Compare software

Flarum vs phpBB: catalog facts
Flarum	phpBB
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.	Free Free and open source under the GPL-2.0.
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Large ecosystem of community extensions Group permissions and built-in moderation	Mature project with a long history and large community Extension and style system for customisation
Needs a PHP server to host Version 2.0 is still a release candidate	Classic forum layout may feel dated next to newer discussion platforms Requires a PHP and database server to host
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: GPL-2.0
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Needs internet	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.