Phorum 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 | Phorum | SMF |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 69 · Good | 78 · Good |
| Category | Forums & Community | Forums & Community |
| License | PHP-3.01 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 67 | ★ 749 |
| First released | 1998 | 2004 |
| Replaces | phpBB | vBulletin, phpBB |
What are Phorum and SMF?
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
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
Phorum vs SMF: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — PHP-3.01 for Phorum versus BSD-3-Clause for SMF. Phorum is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for SMF. Phorum is the more established project (first released 1998), while SMF arrived in 2004. SMF has the considerably larger community, at 749 GitHub stars versus 67. SMF lists first-class Docker deployment; Phorum does not.
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 SMF if…
- Reliable and well established
- No licensing fees
Watch out for
- Dated default appearance
- Slower modern development
Frequently asked questions
Is Phorum or SMF better?
SMF 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 Phorum and SMF free and open-source?
Yes. Phorum is licensed under PHP-3.01 and SMF under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Phorum and SMF with Docker?
Phorum: check the project docs for container support. SMF: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Phorum or SMF?
Phorum has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for SMF. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.