Open Source Forum Software for Content Management

Allaire Forums (also known as Cold Fusion Forums)

Previously a commercial product, now available as free open-source software. Based on Allaire's Cold Fusion, a tool for creation of interactive Web database applications.

ASP-DEV Discussion Forum

Linear forum software somewhat similar to Ultimate Bulletin Board implemented with Active Server Pages.

ASP Forums

Threaded message board software implemented with Active Server Pages, Javascript, and VBScript. Any ODBC/SQL compliant database can be used for message storage.

AZbb

Forum based on PHP. Free for nonprofit and personal use.

Backtalk

Linear forum software, compatible with YAPP. Comes with C source code.

Basic Bulletin Board Script

See WebBBS.

Bazaar

Bazaar is configurable through template files, allowing the creation of a variety of applications in addition to message boards, such as polls, FAQs, and announcement boards.

BBMatic

Simple bulletin board software.

BlazeBoard

PHP-based message board software with email notification, instant messaging, polls, and other features.

Ceilidh

Displays the developer's banner ads. (Buying the commercial version lets you eliminate the ads.) Features e-mail notification and listserv capabilities.

Class-1 Forum Software

Forum software based on PHP and MySQL, and distributed under the GNU General Public License.

Code Project Discussion Boards

Open source message board software, implemented as an Active-X control and ASP scripts.

ConferWeb

Simple system with linear discussions. Also suitable for use as a guestbook.

COW - Conferencing On Web

Exceptionally powerful for a freeware product. Similar to YAPP.

CrazyWWWBoard

Freeware version of CrazyWWWBoard.

Discus

Uses a tree structure for categorizing topics and subtopics, but each discussion is presented as a continuous, linear stream of responses. Available in English and several other languages.

DiscussionWeb

Remembers what you have read (something most freeware systems can't do).

D³E - Digital Document Discourse Environment

Open Source tool for document-centered discussions. Works with customized versions of HyperNews and Phorum.

eThreads

Supports distributed servers. Requires Perl and mySql.

Forum News Gateway

Usenet News gateway. No longer supported by its developers, but still available.
[Description in WWW Unleashed]

FruitWare BBS

Displays all messages in a forum on one page.

FUDforum

Bulletin board with many features, including tracking which posts each user has read, moderation, support for multiple languages, and integration with newsgroups and email lists. Requires PHP and MySQL or PostgreSQL.

Hypermail

E-mail gateway: permits Web browsing of a mailing list archive.
[Description in WWW Unleashed]

HyperNews

Allows discussions to be distributed across multiple Web servers.
[Description in WWW Unleashed]

Ikonboard

Flat (linear) message board software featuring email notification and instant messaging.

InterMix

Allows readers to register approval and interest ratings for each message. Complete source code is freely available.

Invision Power Board

Based on PHP and mySQL. Requires a license fee if you want to remove the Invision "powered by" and copyright notices. Also available as a hosted service.

jGossip

Forum software based on Java and the Struts framework.

lightNews (previously lwNEWS and vw3news)

An open source application.

LWGate

Web interface to mailing lists; includes Web browsing of a mailing list archive.

meep!Board

Developer: Standpipe Studios

MHonArc

E-mail gateway: permits Web browsing of a mailing list or newsgroup archive.

mod_virgule

Open source forum and weblog software which drives Advogato. Also see the Virgule scripting engine.

mwForum

Open source threaded forum software implemented with Perl and MySQL. The user interface is available in English, German, and several other languages.

NeoBoard

Open source message board software implemented with PHP and MySQL. Features e-mail notification.

Net.Polemics

Still under development. Uses a threaded structure but displays each topic as a continuously scrolling discussion.

OpenACS

A suite of open source modules designed for building web-based communities, originally based on ArsDigita's ACS.

Phorum

Open source message board software implemented with PHP and MySQL. Features e-mail notification and moderated posting.

phpBB

Popular open source message board software implemented with PHP. Features e-mail notification. Requires an external database (MySQL, MS SQL, PostgreSQL, or Access).

PHP/FI Webboard

Simple bulletin board software implemented with PHP/FI and MySQL. Sample discussion is in Russian.

PHP-Nuke

A Usenet News system based on PHP.

PHPSlash

A version of Slash, ported from the original Perl to PHP.

Prattle

Simple open source forum software with a linear conversation structure, implemented with PHP and MySQL.

Ruboard

Simple BBS software, originally modelled after WWWBoard.

Scoop

Open source system similar to Slash.

SKForum

Open source system based on J2EE and MySQL, which also features an address book, a wiki, polling, a guest book, and other widgets.

Slash

Open source news and message board software implemented with Perl and MySQL.

SMF (Simple Machines Forum)

Open source community software based on PHP and MySQL.

Snitz Forums

Feature-rich message board software similar to UBB, based on ASP.

Squishdot

Open source weblog and discussion software inspired by Slashdot. This is a plug-in module for Zope.

Synthigence Forum

Threaded message board software. Requires Microsoft .NET Framework and MS Access or SQL Server. Pro version (not free) includes C# source code.

Teemz

Customizable, linear message board software.

Thread-IT

Simple message board software implemented with Active Server Pages.

Ultimate Bulletin Board

A stripped-down freeware version of the commercial product.

UltraBoard

Free for personal and nonprofit use.

Venice Web Communities System

Linear forum software with open source, under development.

vw3news

See lightNews.

W-Agora

BBS software that features a multilingual user interface and ability to upload file attachments to messages. Comes with full source code in PHP.

Washington Candidates Forum

Free Perl scripts designed to support online debates between candidates for office.

WebBBS

A template you can hack to suit your own needs. Formerly known simply as "Basic Bulletin Board Script."

WebMoot (formerly known as WebÞing)

Features realtime chat and e-mail participation.

Web Wiz Forums

ASP-based bulletin board software. Free download, but there is a modest fee if you want to remove the Web Wiz branding and links from the user interface. Requires MS Access or SQL Server.

WikiWikiWeb

A simple but powerful tool that's unlike anything else. Essentially, a wiki is an open-ended, interlinked set of web pages that anyone can edit or add to. A wiki can be used as a discussion forum, a database, an organically grown encyclopedia... you name it. There are now many versions, written for many different platforms. A list is available here.

WWWBoard

Very widely used.

W3 Interactive Talk (WIT)

Highly structured forum software designed for group decision making. Probably the first Web forum system (created June 1994).
[Description in WWW Unleashed]

W3news

CGI-based Usenet newsreader. Connects directly to NNTP servers. Page layout is configurable through template HTML pages.

XMB Forum (Extreme Message Board)

Based on PHP and MySQL.

YaBB (Yet another Bulletin Board)

Perl-based message board software.

YaBB SE

Enhanced version of YaBB. No longer being supported, since the development team has gone on to create SMF.

Zorum

Based on PHP and MySQL. Supports both linear and threaded discussion views. A commercial release is planned, but the original will remain free for noncommercial users.