ElkArte vs Phorum
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted forums & community options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | ElkArte | Phorum |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 56 · Fair | 69 · Good |
| Category | Forums & Community | Forums & Community |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | PHP-3.01 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 188 | ★ 67 |
| First released | 2013 | 1998 |
| Replaces | SMF, phpBB, vBulletin | phpBB |
What are ElkArte and Phorum?
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
Phorum
Phorum is one of the oldest PHP-based forum applications, designed to be fast and lightweight. It supports modules, custom templates, and email integration for discussions.
- Lightweight and fast
- Module and template system
- Email-to-forum integration
- Long-established codebase
ElkArte vs Phorum: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for ElkArte versus PHP-3.01 for Phorum. Phorum is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for ElkArte. Phorum is the more established project (first released 1998), while ElkArte arrived in 2013. ElkArte has the considerably larger community, at 188 GitHub stars versus 67.
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 Phorum if…
- Released under the PHP-3.01 license
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Development largely dormant
- Dated interface
Frequently asked questions
Is ElkArte or Phorum better?
ElkArte is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Phorum if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are ElkArte and Phorum free and open-source?
Yes. ElkArte is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Phorum under PHP-3.01. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ElkArte and Phorum with Docker?
ElkArte: check the project docs for container support. Phorum: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, ElkArte or Phorum?
Phorum has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for ElkArte. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.