phpBB™ (“PHP Bulletin Board”) is the world's leading Open Source forum software.

Millions of people use phpBB on a daily basis, making it the most widely used opensource bulletin board system in the world. Whether you want to stay in touch with a small group of friends or are looking to set up a large multi-category board for a corporate website, phpBB has the features you need built in.

Newer users will appreciate phpBB's extensive administration panel, which allows the customization of even the most intricate features without having to edit code directly, while advanced users will value the ease with which phpBB can be integrated into existing systems.

Because phpBB is released under the GNU General Public License, you may make changes to the code without first having to obtain permission from the phpBB Group. Our extensive database of user created modifications makes changing and adding features as simple as pasting code into the appropriate files, while the styles database contains hundreds of style and image packages to customise your board.

The detailed documentation and video tutorials available on this site will help you get phpBB running on your server in minutes. If you have any questions, members of the community will be happy to assist you with anything from configuring the software to modifying the code for your individual needs.

No other bulletin board software offers a greater complement of features, while maintaining efficiency and ease of use. Best of all, phpBB is completely free. We welcome you to test it for yourself today.

phpBB2 - phpBB3 Feature Comparison

Feature	phpBB2	phpBB3
General
License:	GPL	GPL
License Price:	Free	Free
Programming Language:	PHP	PHP
Latest Version:	2.0.23	3.0.5
Release Date:	17 Feb, 2008	31 May, 2009
Basic Features
UTF-8 Support:	No	Yes
User Preferences:	Yes User PreferencesPage: Preferences, Avatar, and Signature[?]	Yes User PreferencesComplete Modularised Control Panel -- See Below for details[?]
Moderation:	Yes ModerationSimple Moderator Controls[?]	Yes ModerationComplete Modularised Control Panel -- See Below for details[?]
Administration:	Yes AdministrationFrameset-style Control Panel[?]	Yes AdministrationComplete Modularised Control Panel -- See Below for details[?]
Search Engine spider Handling:	No	Yes Search Engine spider HandlingEditable Spider/Crawler/Bot List and Management[?]
Unread message tracking:	Yes Unread message trackingSession based read/unread tracking[?]	Yes Unread message trackingFull Persistent read/unread tracking -- Not limited by per-visit sessions[?]
Private Message System:	Yes	Yes
Statistics:	Yes	Yes
Security
Permanent Bans:	Yes	Yes Permanent BansIncluding reason shown to user and Moderator comment[?]
Temporary Bans (Suspension):	No	Yes Temporary Bans (Suspension)Including Reason shown to user and Moderator comment[?]
Permissions:	Yes	Yes PermissionsAdvanced and Customisable Permissions System -- See below Permissions Section for additional details[?]
Paid Security Code Audit:	No	Yes
Form Handling:	Yes Form HandlingSession based forms[?]	Yes Form HandlingUser based forms[?]
Type Aware Parameter Handling:	No	Yes
Type Aware Database Layer:	No	Yes
Password Hashing:	Yes Password HashingMethod: MD5[?]	Yes Password HashingMethod: Multiple Runs, Salted, and/or MD5[?]
Anti-Spam
CAPTCHA Visual Confirmation:	Yes	Yes CAPTCHA Visual ConfirmationCustomise Difficulty and CAPTCHA Noise[?]
Flood Control:	Yes	Yes
Groups:	Yes	Yes
ACLs:	Yes	Yes
Blacklist:	Yes	Yes
Banning:	Yes	Yes
Suspensions:	No	Yes
Warnings:	No	Yes
User Logging:	No	Yes
User Post IP Logging:	Yes	Yes
Report Posts:	No	Yes
Post Moderation:	Yes	Yes
Data Management
MySQL:	Yes	Yes MySQLMySQL 3.23+, MySQLi[?]
MSSQL Server:	Yes	Yes
MSSQL ODBC:	Yes	Yes
PostgreSQL:	Yes	Yes
MS Access:	Yes	No
Oracle:	No	Yes
Firebird:	No	Yes
SQLite:	No	Yes
Database (DBMS) Backups:	Yes (MySQL Only)	Yes
Database (DBMS) Restore:	Yes (MySQL Only)	Yes
Post/Topic Pruning:	Yes	Yes
Registration
COPPA Registrations:	Yes	Yes COPPA RegistrationsToggle On/Off[?]
Limit Registration Attempts:	Yes	Yes
Set min/max Username Length:	No	Yes
