ElkArte vs MyBB
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted forums & community options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | ElkArte | MyBB |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 56 · Fair | 83 · Excellent |
| Category | Forums & Community | Forums & Community |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | LGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 188 | ★ 1,243 |
| First released | 2013 | 2005 |
| Replaces | SMF, phpBB, vBulletin | vBulletin, phpBB |
What are ElkArte and MyBB?
ElkArte
ElkArte is a modern, free, and open-source community forum platform derived from SMF. It emphasizes a clean interface, drag-and-drop posting features, and a flexible permission system.
- Drag-and-drop attachments
- Granular permissions
- Mention and notification system
- Theme support
MyBB
MyBB is a free, open-source forum software focused on being easy to use, customizable, and extensible. It provides a powerful moderation suite and a plugin and theme system.
- Easy administration panel
- Plugin and theme system
- Powerful moderation tools
- Lightweight footprint
ElkArte vs MyBB: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for ElkArte versus LGPL-3.0 for MyBB. MyBB is the more established project (first released 2005), while ElkArte arrived in 2013. MyBB has the considerably larger community, at 1,243 GitHub stars versus 188. MyBB lists first-class Docker deployment; ElkArte does not.
Why pick each one
Choose ElkArte if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose MyBB if…
- Simple to install and run
- Good customization
Watch out for
- Classic forum styling
- No native real-time features
Frequently asked questions
Is ElkArte or MyBB better?
Neither is universally better. MyBB has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are ElkArte and MyBB free and open-source?
Yes. ElkArte is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and MyBB under LGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ElkArte and MyBB with Docker?
ElkArte: check the project docs for container support. MyBB: yes.