What is the best Portal of SMF?

[KensonPlays]

Best way.  install Xampp (or similar)  and build some test sites locally on your PC.  You can then have a separate install of SMF 2.0.1 for each portal you test, and try them out without fear of messing things up on your server. 

Once you get the hang of it, you can have a fresh version of SMF, and a portal mod running in about ten minutes.

That's what I do myself. 

That's probably one of the best ways to do stuff. I have a bunch of test installs locally with XAMPP, and I have a directory for "mod tests" and "theme tests" before I use on my live site.

[Edward123]

I tried installing Tiny Portal but then ended up uninstalling it and going with Simple Portal... unfortunately I can't recall why I switched.

I like the fact that Simple Portal lets me put some blocks on all the forum pages, not just the portal page, and that I can have a portal block that is custom html or custom php.

[lurkalot]

I like the fact that Simple Portal lets me put some blocks on all the forum pages, not just the portal page, and that I can have a portal block that is custom html or custom php.

Tinyportal has always been able to do that.

[Kindred]

so does ezportal... and portamx

[Dylert]

What about Dream Portal? Is that good?

I use TinyPortal and think it's ok.

[TheListener]

What about Dream Portal? Is that good?

I use TinyPortal and think it's ok.

AFAIK DP is not available on the mod site. Only at their own forum.

[Account Abandoned]

I have switched to Simple Portal and am really liking it a lot

[live627]

What about Dream Portal? Is that good?

It's good, but isn't on the mod site and lacks the ability to show blocks to specific membergroups.

[BaghdadGhost]

good portal mod is not only about features, you should look for support first and compare, then decide.

[DarkBeast]

May ask for a server that installs these or one ?

[TheListener]

@DarkBeast the mods are installed onto the forum the same way any mod is installed ie via the package manager.

[DarkBeast]

K thanks

[Alaster]

I know this is an old subject, but just to inform that these last free doesn't seams to be ok any longer...

i made a list in the dutch boards for the users there so give here all portals wich work with SMF1.1.x or SMF2.0.x

[...]

EnvisionPortal
Demo http://envisionportal.net/
In Development

Green Day Portal
Demo: Not available yet!
SMF Versie: 2.0.x
In Development

BWPortal
Demo: http://www.bwportal.net
SMF Versie: 2.0.x
In Development Bloc Works on this atm as we speaking !!

[Herman's Mixen]

Live627 is still working at envisionportal ... bloc has stopped development of bwportal as gor now maybe he wil pick that one up... other one dont know about that  its Dr. Deejay's addon..

[Baloch]

For me SIMPLE PORTAL is the best because its providing HTML/BBC/PHP pages and blocks facility.

[Kindred]

Just to note.,, they all do that

[lurkalot]

Just to note.,, they all do that

And some do more than that.

[Arantor]

And some do it badly *scratches chin*

What is certainly true is that they come with varying levels of performance hit attached.

[Kindred]

true, although I have not done any specific performance testing on them.

I believe that all of the portal mods let you make blocks in HTML, PHP or BBCode.
several of them have an incoming RSS parser block at this point.
Most of them (if not all of them) have a whole set of pre-defined SMF and SSI function blocks
a few of them have a downloads system built in
I think that all of them have an articles system (or have a separate mod that links)

ADK and PortaMX are the only ones with a blog system that directly links in to the portal.

I do not believe that any of them have introduced a menu handling interface yet....

I have been the most impressed with PortaMX... but the amount of capability in that mod/portal also makes it difficult to do simple things, sometimes. lol... Feline can be a bit abrassive, but she is extremely competent and is usually very quick to answer questions and help fix any tweaks or problems.

TinyPortal has the longevity factor. It was the first portal mod for SMF and benefits from the input of several former SMF developers. It has a fairly active support site, too.

EZPortal is good and Simple....  It does not have all of the features that come standard in several of the others, but by that same token, the base install is slightly more lightweith. It links to several other mods by the same author which fill the gaps in the base install. vbgamer is busy though and it can be hard to get support questions answered quickly.

DreamPortal...   Well, I have never installed that one myself and have no real input on the features, etc. However, I have seen several complaints regarding the uninstallation process.

SimplePortal seems to be liked by many. Another one that I have not personally installed, though.

ADKPortal...  I was significantly UNimpressed by ADKPortal... nothing particularly wrong with it, but it seemed klunky and I didn't like the default formatting of the blocks.

UltimatePortal - I just saw this one for the first time this week... so I have no opinion one way or the other yet.

I'm sure I missed one or two of the other portal mods...

[Arantor]

You realise, of course, if I hadn't been tied up with other things, I'd have written my own kick-ass portal by now