Set min/max Password Length:	No	Yes
Limit username Chars:	No	Yes
Set Password Complexity Requirements:	No	Yes
Force Password Change:	No	Yes
Allow/Disallow e-mail Address Re-usage:	No Allow/Disallow e-mail Address Re-usageDuplicate E-mails are always disallowed[?]	Yes Allow/Disallow e-mail Address Re-usageAllow or Disallow Duplicate E-Mail Addresses[?]
Posting
Topic Display Method:	Flat	Flat
BBCode:	Yes	Yes
Custom BBCode Buttons:	No	Yes
HTML in posts:	Yes	No
Smilies/Emoticons:	Yes	Yes
Quoting:	Yes QuotingNested[?]	Yes QuotingNested, Configurable maximum nested depth[?]
Quote Multiple Posts:	No	Yes Quote Multiple PostsMultiple post quoting through Topic Review[?]
Formatting Toolbar:	Yes	Yes
Word Censors:	Yes	Yes
Syntax Highlighting:	No	Yes
Attachments:	No	Yes (Multiple)
Post Drafts:	No	Yes
Polls:	Yes	Yes
Multiple Poll Option Voting:	No	Yes
User based Poll Tracking:	No	Yes
Allow/Disallow Vote Change:	No	Yes
Beaten-to-Posting Review:	No	Yes
Posting Preview:	Yes	Yes
Flood Control:	Yes	yes
Attachments
Automatic Image Thumbnails:	No	Yes
Attachment Types:	No	Yes Attachment TypesImages, Documents, Audio Streams, Video Streams, Archives[?]
Multiple Attachments:	No	Yes
Attachment Placement:	No	Yes Attachment PlacementInline and/or standard[?]
Caching
Database Query Caching:	No	Yes
Template Caching:	No	Yes
Arbitrary Data:	No	Yes
Manual Cache Refreshing:	No	Yes
Profiles / Memberlist
Custom Profile Fields:	No	Yes
User Posting Stats:	Yes	Yes
User Instant Messengers:	Yes	Yes
User Profile details:	Yes	Yes
Memberlist Searching:	No	Yes
Disallow Non-Registered User Memberlist Viewing:	No	Yes
Search System
Fulltext Native:	Yes	Yes Fulltext NativeUsing fulltext native Search Plug-in[?]
Customised Topic Search:	No	Yes
Customised Forum Search:	Yes	Yes
MySQL fulltext:	No	Yes MySQL fulltextUsing included MySQL fulltext Search Plug-in[?]
Author Search:	Yes	Yes
Advanced Search:	Yes	Yes
View unanswered posts:	Yes	Yes
Active/New Topics:	No	Yes
Posts Since Last Visit:	Yes	Yes
Search Flood Control:	Yes	Yes
Forums
Categories:	Yes	Yes
Password Protected Forums:	No	Yes
Forum Specific Styles:	No	Yes
URL Link Redirect Forums:	No	Yes URL Link Redirect ForumsToggle on/off Redirect Count[?]
Forum Rules:	No	Yes
Subforums:	No	Yes SubforumsUnlimited Nested Levels[?]
Last Post:	Yes	Yes
Forum Pruning:	Yes	Yes
Display Active Topics:	Yes	Yes
Subscribe to Forums:	No	Yes Subscribe to ForumsE-mail, Jabber/XMPP Notifications[?]
Subscribe to Topics:	Yes	Yes Subscribe to TopicsE-mail, Jabber/XMPP Notifications[?]
Bookmark Topics:	No	Yes
Topic Sorting:	No	Yes Topic SortingSort by Author, Selectable Post Time, Replies, Subject and Views in descending or ascending order[?]
Post Sorting:	No	Yes Post SortingSort by Author, Selectable Post Time, and Subject in descending or ascending order[?]
Topic Participation Tracking:	No	Yes
Print Topics:	No	Yes
E-mail Topics:	No	Yes E-mail TopicsE-mail Topic to friend with Language choice[?]
User Control Panel
User Signatures:	Yes	Yes
User Avatars:	Yes	Yes
User Ranks:	Yes	Yes
Users Online List:	Yes	Yes
User Preferences:	Yes	Yes
User Profile Settings:	Yes	Yes
Manage Saved PM/Post Drafts:	No	Yes
Manage Bookmarks:	No	Yes
Manage Attachments:	No	Yes
Manage Subscribed Topics:	No	Yes
Custom Profile Fields:	No	Yes
Friends/Foe List:	No	Yes
Private Messaging
Additional PM Folders:	No	Yes
Customisable PM Filter Rules:	No	Yes
Send to Multiple Recipients:	No	Yes Send to Multiple RecipientsGroups and/or Users[?]
Send Blind Carbon Copies:	No	Yes
Send to Groups:	No	Yes
Forward Messages:	No	Yes
Address Book:	No	Yes Address BookUsing Friends list[?]
Message Drafts:	No	Yes
Export Messages:	No	Yes
Attachments for Messages:	No	Yes
Conversation View:	No	Yes
Custom Message Handling Rules:	No	Yes
Usergroups
Group Types:	Yes: Hidden, Closed, Open	Yes: Hidden, Closed, Open, Request
UCP Group Management:	Yes	Yes
UCP Manage Group Memberships:	Yes	Yes
Multiple Group Leaders:	No Multiple Group LeadersSingle Group Leader/Moderator only[?]	Yes Multiple Group LeadersMultiple Group Leaders[?]
Custom Group Colours:	No	Yes
Group Ranks:	No	Yes
Group Avatars:	No	Yes
