XenForo

Name: XenForo
Price: 100 USD

Paid APISelf-hostedWeb

What XenForo is

XenForo is a community platform centered on forums, where members create and reply to discussion threads. Communities can also use question-and-answer threads, suggestion threads, and article authoring and display. The editor supports Markdown, BB code, media embeds, link previews, drag-and-drop attachments, and custom BB code tags. Moderators can edit content in place, process items in bulk, review approval queues, and handle reports. XenForo is offered as managed cloud hosting or self-hosted software. Cloud plans include daily backups, SSL, DDoS protection, unlimited members and staff, and plan-specific page-view and storage allowances. Self-hosted costs $195, paid once, with lifetime use and one year of support and updates; hosting and management are separate. A REST API and add-on framework support integrations. Security includes two-factor authentication, account lockouts, CAPTCHA integrations, one-way password hashing, and input filtering.

Who it suits

XenForo suits organizations building discussion communities with moderation, varied thread formats, and extensibility needs. Cloud buyers get managed infrastructure, while self-hosting fits those using their own infrastructure.

What it does well

Supports forums, Q&A, suggestions, and articles
Rich editor with Markdown and BB code
Bulk moderation and approval queues
REST API and add-on framework
Cloud plans include SSL and DDoS protection

What to know first

No free plan
Self-hosted license excludes hosting and management
Cloud page-view and storage limits apply

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
XenForo Cloud Standard	$100/ month; $1,080/ year ($90 month) · 1M monthly page views · 100GB data storage · unlimited members and staff · fully managed · daily backups · DDoS protection · SSL security	$100 a month
XenForo Self-hosted	$195 license · Software license only · use your existing infrastructure · no limits · no monthly fee · one year of support and software updates included	$195, paid once
XenForo Cloud Business	$250/ month; $2,700/ year ($225 month) · 4M monthly page views · 240GB data storage · unlimited members and staff · fully managed · daily backups · DDoS protection · SSL security	$250 a month
XenForo Cloud Starter	$60/ month; $648/ year ($54 month) · 400K monthly page views · 50GB data storage · unlimited members and staff · fully managed · daily backups · DDoS protection · SSL security	$60 a month
XenForo Cloud Enterprise	Contact us for pricing · 5M+ monthly page views · unlimited data storage · unlimited members and staff · live online support · fully managed · daily backups · DDoS protection · SSL security	On request

As xenforo.com lists them, read 9 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

XenForo provides forum software with broad content, moderation, security, and extension features. Buyers can choose managed cloud plans with stated limits or a one-time self-hosted license requiring their own infrastructure.

Facts from XenForo's own pages

Cloud data ownership: XenForo says Cloud customers own their content and data and can receive a complete copy at no cost if they cancel. · xenforo.com, 9 Oct 2026
Cloud limits: Starter, Standard, and Business plans have specified storage allowances, and persistent overages in page views or storage can trigger an automatic upgrade after notification. · xenforo.com, 9 Oct 2026
Cloud security: XenForo Cloud includes SSL and DDoS protection, and the company says backups are stored on off-site EU servers for GDPR compliance purposes. · xenforo.com, 9 Oct 2026
Company: The site's footer identifies the company as XenForo Ltd. and displays a 2010–2026 copyright notice. · xenforo.com, 9 Oct 2026
Content tools: The editor supports Markdown and BB code, media embeds, link previews, drag-and-drop attachments, and custom BB code tags. · xenforo.com, 9 Oct 2026
Developer platform: XenForo includes a REST API and an add-on framework for integrating external applications and extending its functionality. · xenforo.com, 9 Oct 2026
Discussion formats: Forums support question-and-answer threads, suggestion threads, and article authoring and display. · xenforo.com, 9 Oct 2026
Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom · xenforo.com, 28 Sept 2026
Integrations: Built-in payment processor options include PayPal, credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, with add-ons available for custom processors. · xenforo.com, 9 Oct 2026
Moderation: Staff can edit content in place, moderate items in bulk, review an approval queue, and handle user reports. · xenforo.com, 9 Oct 2026
Purpose: XenForo is a community platform whose primary application is a forum system for creating and replying to discussion threads. · xenforo.com, 9 Oct 2026
Security: Security features include two-factor authentication, automatic account lockouts, CAPTCHA integrations, one-way password hashing, and input filtering. · xenforo.com, 9 Oct 2026
Self-hosted terms: The self-hosted license grants lifetime use and includes one year of access to support and software updates; hosting and management are not included. · xenforo.com, 9 Oct 2026
Support: The Cloud Starter and Standard plans list lifetime support, while Business lists lifetime priority support. · xenforo.com, 9 Oct 2026