phpbb3 Vs Vbulletin

Go with Vbull

 

I think is all about what sute YOU best. I'm will not pay 165.00 for software that gets update as much a VB does. And this statment say it all for me.
There are also TONS of hacks for it, if you keep paying there high prices for the updates after a yr. phpbb3 will hold it's own.

phpbbs
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As you see 2 times the user base as VB again it's all about whats best for you.

 

I am running both (vbulletin and phpbb) at the moment and to me, vbulletin is 10 times better than phpBB. As for the upgrades.. you should also have notcied that phpBB releases a security update once thousands of boards are hacked and vbulletin releases them ahead of times.

 

I must say that I have been disappointed with the level of effort required to perform the frequent vBulletin upgrades. The process seems every bit as cumbersome as the phpBB process, and this is not what I was lead to believe.

 

I agree, vBulletin is super easy to upgrade when everything is box stock... but then again so is phpBB. At least with phpBB I wasn't confused with reverting template edits, etc. and the constant template changes associated with a vBulletin update. Why can't either of these be as easy as a Wordpress update where everything is file (not template changes) except for major version updates...

 

I am using phpBB for my forum. As a user, i don't much difference between vBulletin and phpBB. Will vBulletin make it easy for admin and moderator to manage forum ? What about spam control ? Presently in phpBB, i get lot of spam even with captcha, spam words and antibot mods. Can vBulletin prevent this ?

 

I was having phpbb till last week at http://www.seomeeting.com/ but now its VB and it just rocks
You can see how fast the pages are indexed and also the SE traffic
Amit

 

I've got a fairly fast growing phpBB forum that ranks pretty well, used to get quite a bit of spam (obviously). With some smart (don't want to give it away too much because they might get smarter) modding, I was able to reduce it to just a couple spam posts per week (probably done manually)... without captcha, email validation, secret questions or anything. It's transparent to the user, all they fill out is username, email address, and password twice. Bots are stopeed more effectively than my vBulletin installs (although I still prefer vBulletin). If you read around phpBB.com and piece a few things together it should be easy enough to figure out.

 

My personal Favourite is not PHPBB (What I used to use) or VB, I like MYBB. The main reason for this, is how easy it is too use for example modding, PHPBB modding usually means editing files, not with MyBB. MyBB modding is just a matter of uploading a file and clicking install! MyBB is very fast and easy to use. Though it still uses Java script to it's advantage. You can edit a topics title by just clicking for long then 5 seconds on the link!

If i had to chose though between PHPBB and VB, I would chose PHPBB.

 

Vbulletin is still better

 

Another feature I miss from phpBB is the "View unanswered posts" button. This is really nice on tech support forums.

I can do the same in vBulletin, but it takes a bunch of clicks. With phpBB, it was a one-click operation.

 

Do you know the definition of 'exploit'? Not to sound like I'm flaming on my first post; but nonetheless, that phrase really erks me for some reason. Exploits are vulnerabilities in the software's coding, they would exist with or without a hacker attempting to find them. That just sounds kind of redundant; plus, many 'hackers' are considered "white hat". This means that the person finds exploits, report them to the developers, and then release a white paper in order to assist other people in fixing similar exploits in their own software. Without hackers, phpBB would probably be worse off than it is at the moment.

phpBB is a rather useful application for someone who isn't able to purchase their own forum software. Although, to be honest, if you want quality with the price; either vBulletin or Invision would suffice over phpBB because of the level of service you get from either of them (compared to that of which you get from the phpBB group). Why? Because you're a customer; so it's their obligation to make sure that you're a happy camper. phpBB isn't required to make you happy; they just have to make sure they're distributing something that people will use so more people can tinker with it (thus the objective of being Open Source). The exploits are there because..well, because they're there. Developers don't have to triple or quadruple their work just so to make sure that the exploit doesn't exist in a particular array or function that they're using.

vBulletin is a pretty nice piece of forum software; overall. The best reason is that it's a 'penny for their buck'. You don't just get access to the Member's Area; but you also get loads of customization scripts, plugins, and hacks for free. People who try to use warez'ed/cracked versions of vBulletin or Invision are simply pathetic and they should go and use a free forum (ie: phpBB). Invision itself is quite handy if you're a forum amature who wishes to just run a safe forum with some functions and mods that make the forum more enjoyable for your members.

