Phorum vs FUDforum
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted forums & community options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Phorum | FUDforum |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Forums & Community | Forums & Community |
| License | PHP-3.01 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 67 | ★ 80 |
| First released | 1998 | 2001 |
| Replaces | phpBB | phpBB, vBulletin |
What are Phorum and FUDforum?
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
FUDforum
FUDforum is a fast, scalable, and highly customizable open-source bulletin board with an integrated mail and news gateway. It handles large user bases and supports multiple database backends.
- Mail and news gateway
- Scales to large user bases
- Multiple database support
- Theme customization
Phorum vs FUDforum: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — PHP-3.01 for Phorum versus GPL-2.0 for FUDforum. Phorum is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for FUDforum. Phorum is the more established project (first released 1998), while FUDforum arrived in 2001.
Why pick each one
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
Choose FUDforum if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Phorum or FUDforum better?
Neither is universally better. FUDforum has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Phorum and FUDforum free and open-source?
Yes. Phorum is licensed under PHP-3.01 and FUDforum under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Phorum and FUDforum with Docker?
Phorum: check the project docs for container support. FUDforum: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Phorum or FUDforum?
Phorum has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for FUDforum. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.