS forum software poll. SMF was the most popular.
Why not just use wordpress or a blog software? You could just link to a tumblr or twitter if you want it to be online even when your main site isnt.
I've installed a dozen forums and even wrote my own forum software to fit our needs (private staff forum). After all of that, I re-installed MyBB last night and I'm turning it into an intranet (wiki plugin, integrated monitoring, file collaboration, and replacing the built-in calendar with our shared Google Calendars).
I've used MyBB before and love it, it looks like that might be the best option then at the moment.
That isn't possible. I have @concerto49 and CloudShards behind me 24/7
Will also take a look at Vanilla.
I think Vanilla will be better for my needs, so I think I'll use that.
Vanilla, XenForo, MyBB
Vanilla is now installed
fluxbb, as seen at bbs.archlinux.org
+MyBB or Vanilla
Cant believe nobody has suggested Phorum
Wordpress + BBpress not bad at all.
Suggested what?
http://www.phorum.org/
If for announcement only, what about Wordpress + Mingle plugin?
MyBB is far and away the best free forum software right now unless you want something extremely simple (like LET). Then it's Vanilla.
The truth is no free forum software is truly equivalent to paid solutions like XenForo or IPB or vBulletin, though. Most people don't really need those (at all) and will do just fine with free software, but they're still on a different level simply because (well, excluding XF because of an ongoing lawsuit) they're just developed much more actively.
Says who ?
Have you ever used Vbulletin , it may look easy to user but its one of the most bloated software , their VB4 was a fail and hence they hurriedly went into VB5 series and still they are in BETA 27 (ever heard beta 27 for a software) . I have no personal grudges against VB but just verify the facts using Google Uncle, IMO, SMF and MyBB are one of the best free alternative, infact I am SMF coder from long time, I am also planning to launch my own Forum software once I get time to make an easy installer for my current setup
xenforo
this time many big forum change to xenforo one is digital point
If you need for announcement,better start a blog on WordPress
Uh, what? vB 4 wasn't a fail. It's good.
That's a somewhat old comparison: http://vitzo.com/en/article/forum-software-comparison-phpbb-vs-vbulletin-vs-smf-vs-bbpress-vs-ipb
But I think the best depends on the case. And generally it should have better support/communities, plugins/addons development, has the features I need (from settings to how the forum is displayed). And more of both free/non-free themes for it is a plus.
Paid: XenForo
Free: MyBB or Vanilla
Free: Mybb
Paid: Not sure...... Really like XenForo, but is has not been updated in months, since the lead dev is being sued.... The whole project could go under because of VB suing them.