Well, what are the best free forums out there? The only two free ones I know of are PHPBB and SMF. I think I have to know the facts first before I set up a forum. I want to know the pros and the cons, and if there are other forums better than these.

I have tried phpBB and SMF and I like phpBB much more, especially now that phpBB3(RC5) is out! I like the control panel more and there are way more modifications for phpBB. I could hardly find anything for SMF.

I've heard of other ones called punBB and yabBB, haven't tried them though.

EDIT: I just remembered this other one, it's called Vanilla. It is simpler than the other major ones. I thought it was too slow though, used a lot of javascript.

Ive actually stumbled upon these really nice and relatively new forums... its really nice. I would put it up there with IPB in another version or so.
Its called AEF, or An Electron. The only downside about it now is that its lacking ease of customization.


http://www.anelectron.com/

I would say phpBB or Vanilla for it's simplicity.

http://getvanilla.com/

I prefer phpBB but if you're a newbie to Forums then I would highly suggest going for SMF. Sure, it doesn't have the best MODs or Styles then phpBB but the one thing it has, that phpBB lacks, is user-friendly. You can download a MOD as a .ZIP file and then MOD your Forum just by browsing through your system for the file and it upzips it and does all the work for you.

That, would be a damn useful tool in phpBB lol.

EDIT: Just checked out that AEF Board thing, and it looks sort of like phpBB though that's only by looking at it. I'd have to use it to see the control panel, etc.

http://invisionfree.com

Similar to IPB, but it's free. And it's already hosted for you.

I forgot about that feature, that would be nice in phpBB!!!

I think that have something for phpBB similar to that called EasyMod, anyone ever tried that?

Doesn't that actually use Invision Power Board, it's just free hosting for it?

Wow, how can IP board not be free? Oh btw we're using IP board right now, I gotta tell you, it's a lot better than PHPBB and Snitz combined.

Just stay the hell away from YaBB, damn I hate that thing.

asking free forums.... depends :/ hosted from you or hosted from them ?

if its hosted from them :

proboards
conforums

if its hosted by you :

phpbb (2) and now (3)
ip boards

________

but again as i said many TIMEs, phpBB rocks ! its really easy to modify, i personaly use it as my website. have a php fuction included in it so it runs my site INSIDE the forums makes it a lot safer .. and i also get the CACHE system wich makes my pages not to load 10 hours (if lots of content)

PHPBB For Ever !

vBulletin is really good. used that for a while 2years ago.
it has a nice tracking thing too

i dunno if its free or not though.

my senses fail fan forums (below) is from PHPBB3... i love phpbb3 its really the best and now beautiful...

Also, my new company KittyFire Networks is making free forum and blog hosting, so we will be having free PHPBB3/phpBB2 hosting soon.

IPB pwns all. Though it's costly, and vBulletin looks nicer lol. And, InvisionFree is just like IPB v1.x and free. I don't know what version it is exactly, just that it's free to use (as in, Invision allow you to download the IPB version of it and use it) but Invision don't support it.

mybb

vbulletain

What does zymic use? or have they made their own?

IPBoard. It's way down at the bottom.