Best phpBB Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 apps from online community platforms ranked against phpBB on the same published basis.
- 1phpBB vs HumHub
- 2phpBB vs Mighty Networks
- 3phpBB vs Invision Community
- 4phpBB vs Circle
- 5phpBB vs Hivebrite
- 6phpBB vs Heartbeat
- 7phpBB vs Discourse
- 8phpBB vs Higher Logic Thrive
- 9phpBB vs NodeBB
- 10phpBB vs Skool
- 11phpBB vs Daisie
- 12phpBB vs Forums.net
- 13phpBB vs Geneva
- 14phpBB vs Communi
- 16phpBB vs Wisdo
- 17phpBB vs DEV Community
- 18phpBB vs Jodel
- 19phpBB vs Higher Logic Vanilla
- 20phpBB vs Wattpad
- 21phpBB vs Fora
phpBB alternatives compared
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HumHub | 9.3 | Free plan | — | Android, API, iOS, self-hosted, Web |
| 2 | Mighty Networks | 8.8 | No | $79/mo | Android, iOS, Web |
| 3 | Invision Community | 8.6 | No | — | Web, iOS, Android |
| 4 | Circle | 8.6 | No | $89/mo | Android, API, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 5 | Hivebrite | 8.5 | No | — | Web, iOS, Android |
| 6 | Heartbeat | 8.4 | No | $19/mo | Android, iOS |
| 7 | Discourse | 8.2 | Free plan | $100/mo | self-hosted |
| 8 | Higher Logic Thrive | 8.1 | No | — | Web, iOS, Android |
| 9 | NodeBB | 7.9 | Free plan | $20/mo | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 10 | Skool | 7.9 | No | $9/mo | Web, iOS, Android |
| 11 | Daisie | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | iOS, Web |
| 12 | Forums.net | 7.6 | No | $49.99/mo | Android, iOS, Web |
| 13 | Geneva | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Web, iOS, Android |
| 14 | Communi | 7.4 | No | — | Web, iOS, Android |
| 16 | Wisdo | 7.3 | No | — | Web, iOS, Android |
| 17 | DEV Community | 7.3 | No | — | Web, iOS, Android |
| 18 | Jodel | 7.2 | No | — | Web, iOS, Android |
| 19 | Higher Logic Vanilla | 7.1 | No | — | — |
| 20 | Wattpad | 7.1 | No | — | Web, iOS, Android |
| 21 | Fora | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Web |
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Questions about phpBB alternatives
What is the best alternative to phpBB?
HumHub, number 1 in online community platforms with a score of 9.3 out of 10. The others here: Mighty Networks, Invision Community, Circle and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to phpBB?
HumHub is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 6 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation.