ElkArte vs SMF
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted forums & community options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | ElkArte | SMF |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 56 · Fair | 78 · Good |
| Category | Forums & Community | Forums & Community |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 188 | ★ 749 |
| First released | 2013 | 2004 |
| Replaces | SMF, phpBB, vBulletin | vBulletin, phpBB |
What are ElkArte and SMF?
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
SMF
SMF, or Simple Machines Forum, is a free, professional-grade forum package that lets you run an online community. It is known for stability, a strong permission system, and broad customization.
- Granular permission system
- Mods and themes support
- Strong moderation features
- Multilingual support
ElkArte vs SMF: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. SMF is the more established project (first released 2004), while ElkArte arrived in 2013. SMF has the considerably larger community, at 749 GitHub stars versus 188. SMF 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 SMF if…
- Reliable and well established
- No licensing fees
Watch out for
- Dated default appearance
- Slower modern development
Frequently asked questions
Is ElkArte or SMF better?
Neither is universally better. SMF has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are ElkArte and SMF free and open-source?
Yes. ElkArte is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and SMF under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ElkArte and SMF with Docker?
ElkArte: check the project docs for container support. SMF: yes.