Is VBulletin the 'king' of forum software?

[Reverse Flash]

vBulletin used to be immensely popular a few years ago. In fact, if you were into forums a few years ago, almost all of the bigger ones were running vB. Now, if you visit the same websites, most of them have switched over to Xenforo, and a few have gone to IPB.

You've got to give vBulletin some credit though, I think it really paved the way for the future of forum software.

Definitely. The first forum I ever joined around 7-8 years ago ran on vBulletin and I absolutely loved it. I liked the structure, I liked the design, and the community was awesome. That was my entrance to online forums, and until I got to know other software better I used to think that everything else sucked compared to that website that ran on vBulletin.

I still like vBulletin, honestly. I never had to run a forum with it as an administrator, though. So as far as global moderator, I think it is still an awesome software with great tools, good layout, and nice features for members and moderators. Perhaps the back end of the system is the bigger problem for this software, which is too bad.

Nowadays even free software can offer awesome features so competition gets more fierce.

Heh, the first forum that I joined also ran vBulletin 🙂

 

[Captured Enigma]

I think I must have been behind with the times when I heard this haha, it was a while ago 😛

 

[pandaa]

vBulletin hasn't been king since Kier left to develop Xenforo. The software has really gone downhill over the years and I used to be a huge supporter of vBulletin, but not anymore.

Agreed. I have to say, though, I think the years of being behind vBulletin must have helped in the growth and success of Xenforo.

 

[Captured Enigma]

vBulletin hasn't been king since Kier left to develop Xenforo. The software has really gone downhill over the years and I used to be a huge supporter of vBulletin, but not anymore.

Agreed. I have to say, though, I think the years of being behind vBulletin must have helped in the growth and success of Xenforo.

Xenforo is awesome. I have seen it look totally different on loads of forums. The style can be edited a lot of different ways. VB Always looks the same on every forum I have seen it on..

 

[Tommy M.]

I have heard that the best forum software is VBulletin. It's the most expensive, but I don't really like the look of it 😛 I know that sounds immature, but is it really? I should like the look of my forum first of all...

What do yiu guys think of VBulletin? Is it the 'king' of forum software?

About the look of it, I think you was wrong because the owner can change their style without using default template.

vBulletin used to be immensely popular a few years ago. In fact, if you were into forums a few years ago, almost all of the bigger ones were running vB. Now, if you visit the same websites, most of them have switched over to Xenforo, and a few have gone to IPB.

You've got to give vBulletin some credit though, I think it really paved the way for the future of forum software.

You are right, it's a trending today and Xenforo has any advantages than vBulletin.

Using vB and feeling good with it, more functions I need, got on vB 🙂

 

[Nebulous]

XenForo is the new era of vB. It was created by former vBulletin developers who left when they didn't like the direction the company was heading.

vBulletin has been bought and sold and now they seem to sacrifice quality for speedy updates and glitchy software. It should be a free software (based on what you get). You can't even find essential plugins and good themes for it these days (based on what I've heard).

 

[Reddyash]

I think the title goes to xenforo. I have two forums, one is running a xenforo software and the other is on Vbulletin 5. I like the ACP of xenforo as it is very easy to use. Some how I feel difficult to use VB5 ACP.
Availability of plugins and themes are more for xenforo when compared with all forum softwares.

 

[Hugop]

Xenforo is my favourite paid forum software.

I have never heard of IPB, can anyone send me a link of a IPB forum?

 

[Cosmic]

I currently own a license in IPB, Xenforo, and vB. They're all pretty good software, and each have their pros and cons. Personally, I think my favorite is IPB. I don't think I've used vB quite enough yet to say whether I like it or XenForo more, although there are some things I find appealing about vB4. i guess it all really depends on what your members want.

Xenforo is my favourite paid forum software.

I have never heard of IPB, can anyone send me a link of a IPB forum?

http://community.invisionpower.com/

 

[Gio]

vBulletin hasn't been king since Kier left to develop Xenforo. The software has really gone downhill over the years and I used to be a huge supporter of vBulletin, but not anymore.

