Paid Forum Software: Worth it?

Would any of you say that paying for a forum software is worth it?

Honestly, I think IPB is far too expensive and working on it is great and all but I just don't think it is worth it. Pulling out hundreds of dollars for making a forum that could not even succeed is a big gamble, so I don't think I would ever pay myself for a forum. That and free forum software is easy to access. ^__^

Thoughts?

If you have enough money to purchase a forum from a paid host, then nothing's holding you back. Paid hosts are the most decent hosting websites considering that they guarantee quality forums and MODs due to the fact that they are paid. I agree, paying for a forum and hoping that it will get far... it's just a gamble that you need to be willing to take the risk for.

Well, if you're not experienced or are going to give up a month or so afterword then it's not, but personally I don't see why people don't like free ones when it's not how much you spend or how fancy it looks, but content and community D:

I think it is, it comes with a lot more then you can do with free softwarem, but you would need a lot more them money to get a decent forum going.

You should only buy IPB or vBulletin if you are serious and
the money. Using a IPB or vBulletin shows people that you are serious and you
most likely won

vBulletin is indeed a fantastic software if you have the cash to spend but I am perfectly happy with mybb or phpbb if a host is required.

I think it's yes. paid forum software gives you deeper access to your forum and you can modify it to make it as unique as possible to invite more members. it's a gamble, indeed. but you can always start with a free forum then move to a new host and buy license for the software if you think your forum has the chance to grow. ^^

If you have the dedication and commitment to put up with all the hard work for the longest time, then a paid forum software and hosting is what's best for you. Especially if you intend to earn more from your community. I'm not very familiar with IPB but know a little on vbulletin as I am also a member of a few vbulletin forums. For the classic alone the license is $195. If you want to have a blog and cms section, then you'll have to spend $285 for the publishing suite. Not only that, if you want to customize your theme, it costs an average of $200 to get professionals to do it.

If you are only building a forum as a hobby and you do not have that much interest in it then it's safe to go with a free forum. There are viable choices that are as great as the paid forum softwares

If you mean paying a host, like ForuMotion, I'd say why not. It's only a few dollars a YEAR. That's very cheap.

I think MyBB is the best forum software, so no I don't think using paid software is worth it. If you're looking for more of a social network or CMS then vB or IPB may be more suited to your needs. But for forum software I don't think they have anything over MyBB.

I don't think it is. PhpBB seems better than VBulletin. I've been an admin on a VB board and would rather be in a phpbb admin control panel.

phpbb3 is a fantastic bit of software for free. If you set it up right and secure it well, then you'll go far. Ech can migrat eto the other too so if you change your mind at a later stage, it is possible (although not always recommended!)

If you like the software and are committed to making a community, then yes of course it's going to be worth it.

I personally really like IPB, but i actually much prefer MyBB and that's free and has always been my choice.

It really just comes down to how much you want the software and if you're committed.

Even if the software won't benefit you that much, but you like it a lot more, you'll always be wishing you bought it at the start.

Well, that's my opinion.

Best path is to start off with a free forum platform. If it takes off, becomes very popular and starts generating income for you, upgrade to a paid forum platform.

A few good reasons for paying for forum software include, the need for top-notch support and customization needs. There are a few free forum apps that will allow you to customize and offer some degree of support; however, if a forum is pumping in $5000, $10,000 or more monthly, a paid solution is the wisest and most productive choice.

CeeJ

IPB and XenForo are great but MyBB is almost as good.

MyBB is the best free forum due to it's plugin system and setup.

phpBB3 isn't far behind but it lacks a few features.

SMF is awful and I absolutely hate it lol. It's simple for new players in the 'forum industry' but it's nowhere near as good as MyBB.

So to answer the question - I don't think they're worth as much as they cost.

After checking out XenForo I absolutely love it, it's simple and works like a charm. I won't get it until it's further in development and less buggy. IPB is alright, I put it behind MyBB because MyBB is XenForo to me, just free and a little more developed.

Lot's of people use MyBB's default theme as a reason to dislike it. I think you never judge a forum software on it's theme - you're not expected to keep it on the default one...

I think ultimately for a forum to take off well you'd need to get paid software eventually,
it just better to get paid software eventually, and paid software imo seems more professional.

RE: Paid Forum SoftwaWorth it?

I don't agree with that. I've seen some REALLY huge MyBB forums, and they're very active.

Personally I think I will use MyBB forever or until it stops being developed (if that ever happens).
phpBB, well, I've used 2, it's horrible, and 3, I like it somewhat, but the ACP is confusing and it's very hard and takes a while to set up a phpBB forum the way I want it. I definitely like the themes available for it however.
SMF, it sucks. I really hate it. I used it to try it out, and I can say you can actually make a forum with it, but next to MyBB, it's nothing.

So, it all comes down to personal preference, but I think it's not worth getting paid forum software if what you have works well and you can do everything you want to do with it.

I use MyBB, but at some point i would like to get a xenforo or vbulletin license, i dont know why but i just feel paid softwares are, well not better, but more enjoyable.