The best forum software?

[neveronyx]

I have been looking at forum software for quite a while now, and am currently using PhpBB. However, this particular software has been known to be quite vulnerable to attacks, and in general, provides less feautures and is unnecessarily convoluted. The reccomendations i have got so far can be summarised, IPB (invision power board) has been suggested the most, followed by vBulletin, SMF (simple machines forum), PhpBB, and a range of other forums including FlexBB... Vannila... etc, these forums i am not even considering.

So, what forum do you all consider the best?

The main aspects i am looking for in a forum is, ease of customizablility, wide range of customizations available, high level of invulnerablility, clean style (i think we can count PhpBB out on that one.. ).

Please provide reasons as to why you like a certain software as opposed to why you dislike another.

[cfeedback]

Well, I think vBulletin is the "best" but it's also (comparatively) expensive. I hate invision myself, I'm on a couple forums that use it and it annoys the heck out of me. Can't give you any specific reason, just don't care for it.

I use phpBB3, which isn't as easy to use as phpBB2, but I think a lot of the security flaws were only in the older version. You can read about the external security audit phpBB3 underwent here.

[heritagerail]

Well I voted for vBulletin, even though I think it is expensive for what you get.

I think that phpBB is the best free forum software out there, and you can modify it as you please. However, as has been said it is a bit vunerable to attack.

[zztech]

Well, I like PHPBB, but probably just because it integrates well with Joomla. It really depends on your needs. However, vBulleting is overpriced, and as far as I can see, pointless, as SMF, PHPBB and others are free, and don't really have many differences.

[tronador]

For normal use i think SMF is the best, for big forums (as this) i think VBulletin is best and very pretty for users

[zztech]

If you can, you can make your own forum. I may do one in ASP.NET for a site of mine not hosted by Profusehost. I peeked at PHPBB's source code and the way the database is organized, and I figured that making a forum wouldn't be too hard. Making a forum just needs a good knowledge of ADO.NET or whatever you're using.

[hosam]

well I think my choice well be PHPBB 3x for the following reasons:
1- great security support inside, specially with latest MOD that help to protect your forum more you can see at the phpbb site at the mod section great belive me.
2- it has really nice styles, just there is one problem with it, you have to keep search of what could fit your site style.
3- it doesn't kill your site memory, but at the same time its not traffic friendly, that information come from my own forum that I still use it for more than two years.
4- well when compared with paid forum like ipb and vb I think you don't have to worry about pay more for updates or buy new add-ones for it really easier to deal with more than I mentioned, and you can add its support phpbb site main for any question I ask too much and they always welcome instead when I try vb forum they have really bad and too slow support there and sometimes they even don't understand your problem.
after all I suggest phpbb because the database tables are more clear if you face any problem you can just handle it manually. but its still your choice so choose what is the best for you.

[neveronyx]

Thanks for the replies people. I have dont a bit of research into it myself and have decided to buy a license for IPB