Does anyone else agree with me that vBulletin the most-used and most popular forum software or is IPB, phpbb, or SMF the most popular forum software? Let's discuss what forum software is the most popular if vBulletin isn't.
I think too that VBulletin is the most popular forum script and that's because it has a lot of advantages and a good seo
There was a similar thread before http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=440. Vb still tops the list. IPB and phbb are good too. These days smf and other free forum software are gaining popularity.
I believe vBulletin is one of the most widely used forum platforms out there, however, I believe vB and phpBB are kind of in the same stage, but vB for paid platform and phpBB is definitely the most widely used free platform available. - Meti
big-board stats only reflect it's own member base..it's not accurate to use as a statistic for which is the most "popular" software for forums. One thing that bothers me..if VB is #1..then it just means that a lot of people are giving VB money.
I think phpBB would be the most widely used forum platform, considering all those phpBB free forum providers available, makes phpBB a clear winner. - Meti
If you just count sheer numbers of installations, then phpBB probably still has the biggest number of installations. However, as http://www.big-boards.com/ shows, among gigantic boards, vB is the most popular one. But even among relatively new or smaller boards, I get the impression that vB is gaining popularity partly because vB is improving steadily while phpBB still hasn’t released 3.x gold.
Also realize the #1 forum is gaiaonline with 1.2 BILLION posts...that's 14x greater than the largest VB forum offtopic.com. If you add up the top 50 Vbulletin sites...they don't even add up to the top phpbb site. Keep that in mind too. And I agree that if the jerks at phpbb would improve their software faster they might be held higher in the minds of more professional webmasters. phpbb has been relegated to the junk pile for most. Timeline: phpbb 1.0 Dec 2000 phpbb 2.0 Feb 2001 phpbb 3.0 Coding began in late 2002 phpbb 3.0 beta released june 2006 phpbb 3 STILL IN BETA AFTER 5 YEARS... and guess what...still no quick reply and they don't ever intend to add it...what morons.
That's because gaia online was innovated. It's the first of its kind. If a vBulletin forum did it, launched a massive campaign, then it'll beat gaia.
Its not the forum software that makes a forum big - its how well it is administrated, and how much work on SEO has gone into it. You can forum software built for SEO, but to get the best results, you have to put a lot of work into the forums. BP
In most cases I agree... If you find a forum with hardly any members/posts look to the admin and what they have done to promote it. In most cases you'll find that they have done squat. Compare that to larger forums and you'll find that much promotion and work went into the overall boards.
That's because you're missing the point. GAIA is a unique forum with a twist. Look at all the features it has. If a vBulletin forum came up with the same features the GAIA has, then it would be large; especially with an ad campaign.