MyBB

Free and open source forum software for online communities.

About MyBB

MyBB is free, open-source forum software for hosting your own online community. It includes an advanced plugin system, a built-in template and theme editor, moderation and administration controls, private messaging between members and discussion features designed to keep users engaged. Carefully optimized for performance, MyBB powers thousands of communities and can be extended and restyled without losing control of your data.

MyBB website preview

Live preview of mybb.com via the WordPress mShots service — it can take a few seconds to generate on a first visit.

MyBB: strengths & things to check

Strengths

Completely free to use — this directory lists no paid plan for it.
Covers forums, community, open source, self hosted — see the focus areas listed in its key facts.
Has 6 close alternatives in the same category on this page, so switching or comparing is easy.

Things to check

Free tools can change their model or shut down — avoid locking critical work into it without an export path.
Current plan prices are not listed here (they change too often to print reliably) — confirm the exact price on the official site.
It is one of 565 tools in the Communication & Collaboration category here — compare it against the alternatives below before you commit.

Derived from this listing's own data (pricing model, focus areas and category) — not a hands-on review score.

MyBB pricing

Pricing model	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.
Free access	Yes — fully free
Current plan prices	Listed on the official site — prices change, so this directory links out instead of printing a number that may already be stale.
Official site	mybb.com

MyBB key facts

Category: Communication & Collaboration
Pricing: Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.
Focus areas: forums, community, open source, self hosted
Official site: mybb.com

MyBB FAQ

How much does MyBB cost?

Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it. Current plans and prices are listed on the official site (mybb.com).

What is MyBB used for?

Free and open source forum software for online communities. Its focus areas in the Communication & Collaboration category: forums, community, open source, self hosted.

Where can I try MyBB?

On its official site, mybb.com — the Visit Official Site button above goes straight there.

MyBB vs alternatives

	MyBB	Discourse	Elgg	Flarum
Pricing	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.	Freemium — a free tier lets you start, and paid plans are available if you need more.	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.
Focus areas	forums, community, open source, self hosted	forums, community, open source, support	social network, community, self hosted, open source	forums, community, open source
Official site	mybb.com	discourse.org	elgg.org	flarum.org
Directory status	Listed	Listed	Listed	Listed

Side-by-side from each listing's own directory data. Full alternative cards are below.

About the Communication & Collaboration category

Chat, video meetings, and messaging apps that keep teams connected. The Communication & Collaboration category on Tools Hub currently lists 565 tools. Alongside MyBB, it includes Snikket, SquirrelMail, Deskpro, Faveo Helpdesk.

FreeCommunication & Collaborationforumscommunityopen-sourceself-hosted

Alternatives to MyBB

Tools in the same Communication & Collaboration category that share focus areas with MyBB — worth comparing before you commit:

Communication & Collaboration

Discourse

Open-source platform for community discussions.

Freemiumforumscommunityopen-sourcesupport

Communication & Collaboration

Elgg

Open source social networking engine and framework

Freesocial-networkcommunityself-hostedopen-source

Communication & Collaboration

Flarum

Delightfully simple forum platform focused on speed and extensibility

Freeforumscommunityopen-source

Communication & Collaboration

Misago

Complete, featured and modern forum solution

Freeforumopen-sourceself-hostedcommunity

Communication & Collaboration

OSSN

Open source social network software you can self-host

Freesocial-networkcommunityself-hostedopen-source

Communication & Collaboration

Simple Machines Forum

Free, professional-grade software for running your own online community

Freeforumcommunityphpopen-source

More in Communication & Collaboration

Comparing tools in the Communication & Collaboration category? These related listings are worth a look: Snikket — Simple, secure and private messaging; SquirrelMail — Webmail for Nuts; Deskpro — Help desk ticketing for CS, IT, HR and operations teams.