phpBB vs NING

PphpBB6.8Visit NING6.6Visit

Higher score P phpBB #7 in Community Building Platforms 6.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit phpBB

vs

NING #8 in Community Building Platforms 6.6/10 From $12.50/mo (annual) · 14-day trial ✓ 1 of 3 features Visit NING

• phpBB fits best

  Cost-conscious groups seeking a mature forum base

• NING fits best

  Small groups wanting an inexpensive social network

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Side by side

Feature	PphpBB 6.8/10 Visit ↗	NING 6.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	6.8	6.6
Ranking	#7 in Community Building Platforms	#8 in Community Building Platforms
Best for	Cost-conscious groups seeking a mature forum base	Small groups wanting an inexpensive social network
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Not published	$12.5/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Cloud
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Docs, Community, Live chat	Email, Live chat, Phone, Community, Docs · 24/7
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features phpBB 0/3 · NING 1/3
Custom domain	Not published	✓ (best)
Branded mobile app	Not published	Not published
Events tools	Not published	Not published
Specs
Member limit	Not published	10
Member monetization	Not published	Not published
Community formats	Not published	Not published
Our review
Pros	Free, open-source software for self-hosted discussion communities Granular group- and user-based permissions with private group options Moderation queues, approvals, bans, warnings, and logging	Combines forums, groups, events, media, messaging and activity feeds Supports custom domains, moderation, member roles and paid access Annual plans start at $12.50 per month, with a 14-day trial
Cons	Requires installation on a compatible web server Hosting and domain costs are separate Forum-first feature set has fewer broader community functions	Starter is limited to 10 members The listed platform coverage is web only The 14-day trial requires billing information up front
Our verdict	phpBB is free, open-source bulletin board software for creating and operating online discussion communities. Its forum and topic-based structure, user groups, permissions, and moderation workflows suit groups that want control over how… Read the review →	NING is a hosted platform for creating a branded social network, aimed at community groups, nonprofits, creators, classrooms, families and organizations that want to operate a social website without coding. Its drag-and-drop builder brings… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• phpBB — where it wins

  • Free, open-source software for self-hosted discussion communities
  • Granular group- and user-based permissions with private group options
  • Moderation queues, approvals, bans, warnings, and logging

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires installation on a compatible web server
  • Hosting and domain costs are separate
  • Forum-first feature set has fewer broader community functions

• NING — where it wins

  • Combines forums, groups, events, media, messaging and activity feeds
  • Supports custom domains, moderation, member roles and paid access
  • Annual plans start at $12.50 per month, with a 14-day trial

  Where it doesn't

  • Starter is limited to 10 members
  • The listed platform coverage is web only
  • The 14-day trial requires billing information up front

• PphpBB6.8/10 · Free plan

  A free, customizable forum base with detailed permissions and moderation tools.

  Visit phpBBFull verdict →
• NING6.6/10 · From $12.50/mo (annual) · 14-day trial

  NING gives groups a hosted social network with publishing, events, messaging and paid access.

  Visit NINGFull verdict →