I would like to add a message board to my Website but I know very little about these things. For instance I have come accross a free PHPbb3 message board I could install and run asap but I dont know whether there are any catches to it. I have also realised that most boards are V Bulletin Boards - could somebody tell me why?.
Do they need a lot of storage space/bandwith.
Is there anything my host should provide to enable me run a particular kinda board
I would also like to know if I could customize my board to blend in with the theme of my site.
All contribution will be very much appreciated.

One at a time :)

For instance I have come accross a free PHPbb3 message board I could install and run asap but I dont know whether there are any catches to it.phpBB is a good free board. The biggest complaint people have with it is that it requires fairly frequent updating on the part of the forum owner due to security concerns that arise from time to time, and this can be a little time consuming and can get a little technical. It's a little light on standard features too (though there are many modification one can make to add new features, something else that takes some time and requires some technical skill).

I have also realised that most boards are V Bulletin Boards - could somebody tell me why?vBulletin has a history of better-than-average security, and comes standard with many useful tools and functionality. It is a good board for the price.

Do they need a lot of storage space/bandwith.It depends on how much they get used. I'm running a community with approximately 500 members and 55,000 posts. The database requires 120 mb. of space. That's a vBulletin database. On the whole, I believe phpBB requires a little more room for its database. I'm not sure about others (IPB, SMF, punBB, BurningBoard, etc.). Typically, the actual files involved require 5-10 mb. of space.

Is there anything my host should provide to enable me run a particular kinda boardTypically, you need MySQL 3 or 4, PHP 4 or 5 and enough hard drive space to accommodate files and database. Most forums can accommodate many different types of databases, but PHP/MySQL is a very common mix. If you're considering the Snitz forums, you'll need ASP/MSSQL, I believe.

I would also like to know if I could customize my board to blend in with the theme of my site.Different boards require different levels of expertise, but to my knowledge, every single one is made to be customized. So the answer is yes. Going back to your two examples, phpBB, in my opinion, is the easiest to skin, but I like working within the raw files. vBulletin has a decent template system for most, though I think it is a pain in the ***.

Webwiz (http://www.webwizguide.info/web_wiz_forums/default.asp) is a well established and proven asp forum solution the latest version can run with ACCESS, mySQL or MS SQL back end.

If you search on google for free php boards you can set one up for free only catch is, that they have ads on them.

props for the tutorial

If you search on google for free php boards you can set one up for free only catch is, that they have ads on them.

I have taken your advise and set up a trial forumn on phpbb3dotnet. It was really easy to manage

vbulletin is a commercial solution, meaning that it costs money..

Here is a breakdown of prices of the different forum solutions


License yearly renewal fee
FusionBB $149 $39
Invision $69 $69
UBB.Threads $229 $125
vbulletin $160 $30

Simple Machines $0 $0
phpBB $0 $0
MyBB $0 $0


I would recommend FusionBB for a commercial solution (very large board), otherwise, I would go with MyBB for a Free solution.... FusionBB is the most stable and secure of all the Commercial Solutions, and comes with many nice features that the other Commercial solutions don't include, such as a built in portal, built in photo gallery, calendar, mypaypal, and many other nice things.. Both FusionBB and MyBB separate templates from skins into separate directories, making skinning much easier, esp for newbies. Basically to skin the board, all you have to do is drop in a .CSS, create some images for the new skin, and modify a single config.php of where the images are located, and "Thats it!!" can't get much simplier then that.. The other forum solutions, mix templates and style together making skinning much more difficult for newbies. so one of those two would be my suggestion :)

whoever you decide to go with though, don't go with Invision or UBB, both have security issues, and I agree with what that other guy said about phpbb, I'd rather run simple machines the phpbb and I'd pick myBB over either of those anyday.

Ummm - I think there isn't much more to add to this. Nicely put guys!

vbulletin is a commercial solution, meaning that it costs money..

Here is a breakdown of prices of the different forum solutions


License yearly renewal fee
FusionBB $149 $39
Invision $69 $69
UBB.Threads $229 $125
vbulletin $160 $30

Simple Machines $0 $0
phpBB $0 $0
MyBB $0 $0


I would recommend FusionBB for a commercial solution (very large board), otherwise, I would go with MyBB for a Free solution.... FusionBB is the most stable and secure of all the Commercial Solutions, and comes with many nice features that the other Commercial solutions don't include, such as a built in portal, built in photo gallery, calendar, mypaypal, and many other nice things.. Both FusionBB and MyBB separate templates from skins into separate directories, making skinning much easier, esp for newbies. Basically to skin the board, all you have to do is drop in a .CSS, create some images for the new skin, and modify a single config.php of where the images are located, and "Thats it!!" can't get much simplier then that.. The other forum solutions, mix templates and style together making skinning much more difficult for newbies. so one of those two would be my suggestion

whoever you decide to go with though, don't go with Invision or UBB, both have security issues, and I agree with what that other guy said about phpbb, I'd rather run simple machines the phpbb and I'd pick myBB over either of those anyday.


Thank you very much for your help. I was wondering if anyone knew of any good sites that use Fusionbb - I checked out their website and was quit impressed with the features especially the Gallery, but I was disappointed with the layout of their board as it looked quite dull. I saw some examples of other boards posted on their website but they didnt sway it for me either. I was also wondering what "mypaypal" function was used for

FusionBB isn't so great IMHO, there aren't any large site using it as far as I can tell and it seems slow to me.

If it was left to features alone - I would go with fusionbb but it lacks in appearance. I am looking for something just along the lines of Hosthideout.com.
I fell in love with that appearance the first time I set eyes on it,

can anyone advise me further as to how I can get fusionbb board looking like that or whether I am abetter of going with a vBulletin board