Freedom251 › Customer Community Software

Flarum

Name: Flarum
Author: Flarum

Free plan APIExtensionSelf-hostedWeb

What Flarum is

Flarum is free, open-source forum software for websites and online communities, licensed under MIT. It gives administrators group permissions, category access controls, moderation, and flagging tools. Forums can be customized with settings, themes, CSS, and extensions, and administrators can switch off features they do not need. Members can write using lightweight Markdown or WYSIWYG editors. Notifications include in-browser alerts and email digests; extensions can provide real-time notifications. Flarum also exposes a REST API for external scripts, following JSON:API best practices, and an extension manager helps administrators discover and install add-ons. Most available extensions are open source and free. Flarum directs people with questions to its community forum. Self-hosting requires Apache or Nginx, PHP 8.3 or later, a supported database, and SSH access for some maintenance tasks. The documentation describes version 2.0 as being in release-candidate phase rather than a final stable release. Flarum says it suits communities from small hobby groups to large enterprise forums.

Who it suits

Flarum suits people building discussion communities, from small hobby groups to large enterprise forums. It is a fit for teams comfortable meeting its listed self-hosting requirements and managing extensions carefully.

What it does well

Free and open source under the MIT License.
Includes group permissions, moderation, and flagging.
Admins can customize with themes, CSS, and extensions.
Offers Markdown and WYSIWYG editors.

What to know first

Self-hosting requires PHP 8.3 or later and a supported database.
SSH access is needed for some maintenance tasks.
Version 2.0 is described as a release candidate.
No official importers are listed.

Getting started

Visit https://flarum.org/ to get started.
Choose web or self-hosted use.
For self-hosting, provide Apache or Nginx, PHP 8.3 or later, and a supported database.
Arrange SSH access for maintenance tasks.
Use the extension manager to find and install extensions only when all forum administrators are trusted.
Visit Flarum's community forum for questions and support.

Verdict

Flarum provides community and moderation tools with extensive customization options at no software price. Self-hosting requirements, extension permissions, and the release-candidate status of version 2.0 are important considerations.

Questions

Is Flarum free?

Yes. Flarum is free and open source, and its pricing model is free.

What platforms does Flarum support?

Its listed platforms are API, extension, self-hosted, and web.

Is Flarum open source?

Yes. Flarum is licensed under the MIT License.

What does self-hosting require?

The listed server requirements are Apache or Nginx, PHP 8.3 or later, and a supported database. SSH access is needed for some maintenance tasks.

Can I import a forum into Flarum?

Flarum says it has no official importers. It lists unofficial community importers without guaranteeing they work or supporting them.

Where can I get support?

Flarum directs users to its community forum for questions and support.

Facts from Flarum's own pages

Community tools: The homepage lists groups and permissions, moderation and flagging, themes and custom CSS, and in-browser notifications among its features. · flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Current release status: On the documentation page opened, Flarum 2.0 is described as being in release-candidate phase rather than a final stable release. · docs.flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Customization: Flarum's extension-based design lets administrators disable unneeded features and add extensions. · docs.flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Editor: Flarum supports lightweight Markdown editors and WYSIWYG editors. · flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Extension ecosystem: The extension manager can discover and install extensions, and most available extensions are open source and free. · docs.flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Founded: 2014 · flarum.org, 28 Sept 2026
Free plan: Yes · flarum.org, 21 Sept 2026
Governance: The Flarum Foundation is a Dutch non-profit that owns and governs the project; its page says it was established in August 2019. · flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Groups and moderation: Flarum includes group permissions, category access controls, moderation, and flagging. · flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Hosting requirements: Self-hosting requires Apache or Nginx, PHP 8.3 or later, a supported database, and SSH access for some maintenance tasks. · docs.flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Integrations: Flarum exposes a REST API that external scripts can use, and the API follows JSON:API best practices. · docs.flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Intended users: Flarum describes itself as suitable for communities ranging from small hobby groups to large enterprise forums. · flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
License: Flarum is released under the MIT License. · flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Migration: The installation guide says there are no official importers and lists several unofficial community importers without guaranteeing they work or offering support for them. · docs.flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Moderation tools: Yes · flarum.org, 21 Sept 2026
Notifications: Flarum offers in-browser notifications, email digests, and real-time notifications through extensions. · flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Private spaces: Yes · flarum.org, 21 Sept 2026
Product: Flarum is free, open-source forum software for running a discussion community on a website. · flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Purpose: Flarum is a free, open-source discussion platform for websites and online communities. · docs.flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Requirements: The installation guide lists Apache or Nginx, PHP 8.3 or later, a supported database, and SSH access for maintenance commands as server requirements. · docs.flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Security: Flarum says it is built on Laravel with security best practices and recommends keeping the core updated. · flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Security limitation: The extension manager can install any Composer package, so Flarum advises enabling it only when all forum admins are trusted. · docs.flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Security limits: The documentation warns that the Extension Manager can install any Composer package and should only be enabled when forum administrators are trusted with that permission. · docs.flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026
Support: Flarum directs users with questions to its community forum, where users can get help with their instances. · docs.flarum.org, 7 Oct 2026