phpBB to vBulletin? Is it really worth it?

kjmz · 11-17-2005, 10:01 PM

Hi,

I own a forum as you can see in my signature. My forum is getting bigger everyday and I don't really like the navigation, also phpBB isn't the best either. It's great for free but it's a little limited. I would basically like my forum to look like NamePros but with a whole different topic.

Since vBulletin costs $160.00 for an owned license, do you think it's worth it? I added a poll to this as well just for extra opinions.

If anyone has bought vBulletin can you tell me if you thought it was worth it or not worth and why.

Thanks!

peter phillips · 11-18-2005, 03:29 AM

If you are looking to develop a serious community go for vBulletin, if you can't afford the price tag stay with PhpBB.

vBulletin is powerful, has better security, has much cleaner code, fewer bugs, comes with many more options configurable via the admin panel. In addition, their templating system is amazing. I would suggest you to go vBulletin.com and test out the demo admin interface to see just how configurable it is.

Host47 · 11-18-2005, 05:45 AM

I couldn't afford an owned so went for leased, that way you have a year to make it work, but it's well worth it, phpbb sux and is easily hacked.

kjmz · 11-18-2005, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by ReaperUK

I couldn't afford an owned so went for leased, that way you have a year to make it work, but it's well worth it, phpbb sux and is easily hacked.

Yeah, that's what I'm scared of but also vBulletin has a lot more features.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/website-development/140870-phpbb-to-vbulletin-is-really-worth.html

I know there is some places that give you a discount on vBulletin licenses, can anyone name one? Also I could try and find someone to sell a license to me but that may take a while since I have to get a vBulletin staff member to insure it's a real copy.

AlexK · 11-19-2005, 10:35 AM

If you can afford it, buy vB!
No discussion about that

Masahiro · 11-19-2005, 11:18 AM

Actaully, there is a discussion - do you really need all the extra features? I use MyBB - it's based on vB, has about 85% of the features (and you can always request one), and best of all, it's FREE.

kjmz · 11-19-2005, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by Masahiro

Actaully, there is a discussion - do you really need all the extra features? I use MyBB - it's based on vB, has about 85% of the features (and you can always request one), and best of all, it's FREE.

Where do you get it from?

SiteGuy · 11-19-2005, 11:33 AM

VB is nice, I run a owned copy on one of my websites....but I have recently become very fond of IPB...it is so easy to administer and the skins for it are very easy to manipulate. I have read that it is very secure...unfortuanely, they stopped offering the popular slimmed down version for free and now only sell the lics. versions.

If you ask me though...I would have to vote for "C" above and go with Invision Power Boards...(IPB)

dkr · 11-19-2005, 11:49 AM

If you got the money. Go ahead, but it does cost a lot. It's definitly worth it though.

AcornDomains.co.uk · 11-19-2005, 12:22 PM

Do yourself a favour and buy VB, the admin options are so much more extensive than PHPBB and mods are incredibly easy since v3.5.1 where they have a plug-in system to add new features to your site.

My forum has grown in stature and well as member numbers since converting, it gives a more professional feel to your site.

Momo · 11-19-2005, 02:37 PM

If you could afford it and are serious with your forum, go for VB! It's much more professional looking IMO.

Dresdan · 11-19-2005, 03:05 PM

I am glad you started this topic. I am seriously considering a VB forum, I've looked them over and talked to alot of people and the general consensus is that it's the best forum software on the market. I'm also currently running a phpbb forum. I do want to upgrade in the near future to a VB though.

kjmz · 11-19-2005, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by Dresdan

I am glad you started this topic. I am seriously considering a VB forum, I've looked them over and talked to alot of people and the general consensus is that it's the best forum software on the market. I'm also currently running a phpbb forum. I do want to upgrade in the near future to a VB though.

Yeah, me too I'm thinking of getting it really soon though because my Adsense is getting pretty high , so I want to update the site.

SiteGuy · 11-19-2005, 04:59 PM

no one here likes IPB?

def1 · 11-19-2005, 06:14 PM

theres hacks and skins to make your php look and seem like vb i belive

1901gt · 11-19-2005, 06:23 PM

hmmm interesting.. i might switch my forum to Vb soon..

cheers!~~

deu12000 · 11-20-2005, 02:02 PM

I'm a big fan of phpbb, but it stops there. VB has many more options out of the box. You can make your phpbb seem like VB but that's a lot of mods you have to install. I'd recommend VB and I'd also recommend the owned license. The way you get it cheaper is if you buy it off of someone. Look around in the for sale section a lot of times you can find VB licenses for a discount.

Sergio965 · 11-20-2005, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by SiteGuy

no one here likes IPB?

Me

????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=140870

<3.

Yeh, I would go with IPB instead of VB.

But um, Yea, VB is way better than phpBB. I would consider you get a leased license and see if the website is going to work out, and if it does, go ahead and buy the full license I suppose.

kjmz · 11-20-2005, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by sergio965

Me

<3.

