phpBB vs. JForum vs. BurningBoard vs. SMF vs. EvilBoard

General phpBB JForum BurningBoard SMF EvilBoard
Version
3.0.8
2.1.8
4.1.11
2.0.6
0.1a
Release Date
2010-11-19 (13 years ago)
2008-10-31 (15 years ago)
2016-03-12 (8 years ago)
2013-10-21 (10 years ago)
2006-10-02 (17 years ago)
Last Update here
2011-06-22 (12 years ago)
2008-01-02 (16 years ago)
2016-05-30 (7 years ago)
2013-10-25 (10 years ago)
2008-01-21 (16 years ago)
Author
The phpBB Group
Rafael Steil
Woltlab GmbH
Simple Machines
Arne-Christian Blystad
URL
Free and Open Source
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
License
General Public License
BSD
commercial / visible source
BSD
LGPL
License cost
0.00
0
$89.99
0
Main View
Thread-Type
Flat
Flat
Flat
Flat
Flat
Setup phpBB JForum BurningBoard SMF EvilBoard
Installation method
wizard
wizard
wizard
wizard
Upgrade method
wizard with manual interactions
manual
wizard
wizard
Hosting available
No
No
No
No
No
Technology phpBB JForum BurningBoard SMF EvilBoard
Programming Language
PHP
Java
PHP5
PHP
PHP
UTF-8 Support
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Data Storage
6
Firebird Database, Microsoft SQL Database, MySQL Database, Oracle Database, PostgreSQL Database, SQLite File Database
3
MySQL Database, Oracle Database, PostgreSQL Database
1
MySQL Database
3
MySQL Database, PostgreSQL Database, SQLite File Database
1
MySQL Database
Other Storage
HSQLDB
Source Code Repo
Issue Tracker
Posts phpBB JForum BurningBoard SMF EvilBoard
BBCode
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
HTML
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Emoticons
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Formatting Toolbar
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
WYSIWYG Editor
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Quoting
Nested
Nested
Nested
Nested
None
Syntax Highlighting
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Attachments
Multiple files
Multiple files
Multiple files
Multiple files
No
Tags
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Mark as solved
Forums phpBB JForum BurningBoard SMF EvilBoard
Categories
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Subforums
unlimited
No
unlimited
unlimited
No
Last Post
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Redirect Forums
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Trashcan Forum
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Anti-Spam and Security phpBB JForum BurningBoard SMF EvilBoard
CAPTCHA
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Groups
Multiple groups
Multiple groups
Multiple groups
Multiple groups
Multiple groups
Flood Control
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
ACLs
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Blacklist
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Warnings
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Suspension
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Bans
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
IP-Block
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Audit Logging
Yes
Unknown
Yes
Yes
Unknown
User Reports
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Unknown
Other
Plugin-based CAPTCHA system, Newly Registered Users permissions
An Akismet mod is available
Notification phpBB JForum BurningBoard SMF EvilBoard
RSS/ATOM
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
E-Mail
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Instant Messaging
Jabber
0
Plugin
Bookmarks
Yes
Yes
Yes
Plugin
No
Community phpBB JForum BurningBoard SMF EvilBoard
Avatars
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
User Ranks
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rating/Karma System
Patch
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Signatures
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Users Online List
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Private Messaging
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Custom profile fields
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Moderation phpBB JForum BurningBoard SMF EvilBoard
Moderators
global and forums
global and forums
global and forums
global, forums and threads
global and forums
Move Threads
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Split Threads
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Close Threads
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Shadow Topics
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Sticky Threads
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Important Threads
Yes
Yes
Yes
Plugin
Yes
Search phpBB JForum BurningBoard SMF EvilBoard
Full-text search
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Author search
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Advanced search
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Unread Topics
Database tracked
Database tracked
Database tracked
Database tracked
Customization phpBB JForum BurningBoard SMF EvilBoard
Languages
0
0
0
0
0
Mobile View
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Templates
global and forum specific
global
global and forum specific
global and forum specific
None
Custom BBCodes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Plugin
No
Skin-Editor
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Smiley Packs
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Plugins
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Special Features phpBB JForum BurningBoard SMF EvilBoard
Statistics
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Polls
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Calendar
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Friendly URLs
Plugin
Yes
Yes
Plugin
No
Data Management phpBB JForum BurningBoard SMF EvilBoard
Available Importers
Pruning
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Archiving
No
No
Yes
Plugin
No
Export Formats
SQL Dumps in .sql, sql.gz, and .sql.bz2
sql
WAP(2), IMode
Export private messages
Yes
No
Yes
Plugin
No
Lo-Fi View
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
remove phpBB remove JForum remove BurningBoard remove SMF remove EvilBoard