smf vs phpbb3

[adicrst]

Well, phpbb3 was just released (after freaking 3 years of breaging ) and i looked at it and liked what i've seen. If it would have been released 3 years ago, i would use it right now, but after discovering smf i'm NOT going back.

I tested the new forum and at the fist look, i'm quite impresed to tell you the truth. Alot of options and things that a few months ago u could only dream at. Judging impartial now,  i think smf should hurry with the release of smf 2 and it should have atlest as much things to control users as phpbb3.

If utested phpbb3, tell us what u think and what uexpect from smf 2

[nick09]

i know a second beta for charter members is coming.

but it has too many bugs at the moment to be released period.

[vbgamer45]

SMF 2.0 rocks and SMF 1.1.4 still has many features that phpbb3 does not have such as the package manager, quick reply, spell check, ssi,calendar and a lot of other stuff.

[shadow82x]

after using smf2.0 there is no threat of phpbb3 at all. I tested phpbb3 on my server alongside with smf2.0 and smf runs A LOT faster. phpbb is still missing quick reply, edit ect. They made there package more bloated than ever, imho.

[!Hachi!]

SMF ===> Simple ,Elegant,free,safe
               plus its dead easy to use....just superb piece of software.

[Fiery]

Now Now, just remember we are all friends.  There is nothing wrong with competition.  Some people just like some software options better then others.



Though I admit I am pretty fond of SMF 

[karlbenson]

Second topic of this nature in one evening, I'll try to be a bit more elegant and careful in what I say this time.

Whenever deciding on any forum software try them all out to give careful consideration
Don't rely solely on the information given on the official websites/forums (Possibility of bias/selective editing)
Do some thorough research (google is your friend)
Consider important factors, not just features
- Trust/Reputation (Good/bad/newcomer)
- Security (find expert reviews, discussion of prevalency of exploits, which do 'experts' recommend)
- Features (+ expansion of features via plugins/mods/hacks)
Always make an INformed decision

Also remember the permanency of your decision.  Usually there are conversion scripts, is there one available to another software, is one going to be available soon?

My own opinion/recommendation for whats its worth having used a variety and not out of loyalty to any particular forum software.
[free] SMF
[paid] Vbulletin

[klumy]

Well, phpbb3 was just released (after freaking 3 years of breaging ) and i looked at it and liked what i've seen. If it would have been released 3 years ago, i would use it right now, but after discovering smf i'm NOT going back.

I tested the new forum and at the fist look, i'm quite impresed to tell you the truth. Alot of options and things that a few months ago u could only dream at. Judging impartial now,  i think smf should hurry with the release of smf 2 and it should have atlest as much things to control users as phpbb3.

If utested phpbb3, tell us what u think and what uexpect from smf 2

to give an opinion SMF 2 Final should be released first, so we can compare both products on the same release level.

[Dragooon]

SMF 2 will be released when it has to and when it will be stable. Developers don't want to hurry and give out a bugged software.

"Its ready when its ready".

[Jade Elizabeth]

I tested the beta, but not this one. Though id like to say the beta was so confusing and muddled up I couldn't do crap with it. I literally had to read the manual, and then I still didn't get it and had to watch some flash thing someone made...though after doing that about 6 times I could do it by myself. It was too fiddly. I don't think ill be testing the gold version, though a phpBB forum I'm on will be upgrading, so I'll get to see it from a "users" perspective

[klumy]

on the first look phpBB 3.0 is a huge step forward.:

+ I especially like the good layout for their user control panel and their clean search interface.
- I still miss the option to define the number of topics shich could be displayed on a page in phpBB 3.0

[adicrst]

Now Now, just remember we are all friends.

Well, phpbb3 was just released (after freaking 3 years of breaging ) and i looked at it and liked what i've seen. If it would have been released 3 years ago, i would use it right now, but after discovering smf i'm NOT going back.

like i said, i like smf and just because i made this topic doesnt mean i have to like phpbb. But we have to judge equally every software. I've seen some options that smf curently doesnt even have them:

- full control over signatures (h,w,length,URL allowed or not, etc)
- managing groups better then smf

What i didnt liked in the past was that after i got a database of 50 mb, i converted for smf and it had 3 mb, and optimizing if very useful for large boards so from this point of view smf is way better.

What i didn't liked at the new phpbb was the large amount of details you have to specify but i guess that smf's group administration compensates that 2

[Grudge]

As I said in the other topic I think phpBB3 is a huge step forward over phpBB2, and certainly highlights a number of areas where SMF needs to improve (Particularly in terms of the quality of the output HTML code). My only critisism is that I'm not convinced that they have made the best decisions with their feature set. There seem to be a number of features that are getting very close to being "bloat" whilst they still lack other features which people have come to expect in their forum software, and when I looked at it last (Some 9 months ago) the admin centre was getting very confusing with stuff appearing in many places.

Personally I think it's hard for anyone to say which is better out of phpBB3 and SMF as they both have comparative strengths and weaknesses which will vary dependant on the admin's requirement. I also don't think it's reasonable to say "SMF 2.0 will do this" as, frankly, SMF 2.0 isn't out yet - and might not be for another year or two (You never know - a disaster could happen).

In conclusion I'm delighted to hear that phpBB3 is now out and available. I think for too long there's been a lack of serious free competition for SMF (punBB and myBB are the only other boards worth considering IMHO but they both go for different markets) - with most of the competition coming from vB (or to a much lesser extent IPB). phpBB3 was desperately needed by everyone to keep pushing the "freeware" community forward and bring some more innovation back into the market. Hopefully this healthy competition keeps the free software community evolving which in turn gives every admin out there better choice and more functionality for free.

[kangkenyot]

My own opinion/recommendation for whats its worth having used a variety and not out of loyalty to any particular forum software.
[free] SMF
[paid] Vbulletin

Totally agree based on my experience trying one by one every forum's software available on the net.

[Jade Elizabeth]

i agree with grudge....but if you say it might take years again i might not survive the second heart attack

[Gary]

HOMER: But I'm out of the woods now right, I mean, whatever doesnt kill me can only make me stronger.
DR. HIBBERT: Oh no, quite the opposite. Its made you weak as a kitten. Look. <Slaps>
HOMER: Hey, come on, quit it!
DR. HIBBERT: Coochy coochy coo!
HOMER: Stop. Please stop.
DR. HIBBERT: Oh you swing like a girl! Come on now! <rubs Homers head>
HOMER: Please have mercy.
DR. HIBBERT: Got your nose! <laugh>
HOMER: Not Funny
DR. HIBBERT: How about this little bee! Bzzzzzz. <presses Homer's stomach>

[uberjon]

SMF ===> Simple ,Elegant,free,safe
               plus its dead easy to use....just superb piece of software.

i have to agree on the "dead easy to use" part. but i wonder if i should also be offended. (i tried many times to install phpbb2 back in the day. with no luck....

[H]

I gotta wonder who voted:

smf much catch up with phpbb3

SMF has a lot more useful features than phpbb3 IMO. Some things (like post moderation) are being tested and will be released to the public soon (see: Introducing SMF 2.0) and any other minor features should be available here as mods.

[Jade Elizabeth]

actually...i love the phpBB moderation system...you can put single users on post approval or an entire group. it came in handy. and you can set passworded boards and heaps of stuff. it was so awesome to do that...it just took for friggin ever LOL

[adicrst]

I think a good board also means to have alot of default options rather then infusing or moding it