Okay so every where I look its even, 1 website says VB another says IP board I even tried using http://www.forum-software.org/ten-questions-guide-to-choose-the-best-forum-software and it came up with 2 matches (see screen shot) i would like a forum software where i can charge for subscription and easily found on Google, plus I would like it to be so easy to use that a 6 year old would have no problem finding something on there. Money is not an issue as well I can afford both. thanks for your help
Out of the box, I do not think that IPB can do that... you need a shop addon or some such... but if you are planing on having a shop, that is CERTAINLY the way to go! And if money is no issue, then the official addons for IPB are FAR better then that offered by vB. Not to mention, that even with several of the paid addons for IPB you'll run far less resources then you would with just the stock vB (VB 4 is a resource hog). Xenforo is up & coming, and may not be on that forum list yet. They are someone you may wish to look into, as they are pretty good from what I've seen/heard.
IPB is the best forum software ever. vBulletin is known to get hacked easily. Also, IPB has everything you need. Just check out: Neowin.net
I don't know which one suit for you because I am currently using free forum scripts for my forums. But I should say all favorite forums that I have registered are made by vBulletin. when I search for something in Google, most of the forums ranked in first result page are made by vBulletin. Hmmm.. well.. if you want to make a popular forum, I prefer vBulletin.
vB4 has really taken a turn for the worse, making IPB a bit better on the who's who list. So while vBulletin is certainly the popular choice, it's no longer the best one, at least IMHO.
I've had forums on SMF, vBulletin and IPB. vBulletin used to be my favorite, but the past few years I have not used anything but IPB.
If you are willing to pay VB it my favourite. It has robust features, its quick, and userfriendly. It’s the application that others try to copy from IMO.
That has always been the case up till now... now they are using adding things that other boards have had for years, especially IPS.
Its buggier and slower since Internet brands took over. Out of the box on a bigger forum it needs tweaking to run fast(er). Customer service now is no longer top notch. Most of the original staff left due to IB's business practices. I've had to change things in my skins several times because they have changed the names of things back and forth between upgrades even... so they can not even make up their minds as to what they want to call things.
I myself like vb more. That is mainly because I find the ACP more user-friendly However, one thing I like about IPB is in the ACP, addons/modifications are arranged better. That is my main thing with a forum software ACP, I desire a way to separate modification from the default settings. It makes it easier for me to know what is a part of the software and what I have added via-third party. While I have not seen this myself, some people say that IPB is a resource hog more than most forum software... so if there is any proof to that, that might be something to take into consideration
I think its mostly personal preference, obviously there are some differences between forum software and different approaches by the developers. However they both achieve the same thing (an online forum) and have broadly the same features. Try both out (use the free trials provided) and see which one you prefer. For me, I've always used IPB so its what I find easiest to use and modify for my needs.
Most top traffic forums are VB but IP board's interface and functionality is very good. From what I know VB is very expensive but worth it.
i always prefer VB for my forum, it cost me but i can rank better than other forums with other forum scripts my second option is IP board.
There are quite a bit of high traffic forums ran by free software too How does a premium software make your forum rank higher? That doesn't make any sense whatsoever :-|
I personally like IPB but there is no doubt that vbulleting is more used.. I like the way ipb looks and feels..
Personally, I like IP. Board more. The claim of Internet Brands to Xenforo makes no sense. So, if possible, I'll try to dismiss them.