Is It Worth It?

Is vBulletin worth paying for when there are great and free alternatives such as PHPBB 3 out there?

 

In all honestly, yes. You will not regret purchasing an (owned!) vBulletin license. I personally think phpBB doesn't even compare, but if you're unsure you could always try the vBulletin demo.

 

Thanks for you're opinion Savage

 

Hands down vBulletin is superior to phpbb 3 but in essence of the fact is its intended use. Are you planning a full scale forum or a small little one with few users.

 

totally agree. when you just need a forum like supportforums or for a small group of users, phpbb is surely the best choice. or wbb lite, i never tested it.
but when your site or your community depends on your forum, i don't know any better forum software than vBulletin.

 

Your forum software is an investment. If you pay for software that has more features, more security, and is generally better (which vbulletin is), then you're making a better investment, in my opinion. Moreover, since you're paying for it, one would think you'd be more committed to success since you've literally invested money in your site. I think vbulletin is the best and I would rarely settle for anything else.

 

VB is a business investment, its your store front, its the first impression you give people.

When someone visits your site, do want to look professional, or do you want to look cheap?

 

Definitely a great way to put it.

vBulletin is unique in its own way, yet it is the best. Some people prefer IPB, but it is really personal preference. vB seems to be more flexible in terms of customization, which essentially makes for a better product; you can more-easily use it to suit your individual needs.

 

Hello,

Yes, I think that it is worth it. The more expensive it gets the less worth it that it becomes, but I still think that vBulletin is worth the price tag if you know what you are doing and can create successful. If you have problems with forum death you may want to stick with the free forum software.

-Raymond

 

Even those who are more experienced sometimes create a forum on a free script, then convert to vBulletin when the forum matures and proves it has a chance.

That's exactly what I did with one of my forums.

It's a wise move if you're on a tight budget.

 

Bah! You should know if it has a chance from the get go.

If you can't sit there posting and generating interest to begin with you should try a different topic.

-Raymond

 

That is indeed a good point, but sometimes things that you expect to work out (even when you do everything right) just don't.

Some factors are uncontrollable and they aren't always determinable from the start.

 

Thanks for that comment Nick. I was already wondering if I should have used VB instead of MyBB. I've observed the same thing for Philippine-based forums: they start with a free script, then, when they have sufficient active members, they switch.

 

Yeah, there's really nothing wrong with doing that and it enables you to forestall the waste of any money.

If your forum takes off and becomes fairly active, you should consider switching immediately. Have you thought about purchasing vBulletin anytime soon?

 

No, not yet. Perhaps when the Google AdSense ads and Project Wonderful ads at EduPhil.org pays for the hosting and the domain, then I might consider buying a vBulletin license.

 

I think it's worth it just for the amazing mods you can download and easily install. If you tried to do the same thing on a phpbb board it would take you forever, probably break something, and turn out ugly looking.

 

vBulletin is worth every penny, for sure! It's VERY flexible, easy-to-customize and generally, the best investment out there.

However, you have to choose the software that best suits your needs.

 

Excuse me while I start to puke and laugh at the same time.

Yes. vBulletin is miles ahead of any competitor I've ever seen. The design is good, the template conditionals are madness, and the plugin system is well made and works incredibly well. It's easy to skin, easy to mod, and easy to debug. And if all else fails, there's the ticket system to get you out of a rough spot. And DB cron jobs.

 

I've gotten spoiled... now phpbb seems so limited.

 

I'm not sure if it seems limited, because it IS limited!