Top 20 Open-Source and Free Forum CMS

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Here is a table of popular metrics that are commonly monitored for the Top 20 Forum CMS tools mentioned earlier. Each tool has its own key performance metrics related to user activity, performance, and content management.

Forum CMSMost Popular Metrics Monitored
phpBBTotal Posts, Active Users, Page Load Time, User Registration Rate, Most Popular Threads
DiscourseDaily Active Users, Engagement Metrics (Likes, Comments), Average Response Time, Top Topics
FlarumPosts Per Day, User Growth Rate, Top Categories, Moderation Actions, Most Viewed Topics
MyBBTotal Topics, Replies Per Topic, Average Time On Site, Most Engaged Users, Server Resource Usage
Vanilla ForumsNew Discussions, Total Comments, User Retention, Site Traffic, Page Load Time
Simple Machines ForumMember Post Count, Forum Traffic, New Registrations, Reply-to-Post Ratio, Server Uptime
NodeBBReal-Time Post Count, Active Users, Page View Duration, Most Active Threads, Memory Usage
bbPressWordPress Integration Health, Post Frequency, User Engagement, Comment Approval Time
KunenaNumber of New Posts, User Growth, Topic Engagement Rate, Joomla Extension Compatibility
ElggTotal Messages, Network Growth, Post Frequency, Activity Streams, Load Times
Tiki WikiWiki Page Edits, Forum Replies, Group Activity, Member Login Trends, Plugin Resource Usage
FluxBBForum Post Volume, Thread Popularity, Moderator Activity, Server Load, User Retention
PunBBResponse Time, New User Registrations, Most Popular Categories, Database Query Time
ZetaBoards (Tapatalk)Mobile Usage Statistics, New Discussions, Notifications Sent, Forum Traffic, Active User Base
XenForoSEO Metrics (Search Engine Indexing), User Acquisition, Server Response Times, User Engagement
CodoforumAverage Post Length, Real-Time Discussion Statistics, Time To First Response, Thread Activity
Pligg CMSSocial Sharing Metrics, User Voting Patterns, Post Frequency, Comment Activity, Plugin Usage
miniBBMinimal Thread Volume, Moderator Response Time, Active Member Count, Resource Consumption
Question2AnswerAnswer-to-Question Ratio, Best Answers Chosen, User Interaction (Upvotes/Downvotes), Response Time
ForemMost Engaged Communities, Comment Rate, Post Performance, Content Moderation Actions, User Growth

Explanation:

  1. User Activity Metrics: Includes the number of posts, threads, user engagement (likes, replies, etc.), and active users.
  2. Performance Metrics: Includes page load time, server response times, and resource usage like memory and CPU load.
  3. Engagement Metrics: Includes response rates, popular threads, comment rates, and time spent on site.
  4. Growth Metrics: Monitors user growth, registration rates, and retention statistics.
  5. SEO & Traffic Metrics: Tracks site traffic, SEO performance, and engagement through search engines.

These metrics help site administrators understand the performance, engagement, and overall health of their forum platforms.

Here is a list of the Top 20 Open-Source and Free Forum CMS platforms that can be used for discussion forums and Q&A websites:

1. phpBB

  • Overview: One of the oldest and most popular open-source forum platforms, offering a range of plugins and extensions.
  • Key Features: Extensible with plugins, themes, and customizations.
  • Website: phpBB

2. Discourse

  • Overview: A modern and robust open-source platform designed for community discussions, Q&A, and forums.
  • Key Features: Real-time notifications, mobile-friendly, customizable plugins.
  • Website: Discourse

3. Flarum

  • Overview: A fast and lightweight forum platform with an intuitive interface and flexible extensions.
  • Key Features: Minimalist design, extensible with community extensions.
  • Website: Flarum

4. MyBB

  • Overview: A free, open-source forum software with many customization options and a familiar forum structure.
  • Key Features: Plugin system, themes, community support.
  • Website: MyBB

5. Vanilla Forums (Open Source)

  • Overview: A flexible and lightweight forum solution that allows deep integration with existing websites.
  • Key Features: Customizable themes, Q&A formats, plugins.
  • Website: Vanilla Forums

6. Simple Machines Forum (SMF)

  • Overview: SMF is a popular and free forum platform known for its simplicity and customization options.
  • Key Features: Extensive plugin system, theming, SEO-friendly.
  • Website: SMF

7. NodeBB

  • Overview: A modern forum software built with Node.js, offering real-time discussions and a sleek user interface.
  • Key Features: Real-time, push notifications, plugin support.
  • Website: NodeBB

8. bbPress

  • Overview: A forum software built by WordPress developers, designed to integrate seamlessly with WordPress sites.
  • Key Features: Lightweight, simple, and easy integration with WordPress.
  • Website: bbPress

9. Kunena

  • Overview: A native Joomla forum extension, designed to integrate smoothly with Joomla-based websites.
  • Key Features: Joomla integration, multiple templates, easy setup.
  • Website: Kunena

10. Elgg

  • Overview: A social networking engine that can be customized to function as a forum or community platform.
  • Key Features: Social networking tools, modularity, plugins.
  • Website: Elgg

11. Tiki Wiki CMS Groupware

  • Overview: A wiki-centric forum solution with powerful collaboration tools.
  • Key Features: Wiki, forums, Q&A, integrated communication tools.
  • Website: Tiki Wiki

12. FluxBB

  • Overview: A fast, lightweight, and easy-to-use forum software focused on simplicity and speed.
  • Key Features: Lightweight, fast, customizable.
  • Website: FluxBB

13. PunBB

  • Overview: Another lightweight forum solution designed for minimalism and simplicity.
  • Key Features: Simple layout, easy to install and maintain.
  • Website: PunBB

14. ZetaBoards (Now Tapatalk Forums)

  • Overview: Once a free forum platform, now integrated with Tapatalk, a popular mobile-first forum platform.
  • Key Features: Mobile-first design, community interaction.
  • Website: Tapatalk Forums

15. XenForo (Paid with Open Source Plugins)

  • Overview: While not entirely open source, XenForo offers a robust platform with community-developed plugins and themes.
  • Key Features: SEO-friendly, modern interface, premium support.
  • Website: XenForo

16. Codoforum

  • Overview: A free and open-source forum software with a modern user interface and a focus on simplicity.
  • Key Features: Clean UI, built-in SEO, mobile responsive.
  • Website: Codoforum

17. Pligg CMS

  • Overview: A forum CMS geared towards social news and discussions with voting mechanisms (like Reddit).
  • Key Features: Social media-like voting, customizable.
  • Website: Pligg

18. miniBB

  • Overview: A minimalistic forum solution aimed at providing a lightweight forum with essential features.
  • Key Features: Fast, minimal design, plugin-friendly.
  • Website: miniBB

19. Question2Answer

  • Overview: A Q&A-focused platform designed specifically for building question-and-answer forums.
  • Key Features: Q&A functionality, customizable themes and plugins.
  • Website: Question2Answer

20. Forem

  • Overview: Open-source software that powers the DEV community and other similar discussion-based communities.
  • Key Features: Real-time updates, customizable for communities.
  • Website: Forem