I’ve got zero experience with coding but I did make a basic site on wix before. I’m hoping to start a forum that might grow over time. Any suggestions for a low-cost, beginner-friendly way to set this up? I’m thinking it could bring in ad revenue someday, but starting small and seeing how it goes.
PHPBB is still a solid option if you’re looking for a classic forum setup. Another way is to go with WordPress and add a forum plugin. That can make it easier to add extra features, like e-commerce and payment options, in the future.
@Alexander
PHPBB could be a bit harder for someone new to this stuff. Maybe Google Groups would be simpler?
Isadore said:
@Alexander
PHPBB could be a bit harder for someone new to this stuff. Maybe Google Groups would be simpler?
I don’t think PHPBB is that technical (although I may be a bit biased since I know how it works). Setting up on Wix might even take longer! You can deploy PHPBB on a domain or subdomain in about 5 minutes, and it’s well-documented since it’s been around for over 20 years.
@Alexander
Compared to Wix, yeah, it does take more know-how. But PHPBB is solid once you get it running.
Simple Machines Forum and bbPress are some popular open-source options.
Personally, I like discourse and flarum.
Probably WordPress with some forum plugins.
Cannon said:
Probably WordPress with some forum plugins.
What do you think about PHPBB? I already have the domains, so hosting is my next step. Or is discourse more user-friendly? I’ve read mixed opinions on WordPress and Wix.
@BELLA
Discourse is pretty popular now. No need to reinvent the wheel.
Ronan said:
@BELLA
Discourse is pretty popular now. No need to reinvent the wheel.
Funny how everyone has a different opinion on this 
@BELLA
I haven’t tried it myself, but it seems decent.
Give discourse a try.
I tried something similar before.
Happy said:
I tried something similar before.
Nice! But I’ve heard it doesn’t scale well. Do you have any thoughts on that?
Xenforo is a good option if you’re willing to pay $195 for the license. It’s a strong choice if you’re in it for the long run.