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Simple Machines Forum vs phpBB: catalog facts
Simple Machines Forum	phpBB
Free Free and open source under the BSD-3-Clause license.	Free Free and open source under the GPL-2.0.
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Release packages install without extra build steps Permissive BSD license	Mature project with a long history and large community Extension and style system for customisation
Traditional forum layout rather than a modern discussion interface Needs a PHP and database server to host	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: BSD-3-Clause	License: GPL-2.0
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	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.