Asgaros Forum vs Simple Machines Forum (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Asgaros Forum and Simple Machines Forum share a 2.0 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Simple Machines Forum
Free open-source community forum software (SMF)
Which one is for you
Pick Asgaros Forum if
- Fits if you run WordPress and want a free forum with polls and basic moderation
- Works for small communities that don't need a paid license
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't use WordPress, as it runs nowhere else
- Not for you if you want paid support, because help comes from a public support forum
- Too light for a larger community that wants named integrations, as only myCRED is listed
- Watch out: you do the hosting, backups and updates yourself
Pick Simple Machines Forum if
- Fits if you can host a PHP forum yourself
- Works for people who want a BSD-licensed forum
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want hosting included, as the project does not offer hosted plans on the pages read
- Tight if you need paid support, as help is a community forum and wiki
- Watch out: the project's own site could not be read, so details come from its GitHub repository
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAAsgaros ForumFair | 2.0GPASimple Machines ForumFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe plugin is $0 and the maker accepts donations, but it needs a WordPress site you host, which is where the cost sits. | CThe software is free but you pay for hosting and run it yourself, which keeps it at the ordinary grade. |
| Free plan and trial | BNo paid tiers exist and nothing is capped. You still need your own hosting. | BFree and open source with no caps, though you provide the server. |
| Features | CProfiles, polls, reactions, uploads, moderation and several instances are there. The listing shows only one integration and no paid support. | CThe listing shows a basic forum with a wiki and community forum for help, but little about its features. |
| Ease of use | DIt is installed, hosted and updated by you on WordPress. | DNo store rating on record, and it must be installed and maintained on your own server. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, inside WordPress, with myCRED the only integration named. | CWeb only, and no integrations are listed. |
| Best for | a light forum with polls inside WordPress | free BSD-licensed forum software |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Asgaros Forum and Simple Machines Forum. How we grade
Price against what you get
Asgaros Forum has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Simple Machines Forum has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, none scores higher than Asgaros Forum for less, and none scores higher than Simple Machines Forum for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Simple Machines Forum is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Asgaros Forum also covers rSS reader.
At a glance
| Asgaros Forum | Simple Machines Forum | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The plugin is free to download; the maker's site accepts donations. | The software is free and open source under a BSD 3-clause license; you pay only for your own web hosting. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Asgaros | Simple Machines |
| Price read from | wordpress.org | github.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Asgaros Forum
- It runs only inside WordPress and you host it yourself.
- The vendor lists no paid support plan; support is through its public support forum.
- It lists a myCRED integration but no other named integrations.
Simple Machines Forum
- You install and maintain it yourself; the project's site does not offer hosted plans on the pages read.
- The project's own website could not be read during research, so details come from its GitHub repository.
- Support comes from the project's community forum and wiki.
Key features
Asgaros Forum
- WordPress-native forum
- A forum page is created at install and posts are written in the WordPress editor.
- Profiles and members list
- Members get profiles and a searchable members list, plus notifications and feeds.
- Polls, reactions and uploads
- Topics support polls, reactions and file uploads.
- Moderation and permissions
- Post approval, banning, reporting, moderators, permissions and user groups.
- Multiple instances
- Can run several forum instances, in several languages, and is compatible with WordPress multisite.
- Customizable theme
- A responsive theme whose colors and fonts can be changed.
Simple Machines Forum
- Open-source license
- The software is licensed under the BSD 3-clause license, and its development repository is public on GitHub.
- PHP with MySQL or PostgreSQL
- The project's repository lists PHP, MySQL and PostgreSQL as its stack, so it runs on common shared and virtual hosting.
- Quick setup
- The project says you can set up your own online community within minutes of getting the software.
- Project wiki and forum
- The project runs a community forum and a wiki for documentation and help.
Plans
Asgaros Forum
Asgaros Forum$0
Free WordPress plugin installed on your own site; no paid tiers are listed.
Simple Machines Forum
SMF$0
Free download. You host and maintain it yourself.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Asgaros Forum or Simple Machines Forum?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Asgaros Forum and Simple Machines Forum are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Asgaros Forum or Simple Machines Forum?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Asgaros Forum and Simple Machines Forum have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.