phpBB version 2 has been completely re-written since the first version. Version 2 focuses on a professional-quality modular design, high security, multiple-language interface, support for a multitude of databases servers and complete layout customisation, all with a low execution overhead.
phpBB is based on PHP, the fastest growing server-side scripting language on the web, which results in one of the fastest, feature-rich bulletin board systems available anywhere.
In addition, phpBB is open-source software so it has no fees, no subscriptions, and no restrictions on modifications. Couple this with a thriving and friendly phpBB community and you have a killer solution for creating communities on your site!
Goto topInstallation
* Simple installation that will have you up and running in minutes
* Complete upgrade from V1.x
Support
* phpBB uses a database abstraction layer to enable seamless support of several database servers:
o MySQL 3.2x,
o PostgreSQL 7.x,
o Microsoft SQL Server 7/2000
o Microsoft Access (via ODBC)
o ...with more databases available in the future.
Security
* Designed with security as a priority
* Powerful and extensive authorisation system
* Strong encryption to keep passwords safe in the database
* Support for both cookie and URI-based sessions
Unlimited Forums & Categories
* Unlimited forums can be organised into as many categories as you like
* Private forums and those only for specified user groups
* Powerful search facility
Posting Messages
* Message formatting with various font styles and sizes as well as allowing quoting, code display, image posting and automatic URL linking
* Support of standard and extended BBCode tags and controlled HTML tags
* Polls can be simply added to posts
* Email notification of replies to your topics
* Powerful topic subscription capability
* Original emoticons to portray emotions
Versatile User Groups & Forum Permissions
* Powerful forum, user and group permission management
* Control forum access to specified user groups
* Control all aspects of the posting experience
* Allow limited access to viewing, posting, replying and many other options
Member Features
* Unlimited members
* Personal profile creation
* Post counting and administrator-definable ranks for users
* Email-like private messaging system
* Supports local, remote and uploadable avatars
Moderation Features
* Topic editing
* Mass delete/move/lock/unlock of posts
* Topic splitting
* Option of auto-pruning of old or unanswered messages on a per-forum basis
Easy to Use Administration Centre
* General configuration
* Forum & category setup
* Easy database backup and restore
* Disallowed usernames
* User authorisation
* Word censoring
* Complete member management
* Emoticon setup
* Optional new post verification
* Extensive ban management, ban by email address, username or single/multiple IP address or hostname
* IP tracking of posts and posters
* Mass emailing of groups and users by the administrator
Style and Customisation
* Multiple styles available for the user to choose from
* Templates separated from the PHP code so that new layouts can easily be created or integrated with your current site design
* Complete control of fonts and colours with cascading style sheets (CSS)
* Active community creating addons and specialised modifications
* Default style compliant with XHTML 1.0 and HTML 4.01 recommendations from the W3C
Support
* All this is supported by an increasingly large, thriving and friendly community of members from all over the world ready to help with any problems, suggestions or just for general discussion!
vBulletin Features
vBulletin is a powerful community solution that makes it easy to add a forum messaging system to your web site. vBulletin is developed using PHP and MySQL (a highly efficient open-source database). This solid back end technology allowed us to develop a product that is both amazingly fast, yet reassuringly stable.
Features
General Features
* Scalable solution - database server and web servers can reside on separate machines.
* MySQL back-end database
* vBulletin can be run on any machine that can support PHP and MySQL (Solaris, BSD, Linux, Windows, Mac)
* Written in PHP which makes for a fast and efficient product
* Admin Control Panel
* Moderator Control Panel
* User Control Panel
* Compliant with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998. See this page for more information:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/coppa.htm
General Forum Features
Threads
* Thread display options - sort by, sort order, from date
* Thread and forum subscription (notification by email optional)
* Thread preview on mouse-over (optional, via Admin CP)
* Active Users viewing thread shown
* New Post Indicator
* Printer Friendly versions on threads
* Admin tools for Threads - edit/delete/move/lock/Make sticky/ etc
* Email page to a friend option
* Similar Threads displayed on all thread views
Posts
* Linear, Threaded, Hybrid display views available
* Supports BB Code in posts
* Supports HTML in post
* Smilies
* Avatars
* Optional WYSIWYG or standard editors for posts and Private Messages
* Attachment images (.gif,.jpg, etc) are no longer in the database (optional, via Admin CP)
* Quick reply box (with optional "forced" click on post to quote)
* Preview post option
* Post rating
* User reputation
* Polls
* Post Reporting - report posts to moderators
* User post count
* Admin tools for Posts - edit/delete/move/ etc
* Preview safe attachments
Members
* Member List
* Member Search
* User Style picker
* Private Messaging
* Buddy list
* Member Birthdays shown on Forum home
Calendar Features
* Supports multiple private and public calendars
* Viewable public and private events (adminCP option)
* Weekly, monthly and yearly views
* Jump to Today option
* Add single, ranged or recurring events
* Add all day events
* Option to show calendar event on forum home page (adminCP option)
* Show events to specific usergroups (adminCP option)
* Calendar Moderation
* Private events reminder
* Ability to add custom fields
General
* Who's online
* Search
User Control Panel Features
Editable user profile
This information can be viewed by other members from the member list. Custom user title, URL home page, date of birth, instant messaging medium, location, occupation, biography, interests, vB version, plus any other custom user fields that may be defined by the administrator
Profile pictures
Allows members to upload pictures that can be viewed in the users' profile.
