MyBB vs wpForo (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, wpForo grades higher than MyBB: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
wpForo grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
wpForo
WordPress forum plugin with optional paid AI features
Which one is for you
Pick MyBB if
- Fits if you can install a forum on your own hosting
- Works for communities that want themes and plugins
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not want to run a server, as the project sells no hosting
- Tight if you want paid support, as help comes from volunteers and forums
- Watch out: plugins and themes are community-made, and quality and upkeep vary
Pick wpForo if
- Fits if you run WordPress and want boards, groups and points on your own domain
- Works for communities that want AI search and moderation without leaving WordPress
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't run WordPress, since it runs nowhere else
- Pricey if you want the add-ons, at $190 for 8 or $290 for all, billing basis unstated
- Tight if you plan to lean on AI, as each feature costs 1 to 4 credits and credits can't be refunded
- Not for you if you want someone else to host and update it
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAMyBBFair | 2.2GPAwpForoFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe software is free but you pay for hosting and run it yourself, which keeps it at the ordinary grade. | CThe plugin is $0, but it needs your own WordPress hosting, and AI credits start at $15 a month. Add-on bundles are $190 and $290. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree and open source with no plan caps, though you provide the server. | BThe plugin is free with no stated cap and the AI service has a 500-credit trial. You still pay for hosting. |
| Features | CPlugins, a template editor, moderation tools, private messages and 30+ translations cover forum basics, but add-ons are community-made. | BSeveral boards, five layouts, groups, reputation, reactions and built-in spam protection. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core forum job. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record, and it must be installed and kept up on your own server. | DIt is a plugin you install, host and maintain on WordPress yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, and no integrations are listed. | CWeb only, inside WordPress, with WPML, Polylang and reCAPTCHA as its listed connections. |
| Best for | free forum software with plugins and themes | a feature-heavy forum inside WordPress |
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: MyBB and wpForo. How we grade
Price against what you get
MyBB has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. wpForo starts at $15 a month and scores 2.0.
wpForo scores higher, and starts $15 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, none scores higher than MyBB for less, and 10 score higher than wpForo 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
- MyBB is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- wpForo also covers AI search.
At a glance
| MyBB | wpForo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $15 per month for optional AI credits |
| Free plan | The software is free and open source; you pay only for your own web hosting. | The wpForo plugin is free, with over 100 core features according to the vendor; only the AI service and paid add-ons cost money. |
| Free trial | None listed | AI service free trial of 500 credits, plus free indexing credits sized to your forum |
| Web | ||
| Made by | MyBB Group | gVectors Team |
| Price read from | mybb.com | wpforo.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
MyBB
- You install and maintain it on your own server; the project sells no hosting.
- It is run by volunteers, so support comes from the community forums and documentation.
- Plugins and themes are community-made; their quality and upkeep vary.
wpForo
- It runs only inside WordPress, so you host and maintain it yourself.
- AI features need credits: a feature costs 1 to 4 credits by quality tier, and credits cannot be refunded.
- Premium add-ons are sold in bundles by gVectors, $190 for 8 add-ons and $290 for all of them, listed with an unlimited-sites license.
- The vendor's pages did not state a billing basis for the add-on bundles.
Key features
MyBB
- Plugins
- A plugin system adds features to a forum, and the project lists hundreds of plugins and themes to install in a few clicks.
- Themes and templates
- A built-in template and theme editor gives control over the forum's design.
- Moderation and administration
- Separate tools for moderators and staff, and an administration area for running the board.
- Private messaging
- Members can hold private conversations with several registered users at a time.
- Translations
- Community-maintained translations exist for more than 30 languages, including right-to-left ones.
- Merge System
- A separate tool converts from several other forum packages into MyBB, or combines several MyBB forums into one.
wpForo
- Multiple boards and layouts
- Runs several independent forums from one WordPress install with Extended, Simplified, Q&A, Threaded and Boxed layouts.
- Members and reputation
- Profiles, user groups with permissions, a points-based reputation system, reactions and @mentions.
- AI search and summaries
- Semantic search, topic summaries and suggestions run on the credit-based wpForo AI service.
- AI moderation
- The AI service checks posts for spam, toxicity and rule violations; it works alongside the built-in spam protection and reCAPTCHA v3.
- Forum as support tickets
- A forum can be set so topics are private to the author and the support team.
- Paid add-ons
- Add-ons such as private messages, user custom fields and topic custom fields are sold by gVectors.
Plans
MyBB
MyBB$0
Free download, currently version 1.8.41. You host and maintain it yourself.
wpForo
wpForo plugin$0
Free plugin you host on your own WordPress site: multiple boards, 5 layouts, profiles, reputation points, groups and RSS.
AI Starter$15
per month for 1,000 AI credits
Optional wpForo AI service; credits accumulate and carry forward, with a feature costing 1 to 4 credits by quality tier.
AI Professional$25
per month for 3,000 AI credits
Optional wpForo AI service with 3,000 credits each month added to your balance.
AI Business$49
per month for 9,000 AI credits
Optional wpForo AI service with 9,000 credits each month added to your balance.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MyBB or wpForo?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MyBB is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $15 a month for wpForo. MyBB is free, and wpForo starts at $15 per month for optional AI credits.
Which has a free plan, MyBB or wpForo?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both MyBB and wpForo 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.