Side by side
NodeBB 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.
Free plan APILinuxMac+3
NodeBB covers community discussions, moderation, integrations, and extensions, with a free self-hosted option and paid hosting from $20/mo. Consider its bundled search limits and the potential data collection of third-party plugins and themes.
Visit NodeBB Free plan Self-hostedWeb
phpBB 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
| NodeBB | phpBB | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Starter: $20 a month | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 6 | 1 |
| Maker | NodeBB | Not published |
| Website | nodebb.org | phpbb.com |
| On community building platforms | #5 of 27 | #9 of 27 |
NodeBB: what it does well
- Members can post using a visual editor or Markdown.
- Includes real-time chat and activity notifications.
- Administrators can create unlimited admin and moderator accounts.
- More than 500 plugins and themes are available.
- Self-hosted software is free under GPLv3.
What to know first
- Basic full-text search uses the bundled database engine.
- Solr and Elasticsearch require third-party plugins.
- Third-party plugins and themes may collect data outside its DPA.
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