Yeh, I would go with IPB instead of VB.

But um, Yea, VB is way better than phpBB. I would consider you get a leased license and see if the website is going to work out, and if it does, go ahead and buy the full license I suppose.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=140870

Well there's no doubt in my mind that the website is going to work out. I'm positive it will because all the users I've talked to have been pleased with the site.

wasistdas · 11-20-2005, 03:10 PM

If you need just a forum with not too many ppl to come, go phpBB. If your forum is intensively used and there are over 100 user at the same time, no doubt, go VB.

domainprince · 11-21-2005, 11:27 PM

Better go for vBulletin if you can afford it.

dongan · 11-22-2005, 04:47 AM

when to comes to cost, you can expect good support and more features.

Maverick · 11-22-2005, 06:00 AM

It's definately worth the price and then some. I ran several forum softwares (XMB, phpbb, IPB, ProBoards) before I made the leap years ago to vBulletin and I never looked back. The administrative side of vBulletin is very powerful and it's fairly easy to customize. I enjoyed the switch so much that I now own 3 owned licenses.

Good luck with the decision that you make and I wish you continued success with your site.

LeetPCUser · 11-22-2005, 06:11 AM

It is definately worth it. I will never use PHPBB again. PHPBB had so many little problems you had to tweak out with patches. VBulletin is sleek and great to use. It also can have so many mods to go along with it. The only pain is it costs money. As long as you can make the money back, and aren't afraid to put in start up funds, then I would recommend going the route of VBulletin.

AcornDomains.co.uk · 11-22-2005, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by adiboy

hmmm interesting.. i might switch my forum to Vb soon..

cheers!~~

I successfully migrated mine from PHPBB to VB, the only thing that didn't get imported was the PMs - you might want to look into this before you try it.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=140870

As far as I know, VB license lets you have one active domain and one test domain so try it on a test site first so that you can learn how to do it and it is not too devastating if it all goes wrong.

View Poll Results: Is the vBulletin Owned License Worth it for $160.00 US?
Yes	20	80.00%
No	5	20.00%
Voters: 25. You may not vote on this poll

11-17-2005, 10:01 PM	THREAD STARTER #1 (permalink)
kjmz Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: .ca Posts: 1,277	phpBB to vBulletin? Is it really worth it? Hi, I own a forum as you can see in my signature. My forum is getting bigger everyday and I don't really like the navigation, also phpBB isn't the best either. It's great for free but it's a little limited. I would basically like my forum to look like NamePros but with a whole different topic. Since vBulletin costs $160.00 for an owned license, do you think it's worth it? I added a poll to this as well just for extra opinions. If anyone has bought vBulletin can you tell me if you thought it was worth it or not worth and why. Thanks!

11-18-2005, 03:29 AM	#2 (permalink)
peter phillips Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,318	If you are looking to develop a serious community go for vBulletin, if you can't afford the price tag stay with PhpBB. vBulletin is powerful, has better security, has much cleaner code, fewer bugs, comes with many more options configurable via the admin panel. In addition, their templating system is amazing. I would suggest you to go vBulletin.com and test out the demo admin interface to see just how configurable it is. __________________ Outsourced Hosting Support \|\| Server Management \|\| Web Development Portfolio ICQ : 487-845-393 \|\| AIM : EtecDesigns \|\| MSN : sales@etechdesigns.net

11-19-2005, 11:18 AM	#6 (permalink)
Masahiro NamePros Regular Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: South Devon, United Kingdom Posts: 955	Actaully, there is a discussion - do you really need all the extra features? I use MyBB - it's based on vB, has about 85% of the features (and you can always request one), and best of all, it's FREE. __________________ Centicero - Now offering VPSes from $6! - Virtual Dedicated Servers at Shared Hosting Prices! Shared \| Reseller \| VPS \| Dedicated \| Domains Excellent Value and Service - Contact Us Today! http://www.Centicero.com

11-19-2005, 11:33 AM	#8 (permalink)
SiteGuy NamePros Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 181	VB is nice, I run a owned copy on one of my websites....but I have recently become very fond of IPB...it is so easy to administer and the skins for it are very easy to manipulate. I have read that it is very secure...unfortuanely, they stopped offering the popular slimmed down version for free and now only sell the lics. versions. If you ask me though...I would have to vote for "C" above and go with Invision Power Boards...(IPB) __________________ Find your sites FUTURE Page Rank - FutureRank.com ------------------------------------------------------ Find Expired Domains - Free Online Website Domain Research Tools - 100% FREE - GrabExpired.com

11-18-2005, 05:45 AM	#3 (permalink)
Host47 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: England Posts: 1,196	I couldn't afford an owned so went for leased, that way you have a year to make it work, but it's well worth it, phpbb sux and is easily hacked.