Agreed. I have to say, though, I think the years of being behind vBulletin must have helped in the growth and success of Xenforo.

Xenforo is awesome. I have seen it look totally different on loads of forums. The style can be edited a lot of different ways. VB Always looks the same on every forum I have seen it on..

lol I say the same thing, but vice versa. 😛

Also I have a license for phpBB, be jelly everyone.

 

[Chris K]

I think if you go back several years it was one of the best and maybe even the "king" of forum software, but with increasing competition from other softwares, I think some of them are just as good if not even better.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

I'd say Xenforo and IPB have an edge on VB. Especially with the new VB, many people have lost interest.

 

[Ash]

I think out of most of the the current paid and FREE forum softwares VBulletin would be the last on my list. It just doesn't have the same appeal as myBB, IPB or XenForo with these forum softwares looking and feeling modern. VBulletin just feels old to be honest

 

[Captured Enigma]

Thanks for the comments guys 🙂 Just one question though? What is missing from VB that the other forum software have? You mentioned a lot that the others are more modern, how are they more modern and how is VB lacking in modernness (if that's a word 😛)

 

[Ash]

Thanks for the comments guys 🙂 Just one question though? What is missing from VB that the other forum software have? You mentioned a lot that the others are more modern, how are they more modern and how is VB lacking in modernness (if that's a word 😛)

It's the looks for me to be honest. IPB, XenForo, myBB and even phpBB have these different themes that can make them look completely different to how they come in the package. VBulletin no matter what theme your using, it is quite obvious the forum software that you are using

 

[Cosmic]

Well, to be honest, the vB ACP looks like something that was designed in the 70s by Northrop Grumman :lol:

 

[Quacker Jack]

Really? That's what vB 4.0's ACP looked like? At least 3.0 was a bit more, errm, colorful and iconic?

That's the vB ACP I remember!

 

[Izaya]

Thanks for the comments guys 🙂 Just one question though? What is missing from VB that the other forum software have? You mentioned a lot that the others are more modern, how are they more modern and how is VB lacking in modernness (if that's a word 😛)

I use IPB4 on my forum(IPB is my favorite personally) but Xenforo is alright, though I am not a fan.

Vbulletin doesn't have quite the robust alert system. Alerts engage your users more instead of them having to hunt down replies or who quoted who.

Vbulletin lacks a proper @ feature to communicate easier with members.

Vbulletin is not as bad as people make it(Maybe Version 5 is). In fact forum software really isn't that much more radically different from the next...so much as the way it is designed and maybe a few features here and there. I do think Vbulletin 4 can still hold its own against competing products but at the same time it looks old...

Not to mention the 3rd party development is pretty much dead or dying as many people are converting from VB.

IPB, Xenforo and WBB are the best of the 3. IPB is more sound and developed and Xenforo is newer but it does lack a bit of robustness and personally I find it overrated and overpriced. WBB is good too...it's like a better version of Xenforo aka actually useful but I dislike the overall look of WBB.

 

[Cosmic]

-snip-

Wow! :lol:

IPB has the best ACP design I think.

This is what a modern forum software looks like 😛

 

[Migi]

I have to admit that vB's ACP looks so ugly compared to IPB. Even ZetaBoards' ACP is more colorful but not in a way that hurts your eyes compared to those images. XD I have only seen it up to MCP for vB4, but the design is generally similar.

Vbulletin doesn't have quite the robust alert system. Alerts engage your users more instead of them having to hunt down replies or who quoted who.

By default, right? Since at another forum I used to be frequent at, I think they had a plugin installed so notifications came in when someone quoted me in a post. Although there is no tagging system indeed. I think with plugins such features can be added to the forum, but if it comes as default option that will definitely be easier.

I'm more concerned that vB looks so expensive. Free forum software can do largely what it has, though maybe not all.

 

[Ash]

Having used the vBulletin ACP as well you have to add how complicated everything is. I have used most of the popular free and paid forum softwares and all of them have easy to use, clear and good looking admin control panels yet vBulletin doesn't have anything close to any of them.