Side by side
Disciple vs phpBB
Both stand on community building platforms. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Choose Disciple if you need a community platform with web and mobile access, private spaces, event hosting and moderation tools. Branded App and Pro provide set admin, group, course and video allowances, while Organisation adds tailored support and integrations. The lack of a free plan and the $599.00 USD monthly starting price, billed yearly, may make it unsuitable for buyers seeking a free or lower-cost option.
Visit DisciplephpBB offers forum-building tools with extension and style customization at no software cost. It requires self-hosting and server administration, including attention to the installation directory after setup.
Visit phpBBThe facts
| Disciple | phpBB | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Web, iPhone, Android | Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Branded App: $599 a month | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 5 | 1 |
| Maker | Disciple | Not published |
| Website | disciple.community | phpbb.com |
| On community building platforms | #13 of 27 | #9 of 27 |
Disciple: what it does well
- Available on web, iOS and Android
- Includes event hosting and private spaces
- Custom domains and moderation tools are included
- Branded App supports unlimited members
- Pro includes unlimited groups and monetised courses
What to know first
- No free plan
- Branded App is limited to five admin seats and ten groups
- Branded App includes one monetisable course
- Organisation pricing uses a tailored proposal
phpBB: what it does well
- Free and open-source under GNU GPL v2
- Extensions and styles allow board customization
- Administration panel avoids direct code edits
- Default style supports desktop and mobile browsers
- Language packs support additional translations
What to know first
- Requires a PHP web server and SQL database
- phpBB 3.3 requires PHP 7.2 or later
- Install directory must be removed after setup
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