11-19-2005, 10:35 AM	#5 (permalink)
AlexK NamePros Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 94	If you can afford it, buy vB! No discussion about that

11-19-2005, 11:49 AM	#9 (permalink)
dkr Respect My Authority! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 2,234 Follow @donnyouyang	If you got the money. Go ahead, but it does cost a lot. It's definitly worth it though. __________________ Follow Me (new!): @donnyouyang Founder @ Rayku \| Kinkarso Tech

11-19-2005, 12:22 PM	#10 (permalink)
AcornDomains.co.uk NamePros Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: AcornDomains.co.uk Posts: 114	Do yourself a favour and buy VB, the admin options are so much more extensive than PHPBB and mods are incredibly easy since v3.5.1 where they have a plug-in system to add new features to your site. My forum has grown in stature and well as member numbers since converting, it gives a more professional feel to your site. __________________ Domain Sales \| Domain Software \| Flash Templates \| Domain Auctions for UK Only Domains

11-19-2005, 02:37 PM	#11 (permalink)
Momo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 2,299	If you could afford it and are serious with your forum, go for VB! It's much more professional looking IMO.

11-19-2005, 03:05 PM	#12 (permalink)
Dresdan NamePros Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bay City, MI Posts: 40	I am glad you started this topic. I am seriously considering a VB forum, I've looked them over and talked to alot of people and the general consensus is that it's the best forum software on the market. I'm also currently running a phpbb forum. I do want to upgrade in the near future to a VB though. __________________ RPGVeterans.com - Role Playing for the Experienced.<- My first domain name:) HotTopics - A Great Community! AIMForum.com - Ready, AIM, Chat!

11-19-2005, 04:59 PM	#14 (permalink)
SiteGuy NamePros Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 181	no one here likes IPB? __________________ Find your sites FUTURE Page Rank - FutureRank.com ------------------------------------------------------ Find Expired Domains - Free Online Website Domain Research Tools - 100% FREE - GrabExpired.com

11-19-2005, 06:14 PM	#15 (permalink)
def1 Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,538	theres hacks and skins to make your php look and seem like vb i belive __________________ Did you try my toolbar? Works in Firefox and IE! http://www.bumrecords.net - Fun Games, Music, Discussion, And Much More! uploadÂ² â€¢Pick the Web Hosting Company most NamePros Members Use Pick Chronichosting!â€¢

11-19-2005, 06:23 PM	#16 (permalink)
1901gt Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,830 Follow @mdnoorhadi	hmmm interesting.. i might switch my forum to Vb soon.. cheers!~~

11-20-2005, 02:02 PM	#17 (permalink)
deu12000 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,447	I'm a big fan of phpbb, but it stops there. VB has many more options out of the box. You can make your phpbb seem like VB but that's a lot of mods you have to install. I'd recommend VB and I'd also recommend the owned license. The way you get it cheaper is if you buy it off of someone. Look around in the for sale section a lot of times you can find VB licenses for a discount. __________________ Low Priced Turnkey Websites , Free Forum Software , Electronic Cigarettes Wholesale and Dropshipping , Find your Future Home

11-21-2005, 11:27 PM	#21 (permalink)
domainprince NamePros Regular Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 851	Better go for vBulletin if you can afford it. __________________ Paid Posting Reviews. Submit A Review. Submit A Service. :lala: Www.MySmartScripts.com Smart Scripts ! Smart Prices ! Find everything you want to know in our mobile phone forums.From Nokia to Samsung, we have it all! Premium Web Directory

11-20-2005, 03:10 PM	#20 (permalink)
wasistdas Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Ukraine Posts: 1,580	If you need just a forum with not too many ppl to come, go phpBB. If your forum is intensively used and there are over 100 user at the same time, no doubt, go VB. __________________ The Official Dead End Place: WWW.TODEP.COM. The best search engine ever. WWW.NULLSEARCH.COM For Sale: EnjoyArcade.com, Arcadoid.com

11-22-2005, 04:47 AM	#22 (permalink)
dongan Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: www.mercuryminds.com Posts: 2,044	when to comes to cost, you can expect good support and more features. __________________ MercuryMinds - Professional X-Cart Design, X-Cart Development, X-Cart Customization Services MercuryMinds - X-Cart addons, modules

11-22-2005, 06:00 AM	#23 (permalink)
Maverick NamePros Regular Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 808	It's definately worth the price and then some. I ran several forum softwares (XMB, phpbb, IPB, ProBoards) before I made the leap years ago to vBulletin and I never looked back. The administrative side of vBulletin is very powerful and it's fairly easy to customize. I enjoyed the switch so much that I now own 3 owned licenses. Good luck with the decision that you make and I wish you continued success with your site. __________________ GamersPit - I-Searches Directory

11-22-2005, 06:11 AM	#24 (permalink)
LeetPCUser Account Closed Join Date: May 2005 Location: Whitewater, WI Posts: 3,710	It is definately worth it. I will never use PHPBB again. PHPBB had so many little problems you had to tweak out with patches. VBulletin is sleek and great to use. It also can have so many mods to go along with it. The only pain is it costs money. As long as you can make the money back, and aren't afraid to put in start up funds, then I would recommend going the route of VBulletin.

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