vBulletin vs. phpBB

[johnbro23]

I set up a phpBB board for my client. You can view the forum here:

http://www.moonhelpline.org/forums/

Is it worth it to upgrade to vBulletin. I have not contacted the client on what he thinks about the extra cost ($160 for a vBulletin license). I know there's security issues with phpBB, but is it worth it to spend the extra $160?

 

[yankeefan24]

Well, you're on vBulletin now, so, do you like this forum, and do you think having a similar style forum interface is worth it. I personally prefer it, but I am not running the site. The income of it probably makes a difference as well. As you pointed out, vB costs more.

 

[johnbro23]

I realize that MacRumors uses vBulletin, and there are like a million more features on vBulletin. I'm just wondering if there are any advantages as far as the admin area goes.

 

[Les Kern]

I have vBulletin and was trying to figure a way for you to log on to the admin console and have a look around... but it really can't be done. However, see
http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/
it should have everything you need to know.
I like vB... and it IS more secure than phpBB.

 

[FragTek]

vBulletin is the hands down winner IMO. I have 2 permanently licensed copies for a few forums that I run and I couldn't be happier with everything that can be done with it and to it.

phpBB is a great free alternative if you are just hosting a small community. If your community gets to a considerable size then vBulletin should definately be something to upgrade to. It's the most predominant forum hosting software on the internet and most people are more accustomed to how it works than any other software. phpBB does a good job at mocking vB though as they share a LOT of the same features / layout structures.

 

[yg17]

Definitely vBulletin.

 

[xelterran]

Personaly I like punbb because it has less bloat than the others.. Its also free. If I had to choose between phpbb and VB I would go with VB mainly because its more secure.

 

[Josh]

VB, is in my opinion, the best paid forum software for professional use. It is far more secure than phpBB (echo, I know), but it also has a ton more features and configurability.

For a client site, I would highly suggest VB over phpBB.

For personal use, phpBB is fine. But again, the security is horrible.

I typically use Drupal for client sites, which is more than just forums, and isn't meant to be a forum-only software. If a client wants their site to be primarily a forum, then I show them VB.

 

[SpaceMagic]

May I just add, age based forums as you have on your forum aren't always a great idea. Younger age forums may attract unwanted attention (sadly).

I'd just stick with phpBB as it's simple and vBulletin may not be needed at this stage.

 

[celebrian23]

May I just add, age based forums as you have on your forum aren't always a great idea. Younger age forums may attract unwanted attention (sadly).

I'd just stick with phpBB as it's simple and vBulletin may not be needed at this stage.

I agree with spacemagic. that's a large investment to upgrade. I don't think it's worth it for you at this point. vBulletin is best left for large groups that have outgrown phpBB