phpBB

The most widely used open-source bulletin board system in the world

About phpBB

phpBB is a free, open-source forum package written in PHP. It powers discussion boards of every size with hierarchical forums and subforums, topic management, user groups, private messaging, attachments, full-text search and a large library of extensions and styles for customization. Released under the GPL and running on most web hosts and database servers, phpBB has been the default choice for online communities for over two decades, suiting hobby groups, support forums and entire websites alike.

phpBB website preview

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

phpBB: strengths & things to check

Strengths

Completely free to use — this directory lists no paid plan for it.
Covers forum, bulletin board, community, php — 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.

phpBB 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	phpbb.com

phpBB 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: forum, bulletin board, community, php
Official site: phpbb.com

phpBB FAQ

How much does phpBB 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 (phpbb.com).

What is phpBB used for?

The most widely used open-source bulletin board system in the world Its focus areas in the Communication & Collaboration category: forum, bulletin board, community, php.

Where can I try phpBB?

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

phpBB vs alternatives

	phpBB	Simple Machines Forum	Indie Hackers	Invision Community
Pricing	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.	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.	Paid — this directory does not list a free tier for it.
Focus areas	forum, bulletin board, community, php	forum, community, php, open source, self hosted	community, founders, startups, forum	community, forum, commerce, suite
Official site	phpbb.com	simplemachines.org	indiehackers.com	invisioncommunity.com
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 phpBB, it includes Pleroma, Scoold, Talkyard, Janus.

FreeCommunication & Collaborationforumbulletin-boardcommunityphp

Alternatives to phpBB

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

Communication & Collaboration

Simple Machines Forum

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

Freeforumcommunityphpopen-source

Communication & Collaboration

Indie Hackers

Community for independent founders and makers

Freecommunityfoundersstartupsforum

Communication & Collaboration

Invision Community

Community platform with forums, commerce, and clubs

Paidcommunityforumcommercesuite

Communication & Collaboration

Misago

Complete, featured and modern forum solution

Freeforumopen-sourceself-hostedcommunity

Communication & Collaboration

Talkyard

Open-source community platform for Q&A, discussions and ideas

Freemiumcommunityq-and-aforumdiscussions

Communication & Collaboration

WoltLab Suite

German community software with forum, blog, and gallery

Paidcommunityforumgermansuite

More in Communication & Collaboration

Comparing tools in the Communication & Collaboration category? These related listings are worth a look: Pleroma — Free, federated social networking server built on open protocols; Scoold — An open-source Q&A platform inspired by Stack Overflow; Talkyard — Open-source community platform for Q&A, discussions and ideas.