Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Forum Software

vBulletin vs Khoros Communities

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score vBulletin #5 in Forum Software 8.6/10 Paid ✓ 1 of 2 features Visit vBulletin
Khoros Communities #8 in Forum Software 8.2/10 Pricing on request ✓ 1 of 2 features Visit Khoros

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

Our verdict

  • Highest scorevBulletin · 8.6/10

vBulletin scores higher on our rubric for forum software: 8.6 against 8.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #8.

vBulletin is the better fit for established forums needing subscriptions and groups. Khoros Communities is the better fit for large organizations needing analytics-driven communities.

  • vBulletin fits best

    Established forums needing subscriptions and groups

  • Khoros Communities fits best

    Large organizations needing analytics-driven communities

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature vBulletin 8.6/10 Visit ↗ Khoros Communities 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.6 8.2
Ranking #5 in Forum Software #8 in Forum Software
Best for Established forums needing subscriptions and groups Large organizations needing analytics-driven communities
Pricing model Paid Paid
Starting price — Pricing on request
Free plan — Not checked yet
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Integrations 5 integrations 1 integrations
Features vBulletin 1/2 · Khoros Communities 1/2
Single sign-on Not checked yet Not checked yet
Custom domain ✓ ✓
Specs
Hosting model Not checked yet Not checked yet
Member limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Mobile apps Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Supports threaded discussions, private groups, and member messaging
  • Includes moderation workflows, warnings, and channel-level permissions
  • Offers cloud hosting or a locally hosted license, plus an expanded API
  • Forums, blogs, and searchable knowledge bases support self-service.
  • Events, ideas, and groups organize participation and feedback.
  • AI moderation, dashboards, themes, and APIs enable customization.
Cons
  • No free plan is offered
  • Locally hosted license includes only one month of ticket support
  • Cloud deployment depends on the vendor's hosted service
  • Contact-sales pricing makes budget comparison less direct.
  • Zoom is available as an integration.
  • Enterprise breadth may exceed the needs of small communities.
Our verdict

vBulletin is forum and community publishing software for organizations and site owners that need threaded discussions, member profiles, groups, permissions, moderation, private messaging, and paid subscriptions. It suits established…

Read the review →

Khoros Communities is an enterprise platform for brands and organizations that need branded spaces for customer or member engagement. It combines peer-to-peer forums, blogs, searchable knowledge bases, events, ideas, groups, analytics,…

Read the review →
  1. vBulletinForum Software 8.6Paid
  2. Khoros CommunitiesForum Software 8.2Pricing on request

Strengths and trade-offs

  • vBulletin — where it wins

    • Supports threaded discussions, private groups, and member messaging
    • Includes moderation workflows, warnings, and channel-level permissions
    • Offers cloud hosting or a locally hosted license, plus an expanded API

    Where it doesn't

    • No free plan is offered
    • Locally hosted license includes only one month of ticket support
    • Cloud deployment depends on the vendor's hosted service

  • Khoros Communities — where it wins

    • Forums, blogs, and searchable knowledge bases support self-service.
    • Events, ideas, and groups organize participation and feedback.
    • AI moderation, dashboards, themes, and APIs enable customization.

    Where it doesn't

    • Contact-sales pricing makes budget comparison less direct.
    • Zoom is available as an integration.
    • Enterprise breadth may exceed the needs of small communities.
  • vBulletin8.6/10 · Paid

    A paid forum platform with groups, moderation, messaging, and subscription access.

    Visit vBulletinFull verdict →
  • Khoros Communities8.2/10 · Pricing on request

    A broad, API-ready community suite for organizations running large customer programs.

    Visit KhorosFull verdict →

More comparisons

All forum software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update