Of course, this is where personal opinion and subjectivity comes into play. While all forum software is useful, they may not all be what you need. When it comes down to the topic of "phpBB versus vBulletin", it's pretty much a subjective thread. What do you want? Free or Paid forums? That's really the break-down there. Distinguishing between the two would be proposterous because of the basic principle explained. Majority of users will not be able to purchase a forum, so they will either use a warez'ed version or a free one. Warez'ed version, of course, can be shut down if someone decides to report you to either vBulletin or IPB. phpBB does run the risk of being exploited simply because of the fact that people will look for exploits there.

Now back to the comment about the "hackers don't exist, exploits wouldn't" idea that was brought to my attention before hand. People will attack popular forum software because people use it. vBulletin and Invision are no exceptions; it's just that they will patch the software faster than that of phpBB. Once again, this goes back to the whole aspect of the service given to you by the developers and the group that are behind the software you're using. It's not phpBB's obligation to assist you with your problems. Do they? Sure, they help out when absolutely needed. But you won't find phpBB moderators doing all the work for you and thus forth. You will, however, be able to pay the people at IPB or vBulletin to do the work for you. It's just an option that they give you.

This thread, basically put, is subjective and will just go back and forth between people who supports phpBB and the other group that supports vBulletin or Invision Power Board. If you want to pay for 'better service', go with vBulletin or IPB. If you don't want to pay and have the 'top of the lot', go with phpBB. If you have the money and want to argue between the two, do a little bit of research between them. All I can say is that vBulletin does offer more than just the routine forum software.

 

I get headaches with Phpbb , installing the Mods , user satisfaction etc .. Really it is bad but usable if u can face the headaches.

 

Which of the forums is faster and uses less hardware resources the phpBB3 or vbulletin?
I remember that vbulletin was more efficient than phpbb2... Did it change with the release of phpBB3?

 

Depends on the webmaster, Phpbb3 can be made to work smoothly and in some cases better after adding mods etc. but it's so time consuming ! vB is a TIME saver, upgrading doesn't take long and you don't have to reinstall all your mods everytime you upgrade. There are also a lot more functions in vB and it gives your forum a professional feel as there are so many sites using Phpbb3.. Free forums etc.

 

Filma, can you please give an example of a function present in vB that phpBB3 doesn't have?
Thank you.

 

It's a long list...really too long to just name off. But just look at the user profile page of 3.7 for an instance.

 

can anybody give new/fresh input on this threat (phpbb3 Vs Vbulletin) started long time ago ? It seems that most of the people here preffer Vbulletin. Is it still the same, and why (some new reasons ?) ?

what about post from filma ? Is it still so?:
"vB is a TIME saver, upgrading doesn't take long and you don't have to reinstall all your mods everytime you upgrade."
I think that is very strong argument for Vbulletin if you really need to reinstall all mods everytime you upgrade.

Thanks for your new input which would help me (and hopefully others too) decide for better solution.

Daniel


P.S.: I have found some good arguments for using Vbulletin here:
http://imtips.co/phpbb-vs-vbulletin-why-vbulletin.html
but that was posted on September 11, 2009.. I guess many arguments are no more valid, or ?


and this page compare phpbb vs vbulletin:
http://www.forummatrix.org/compare/phpBB+vBulletin

 

no doubt Vb is the best

 

that is kind of subjective, vague and with ZERO usefulness/time waster answer, vouchersworld.
Would you be so kind and share your your experience with both software in more details ? Or simly explain why -in your opinion- Vb is the best ?