XenForo vs IPB vs vBulletin

[wms]

I'm leaning more Vbulletin as there seems to be better themes out there for it and more mods readily available.

Because vB has more custom themes and you can easily change on their templates.

Personally whenever I visit a forum using xenforo I just don't really like the look of them.

Most forum owners didn't change the default style when using Xenforo for their forums.Some bought themes from theme sites hence xenforo theme can repeat hundred on different forums.

vBulletin is going to cost more initially and over time due to their pricing and renewal structure. XF is cheaper initially and over time. With XF, it's $140 when you first get a license, then $40 more whenever you decide to renew it. The $140 is for the script (indefinitely - use as long as you want) which includes 1 year of ticket support and that also includes 1 year of updates to XF.

If we use Xenforo for 3 years mean we will need to pay an additional cost $120 for updates and the script, so the total is $260, it can be the same price when buying vBulletin at pricing US $249 for a license for all the time.

 

[ulterios]

ulterios

Yes but with XenForo you do not have to keep paying the $40 per year unless you want support and the updates/upgrades but when you do want updates/upgrades and support then XF is $40 where as the price for vBulletin upgrades $209.

If you want to just pay for a forum software once and never upgrade/update then XF is $140 and vB is $249.

 

[Zack]

I was a partner with another person who owned a forum a couple of years ago and our forum ran on vbulletin which was nice because I have been a member on a lot of forums that used vbulletin so I was familiar with a lot of it.

We had thought about switching to xenforo at one time because there were some features that we liked in xenforo. We tried the demo on xenforo and it was real nice but was a little different than the vbulletin that we were used to but it would have been easy to pick up.

These are the two that I would recommend using. IPB I don't know much about but I think that we looked at that one when we were going to change forum software and there was some reason we didn't like it. I can't remember what the reason was though.

I think that you also need to look at the license and all other costs before deciding which to use.

 

[Gh0st4unt3r]

I have previously used Vbulletin and was a very big fan of it until it was taken over, I have not used Xenforo but i hear it is very popular and great to work with as they have the old Vbulletin developers.

Myself i have chosen to work with IPB because it has the feature set i need to run my site how i want it.

They are all great forum systems and i might be thinking of trying out Xenforo in the future for another project maybe.

 

[hoangvu]

hoangvu

I tried Xenforo and vBulletin and they are good forum platforms. I have not used IPB but I could try their demo on their site.

I am wondering which features of IBB you like and need to run for your forum, if I can know I can suggest you same ones on vBulletin or Xenforo. I knew pretty much addons of vBulletin and Xenforo. I don't think they will miss some addons that IPB is having.

 

[Gh0st4unt3r]

I love the commerce system on IPB which integrates with the download system which enables me to have a good community marketplace, i also run a service side of things so using a classified system which again links into there commerce system so that our members can earn on our site aswell as our internal products and services.

We use a a points economy system but its a multi point system not just a singular point where the main points are currency converted.

we use a rules based system which rewards and automates certain tasks on the site

With the pages side of things we can create a custom pages to do exactly what we want and capture or work with any data we want which can all be permission based.

With the pages we are currently in the process in making a staff CRM out of it not yet finalized but its a work in progress.

this is a few things i am working with at the moment.

 

[hoangvu]

I love the commerce system on IPB which integrates with the download system which enables me to have a good community marketplace, i also run a service side of things so using a classified system which again links into there commerce system so that our members can earn on our site aswell as our internal products and services.

We use a a points economy system but its a multi point system not just a singular point where the main points are currency converted.

we use a rules based system which rewards and automates certain tasks on the site

If you try to search around on Google, you can find eCommerce plugins for both Xenforo and vBulletin, they are the same as IPB if I am not wrong what you wanted to have on your IPB forum.

With the pages side of things we can create a custom pages to do exactly what we want and capture or work with any data we want which can all be permission based.

With the pages we are currently in the process in making a staff CRM out of it not yet finalized but its a work in progress.

this is a few things i am working with at the moment.

I don't know how to create page in IPB but it is very easy to have pages in Xenforo, a bit difficult to have pages in vBulletin 3 or 4 (need custom code/mods), but easily create pages in vB 5.

A thing you should note when using IPB, for a large forum, it can be pretty weight to load pages, I heard complaints about this issue.

 

[kingcool52]

I remember when vBulletin used to be the most popular forum software on the internet. Unfortunately it has disappeared with both XenForo and IPB rising up in popularity very quickly. Personally, I prefer XenForo and the main reason for that is the price. IPB can cost over $350 if you want several different modules added to the main IPB software. For some reason, they also require you to buy the Forum module seperately even though anyone that uses IPB use it as a forum. Plus I feel like XenForo feels a lot quickly and less bulky compared to IPB.

 

[jyy]

I've seen some major display errors on VB. Nonetheless, though, it might just be due to lack of updates. However, besides that stuff, I cannot really make a strong opinion on VB. Anyway, my affection for XenForo is mostly driven by the fact I have the most experience with it. In other words, it's what I'm used to.