Group-based Memberlist Display:	No	Yes
Moderation Control Panel
Global Moderators:	No	Yes
Forum Moderators:	Yes	Yes
Topics/Posts Moderation Queue:	No	Yes
Manage Reported Topics/Posts:	No	Yes
Topic History:	No	Yes
Forum/Topic Logs:	No	Yes
Localised Moderator Logs:	No	Yes
Post Editing:	Yes	Yes
Post Locking:	No	Yes Post LockingPost Locking prevents user from editing post[?]
Post Details:	Yes	Yes
Change Post Author:	No	Yes
Quick-Mod Tools:	Yes	Yes Quick-Mod ToolsExpanded[?]
Moving Topics:	Yes	Yes
Move Multiple Topics:	Yes	Yes
Merging Topics:	No	Yes
Merging Posts:	No	Yes
Merging Multiple Topics:	No	Yes
Split Topics:	Yes	Yes
Locking Topics:	Yes	Yes
Deleting Topics:	Yes	Yes
Copying Topics:	No	Yes
Global Topics:	No	Yes
Announcement Topics:	Yes	Yes
Sticky Topics:	Yes	Yes
Manage Bans:	No	Yes Manage BansManage Suspensions (Temporary Bans), Permanent Bans, plus reason for ban[?]
Manage User Warnings:	No	Yes
Banning by Username:	No	Yes
Banning by E-mail Address:	No	Yes
Banning by IP Address:	No	Yes
User Notes:	No	Yes
Administration Control Panel
Founder Status/Board Creator:	No	Yes
Load Settings:	Yes	Yes
Prune Inactive Users:	No	Yes
Manage Ranks:	Yes	Yes
Manage Groups:	Yes	Yes
Manage Group Memberships:	Yes	Yes
Manage Attachments and Settings:	No	Yes
Manage User Attachments:	No	Yes
User Editing:	Yes	Yes User EditingAdvanced Interface -- Complete User Administration: Overview, profile, preferences, permissions, groups, avatar, signature, and settings[?]
List Groups on Index:	No	Yes
Topic Icons:	No	Yes
Mass e-mail:	Yes	Yes
Manage report/denial Reasons:	No	Yes
Module Management:	No	Yes
Custom BBCodes:	No	Yes
Custom Profile Fields:	No	Yes
Custom Profile Fields Placement Options:	No	Yes Custom Profile Fields Placement OptionsRequired fields, Optional but fields shown on registration, Field shown in Profile, Field shown in Memberlist, Field shown in Topics, Moderator/Admin Profile Field (hidden from user)[?]
Custom Profile Fields Data Types:	No	Yes Custom Profile Fields Data TypesDates, Integers, Text Fields, Textareas, Menu lists, Toggle (on/off, yes/no), Radio Buttons[?]
Manage Bans:	Yes	Yes Manage BansManage Suspensions (Temporary Bans), Permanent Bans, plus reason for ban[?]
Banning by Username:	Yes	Yes
Banning by E-mail Address:	Yes	Yes
Banning by IP Address:	Yes	Yes
Styles
User Selectable Styles:	Yes	Yes
Install/Manage Custom Styles:	Yes	Yes
Customise/Edit Templates:	No	Yes
Customise/Edit Themes:	No	Yes
Customise/Edit Imagesets:	No	Yes
Permissions
Group Based Global Permissions:	Yes	Yes
Group Based Moderator Permissions:	Yes	Yes
Group Based Administration Permissions:	Yes	Yes
Group Based Forum Permissions:	Yes	Yes
User Based Global Permissions:	Yes	Yes
User Based Moderator Permissions:	Yes	Yes
User Based Administration Permissions:	Yes	Yes
User Based Forum Permissions:	Yes	Yes
Admin Permission Roles:	No	Yes
User Permission Roles:	No	Yes
Moderator Permission Roles:	No	Yes
Forum Permission Roles:	No	Yes
Multi-level Permission Masks:	No	Yes
Notifications
E-mail:	Yes	Yes
Instant Messaging:	No	Yes Instant MessagingJabber Support[?]
Bookmarks:	No	Yes
Localisation
Support for Multiple Language Packs:	Yes	Yes
Languages:	50+	61+
Right to Left Support:	No	Yes
Language Pack Web-Editor:	No	Yes
Installation / Upgrade
Installation Wizard:	Yes	Yes
Update Wizard:	No	Yes
Converter Wizard:	No	Yes
File Merge Diff Update Engine:	No	Yes
Technical Features
CMS Software Integration:	No	Yes CMS Software IntegrationJoomla! Third Party Bridge with Joomla! auth plug-in[?]
XHTML Compliant:	No XHTML CompliantHTML 4.01[?]	Yes XHTML CompliantXHTML 1.0 Strict Compliant[?]
Plug-ins
Auth Plug-ins:	No	Yes Auth Plug-insApache, DB, LDAP Auth plug-ins included[?]
Search Plug-ins:	No	Yes Search Plug-insNative, MySQL Search plug-ins included[?]
Cache Plug-ins:	No	Yes Cache Plug-insFile Cache Method plug-in included, other Cache plug-ins: memcache, X-Cache, APC, eAccelerator[?]
Hooks System:	No	Yes
Expandable Modules:	Yes Expandable ModulesAdministration Control Panel[?]	Yes Expandable ModulesACP, UCP, MCP plus any and all custom Control Panels installed[?]