Private Messaging
* Pop-up notification when new PM recieved
* Private Message Tracking
* Private Message filing in custom folders
User Options
These include Daylight Savings options, forum style chooser, selection of notification types for PM, emails etc, thread display options, WYSIWYG editor options, language chooser, vCard downloads to allow the user profile to be placed into an address book
Attachment Management
* View attachment statistics - shows limit and used space
* View the attachments you have posted (link or thumbnail views available)
* Remove attachments
Avatar Options
* Admin Defined Avatars
* Custom Avatars - upload from your own computer or specify a URL
General
* View and manage subscribed threads and forums
* Calendar event reminders for subscribed events
* Pop-up auto-refreshing buddylist with ICQ-style alerts when new buddies come online
* Signature Editor
* Email and password changes require current password
* Joinable Public User Groups
Admin Control Panel Features
Styling & Templates
* Templated system
* Conditionals supported in the templates
* Ability to create multiple styles which can be applied to different forums and users
* Ability to upload / download styles and languages
Language & Phrase Management
* Language manager - allows you to easily translate you forums in any language
* Multiple languages supported
* Phrase manager
Users & Usergroups
* User registration options
* User banning (by name & IP)
* Global ignore user aka 'Tachy goes to Coventry' - when enabled all posts by the specified user will be ignored/unseen by other members. Automatically added to the all users ingnore lists
* Unlimited Moderators and SuperModerators
* Permission system, based on user, usergroup or forums
Board Maintenance
* Task Scheduler
* Control Panel, Moderator & Task logs
* Board statistics
* Maintentance - Database backups, table repair
* Post Prunning
Moderation
* Moderation queues for user registration and posting
* Calendar moderation
Import Facility
* Import facility - import posts and members seamlessly upgrade from other bulletin board systems, including Infopop's Ultimate Bulletin Board, UBBThreads, OpenTopic, ezboard, and Ikonboard
Attachments
* Multiple attachments and types (types defeined by admin in CP)
* Attachment thumbnails (requires PHP to have GD enabled)
* Storage type options for attachements (database or file system)
* Attachment moderation
General
* Multiple calendars supported
* Paid Subscriptions (PayPal, WorldPay, NOCHEX and Authorize.net)
* Private forums
* COPPA compliant
* Server Settings and Optimisation options configurable via the adminCP
* Editable FAQ for your own boards
* Context sensitive help throughout the adminCP
The above lists all the features of both vBulletin & phpBB
Basically one is FREE the other you pay for and like most things in life sometimes you get what you pay for!
I am not knocking phpBB it is great software and the people behind it are excellent folks.
With either board your site will run fine, both can be up & running from a standard phpBB backup.
The thing is that if you have any problems, install any mods or update to the latest version due to security issues then
with phpBB the support is given freely and whilst it is good it is not always correct and sometimes can be slow, i know i have been on the pc updating a modded phpBB site at 2am in the morning only to be given a load of php or mysql errors! But that said if you have some members of tecchie expierence then it shouldnt be a problem, but the bigger your site gets, the more mods added etc etc the worse things generally get!
With vBulletin you PAY for the software currently £82 ($160US) for an Owned license
vBulletin (Owned License)
The owned vBulletin Forum license allows you to run the software on your site indefinitely. Along with this license, you will receive one year of free updates. Beyond the first year, you will have to pay a
nominal fee, currently $30, to obtain updates for an additional year.
This license includes free email and forum support.
vB will install your forum for you at a cost (although this is fairly starightforward)
They will also convert a phpBB backup to a vB backup for transferring from phpBB to their vB Board.
The vB board is better IMO than the phpBB v2.0x board as there are many extras on it as standard.
vB Support is a member only area and operates 24/7 365 days a year.
But phpBB are bringing out a new version 2.2x which is nearly up to vB standards with all the frills and whistles, only thing is this version has been coming out for 2 years now and i gave up waiting for it!
I had a site running phpBB2.0x which i added some mods to for members to upload pictures and then i upgraded the site to the next stable version, this went on for a few years and in the end i started looking back and wished i had just paid for vB at the time, this was down to at times bad support or no support and things missing that as my board developed i wished i had, these can be added with mods, but this in itself is not always easy, sometimes its like trying to run uphill with lead boots on whilts its snowing!
vb can be found here
www.vBulletin.com
The User Manual is here
http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/
Some sample forums running vB are here
http://www.atforumz.com/
http://www.disboards.com/ (lots of members and a large board)