Oh, by the way, regarding the third one, IPB, I have nearly zero experience with it so I cannot comment, but based on what others have said it seems to be a solid product competing with XenForo and VB on an equal playing field.

Personally, I prefer XenForo and the main reason for that are the prices. IPB can cost over $350 if you want several different modules added to the main IPB software. For some reason, they also require you to buy the Forum module seperately even though anyone that uses IPB use it as a forum. Plus I feel like XenForo feels a lot quickly and less bulky compared to IPB.

The price on Xenforo is fair, even with the updates. I mean, the updates aren't always 40 USD, they go down for repeating customers, and the price for an entire extra forum goes down also, from 140 USD to only 110.

VB is the worst option these days as VB 4 and 5 were total busts. The hardcore VB fans hate it. The modders and addon devs have pretty much left the building too. Their customer support is also really bad. I was a ten year customer and couldn't get good service even if I paid for it. Was happy to sell my licenses.

I don't let my clients use VB since they're on the decline and it's just a hassle dealing with it now.

I've used Xenforo. It's fast, lots of addons available with new devs coming in, and the customer service is really good - that's a huge plus.

I can't speak for IPB as I haven't used it yet.

I will backtrack on my original statement a bit. Note, the quoting function on VB isn't as good as XenForo's and that's reason enough to not want VB. However, though, there might be some mod that fixes it.

 

[Hugo E.]

I've seen some major display errors on VB. Nonetheless, though, it might just be due to lack of updates. However, besides that stuff, I cannot really make a strong opinion on VB. Anyway, my affection for XenForo is mostly driven by the fact I have the most experience with it. In other words, it's what I'm used to.

Exactly because vBulletin didn't have more support from developers today and they left vB because of vB's politics.

The price on Xenforo is fair, even with the updates. I mean, the updates aren't always 40 USD, they go down for repeating customers, and the price for an entire extra forum goes down also, from 140 USD to only 110.

If you used Xenforo for 3 years and renew update for your XF forum then the total of price for liecnse and update equal a vBulletin license life time hence you should consider about this.

I will backtrack on my original statement a bit. Note, the quoting function on VB isn't as good as XenForo's and that's reason enough to not want VB. However, though, there might be some mod that fixes it.

Are you talking about "select to quote" function in Xenforo? If that, then vBulletin also has its function but it will need an addon for that and of course is it only works on any vB version, not at all.

 

[Carlos Kerika]

I have interacted with Xenforo from a site I am subscribed in and I can say that it really has a beautiful look, User friendly and displays your details on the homepage

When it comes to a paid forum script, many will choose vBulletin because of the vast community of users ready to help support you and we all know user support is crucial in any software. It’s easy to find how-to articles, guides and videos about the features of vBulletin.

XenForo and IPB dont have the same large community to support the software, but they both provide their own support.

The users of IPB swear it’s the best and for good reason. Advanced users will find it easier to work with and easier to customize than either vBulletin or XenForo.

XenForo has become a bit lost within the three because it hasnt been developed at the same level as IPB or vBulletin.
Just looking at the features, vBulletin fits better for the beginner, while XenForo tries to target all users and IPB is the best choice for the advanced user.

As I always say, it all comes down to your preferences when choosing which software to use. Good luck in starting your own forum.

 

[Shutout]

I started off using invisionfree about 15 years ago, and we stuck with that free forum software for awhile. Then eventually once i got old enough to have money of my own, we switched the website to IPB because it had the same look and style (invisionfree was essentially a knock-off I believe). Recently, I built a website for a client and they wanted a forum... and they wanted Xenforo. I have now switched my own forums to Xenforo.

I like the way Xenforo looks a bit more than IPB, but I feel like IPB was much more easier to deal with in regards to Permissions and access to certain forums and whatnot. Xenforo is somewhat confusing at times.

 

[rozzski89]

rozzski89

Yes I faced same problem when starting a new Xenforo forum, I feel difficult with their admin pages but after time I was familiar with ways they are offering to users. vBulletin and IPB is more easier to control your forums but for addons, Xenforo has better addons, especially addons Xenforo 2, they are very smart that on other forum platforms did not.

 

[AdminKings]

Right now IPB and XenForo are the two hottest forum software’s around, if I had to pick one it would be IPB simply because I like the direction they are going and in terms of features, addons and design, IPB in my opinion is head and shoulders above the rest in terms of design, even XF.

I do like XenForo 2.0, it’s a big improvement and I would say if you are strapped for cash get XenForo but if you dont mind paying a bit more go for IPB, you’ll not regret it IMO.

Now of course this is really subjective but I have used vBulletin and even BurningBoards (Woltlab) and I say they are behind IPB and XenForo.

 

[Dopani]

Dopani

You are right on this point, for IPB, users don't need to pay for themes or addons like Xenforo. You only need to change a bit on it and you already have a good forum to offer to visitors. For Xenforo, there are more things need to be improved to make it different from others.