Hi, This is the first time I want to make a forum. This forum will need to have these features below. I will list it based on the most important feature : 1. SEO friendly 2. Most complete management 3. Easiest to manage 4. Great themes design 5. The cheapest license on single or multiple domain. For the 2nd feature ( most complete management ), I will give the most important management feature that I need : 1. I can install the forum with " trading money ". I mean this forum will give my user to sell any digital products using my own forum currency. My user will need to buy my currency before they can sell the digital products. I need this feature the most. 2. I can have like this forum " itrader " things, which can have review for every user. 3. Can have special free member and premium member feature. About the free and premium member feature, I plan to make the free member to see the forum with ads. The ads may like CPA, adsense, or anything. But, the premium member will have a clean forum without any ads. This feature is also very important to me. 4. I can make my own award icon for any user or any usergroup that contribute special effort for my forum. At least the icon can be made by myself and I can upload it to the script and join it with this script. 5. I can see and control all the permission for all the user, usergroup, moderator in 1 checklist page. I can also just pick the checklist to give any permission to any user. I found this feature in SMF. It`s very easy to control from this control panel. 6. This script allow to place the advertisement for any links like Google Adsense or Clickbank ads, etc at the right top like this forum and also put any banner right side of my forum on every thread. I want an easy control panel to do this so in a few click of mouse I can place the ads since I`m not an IT background. 7. I can add my own smiley icon that I created or got from anywhere else to this forum script. 8. If needed, I can embed video from any site like Youtube, Metacafe, etc. Actually I plan to build this forum with VB, but my webmaster told me about IPB. I visit 1 forum that use IPB, and I really like the design. But, what I need is not only design. I also need feature and management panel that I can understand by myself cause I think of running this forum by myself. So, I really appreciate for any suggestion & help from all DP members to decide what forum script is the best for my need like above. Really TQ for all the suggestions. Waiting for the reply
VB is way more powerful and has great support. The only downside is that it is very server intensive, especially if you are running a big forum. VB has VBSEO plugin which makes it completely SEO. I would go with vb if you have the money to invest.
Vb is a bit more powerful when it comes to security and Mods availability, But Surely IPB have some unique features as well, and i Specially like those theme sites offering great looking themes for IPB.
vBulletin is the best option for you, as it has the largest modification and style resource, meaning it's easiest to customize to maximize its feature set.
vBulletin has had great support. However, it is up in limbo right now and they're really hanging current customers out to dry. They're going to be releasing version 4 soon and they're thinking about changing the license structure -- which would really hose some folks that have paid up in advance as it appears to be moving towards an upgrade fee for each major version instead of the yearly renewal fee. Do your research before buying.
If you can wait a couple months, vb 4.0 may have the beta release out and pricing may be available then
Invision Power Board 3.0.0 and its Applications were released few days ago. http://forums.invisionpower.com/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1174&showentry=3433 They are also offering some discount. Special IP.Board 3 launch offer: License reduced to $129.99, and now includes free conversion service; limited time only. http://forums.invisionpower.com/topic/285853-license-and-conversion-sale/page__pid__1813889
Asking which is better - VB or IPB is like asking if Ford is better the Chevrolet or GM. It depends on what you are looking for and what your needs are. Both forums have their good points, and either one should get the job done.
I'd recommend vBulletin. I've used IPB and had a good experience but vBulletin is what pretty much most large forums use. Mainly because it's very stable.