MyBB vs PieFed
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted forums & community options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
MyBB
Free and extensible community forum software
VS
PieFed
Federated discussion and link aggregation platform
| Feature | MyBB | PieFed |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Forums & Community | Forums & Community |
| License | LGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,232 | ★ 600 |
| First released | 2005 | 2023 |
| Replaces | vBulletin, phpBB |
Why pick each one
Choose PieFed if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is MyBB or PieFed better?
MyBB is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider PieFed if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are MyBB and PieFed free and open-source?
Yes. MyBB is licensed under LGPL-3.0 and PieFed under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MyBB and PieFed with Docker?
MyBB: yes. PieFed: yes.