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Head-to-head · Forum Hosting

Discourse vs XenForo

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Discourse #1 in Forum Hosting 9.4/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Discourse
XenForo #3 in Forum Hosting 9.0/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 5 features Visit XenForo

Discourse leads on 1 check, XenForo on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreDiscourse · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Discourse
  • Free trialonly Discourse

Discourse scores higher on our rubric for forum hosting: 9.4 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #3.

Discourse offers free plan; XenForo doesn't.

Discourse is the better fit for most communities seeking a mature all-round forum. XenForo is the better fit for self-hosted forums needing powerful moderation.

  • Discourse fits best

    Most communities seeking a mature all-round forum

  • XenForo fits best

    Self-hosted forums needing powerful moderation

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Side by side

Feature Discourse 9.4/10 Visit ↗ XenForo 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.0
Ranking #1 in Forum Hosting #3 in Forum Hosting
Best for Most communities seeking a mature all-round forum Self-hosted forums needing powerful moderation
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $100/mo —
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial 14 days —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted, Mobile Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web
Support Email, Community, Docs Tickets, Community, Docs
Compliance ISO 27001, GDPR, SSO/SAML GDPR, 2FA
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Discourse 2/5 · XenForo 2/5
Custom domain ✓ ✓
Private communities Not checked yet Not checked yet
Moderation tools ✓ ✓
Email notifications Not checked yet Not checked yet
Data export Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
SSO support Not checked yet Not checked yet
File storage Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Unlimited members and chat on the Free plan
  • Structured discussions, moderation, events, and private categories
  • Web, mobile, API, plugin, and self-hosting options
  • Granular permissions, private forums, queues, reports, and bulk moderation
  • REST API, add-ons, custom branding, and flexible content formats
  • Managed cloud or self-hosted deployment with unlimited members and staff
Cons
  • The Free plan is limited to 2 staff seats
  • Custom domains and API access start with Pro
  • Advanced reporting and SSO require the Business plan
  • No free plan is available
  • Cloud and self-hosted licensing use separate purchase models
  • The listed integration ecosystem is centered on add-ons and API
Our verdict

Discourse is an open-source community platform for organizations, companies, teams, and projects. It combines searchable long-form discussions with real-time chat, categories, tags, moderation queues, trust levels, badges, authentication…

Read the review →

XenForo is community forum software for organizations hosting customer discussions, peer support, knowledge sharing, and user-generated content. It supports question-and-answer discussions, suggestions, articles, private forums,…

Read the review →
  1. DiscourseForum Hosting 9.4Free plan · 14-day trial
  2. XenForoForum Hosting 9.0Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Discourse — where it wins

    • Unlimited members and chat on the Free plan
    • Structured discussions, moderation, events, and private categories
    • Web, mobile, API, plugin, and self-hosting options

    Where it doesn't

    • The Free plan is limited to 2 staff seats
    • Custom domains and API access start with Pro
    • Advanced reporting and SSO require the Business plan

  • XenForo — where it wins

    • Granular permissions, private forums, queues, reports, and bulk moderation
    • REST API, add-ons, custom branding, and flexible content formats
    • Managed cloud or self-hosted deployment with unlimited members and staff

    Where it doesn't

    • No free plan is available
    • Cloud and self-hosted licensing use separate purchase models
    • The listed integration ecosystem is centered on add-ons and API
  • Discourse9.4/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

    A mature forum platform with structured discussions, chat, moderation, and flexible hosting.

    Visit DiscourseFull verdict →
  • XenForo9.0/10 · Paid

    A feature-rich forum platform for communities that need deep moderation and permissions.

    Visit XenForoFull verdict →

More comparisons

All forum hosting comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update