The bbPress Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about bbPress in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
bbPress
The Insider’s Guide
Free, open-source forum plugin for WordPress
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among course and community platforms, read from bbPress’s own pages.
Made by bbPress project (WordPress community) · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from bbPress’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on bbPress’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 23 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade
bbPress is forum software built by contributors to WordPress and installed as a WordPress plugin. It adds forums, topics, replies, user profiles and subscriptions to an existing WordPress site and shares its user accounts and admin area. It is GPL-licensed and free, and extra features come from WordPress plugins.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about bbPress, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It needs a WordPress install, your own hosting, and you handle updates and backups.
- 1
Best for a plain forum inside a WordPress site
bbPress is a free forum plugin that runs inside WordPress, with Akismet spam filtering and RSS feeds.
- 2
It is free
bbPress has no paid plan at all. The whole plugin is free under the GPL; you pay only for your own WordPress hosting and any add-on plugins you choose.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Forums inside WordPress
Runs on the same user accounts and admin area as the rest of a WordPress site, with a one-click install.
- 5
Multisite forums
Can divide a site into sections and let users create content in them.
- 6
Spam protection
Supports Akismet for filtering spam posts.
- 7
A 2.0 GPA, above 23 of 98
That is against the other course and community platforms we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
bbPress is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
bbPress at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- bbPress project (WordPress community)
- Category
- Courses & Communities
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a plain forum inside a WordPress site
bbPress is a free forum plugin that runs inside WordPress, with Akismet spam filtering and RSS feeds. It is deliberately bare, so profiles, attachments and most other things come from extra plugins that you choose and keep updated, on hosting you pay for.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | The plugin is $0, but it only runs on a WordPress site you host yourself, so the real cost is that hosting. Software you must host sits at a C. |
| Free plan and trial | B | The whole plugin is free under the GPL with no caps. You still need your own WordPress hosting. |
| Features | C | Forums, topics, replies, RSS and Akismet are built in. The listing says it is deliberately minimal and extra features come from other plugins. |
| Ease of use | D | It needs a WordPress install, your own hosting, and you handle updates and backups. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, inside WordPress. Akismet is the one named integration. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who bbPress is for
- Fits if you already run WordPress and want a simple board on your own domain
- Works for people who prefer small open-source software to a hosted platform
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you don't run WordPress, as it works nowhere else
- Not for you if you want a hosted forum, because updates, backups and spam handling are yours
- Too light for member profiles or attachments out of the box, which need other plugins
- Watch out: hosting and any add-on plugins are costs the free price leaves out
Good to know
Good for
- WordPress site owners who want a simple discussion board on their own domain
- Communities that prefer lightweight, open-source software over hosted platforms
Worth knowing
- It runs only inside WordPress, so you need a WordPress site and your own hosting.
- It is deliberately minimal: many features come from separate plugins you choose and maintain.
- It has no hosted version, so updates, backups and spam handling are up to you.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
bbPress is free to use.
The whole plugin is free under the GPL with no caps.
bbPress
$0
Free GPL plugin that you host yourself on your own WordPress site.
The free plan
The whole plugin is free under the GPL; you pay only for your own WordPress hosting and any add-on plugins you choose.
Read from bbpress.org on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Free, open-source forum plugin for WordPress. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, rSS reader, community.
Forums, topics, replies, RSS and Akismet are built in.
- Forums inside WordPress
- Runs on the same user accounts and admin area as the rest of a WordPress site, with a one-click install.
- Multisite forums
- Can divide a site into sections and let users create content in them.
- Spam protection
- Supports Akismet for filtering spam posts.
- RSS feeds
- Provides feeds for forums, topics and replies.
- Customizable templates
- Forum templates can be restyled and overridden in a WordPress theme.
- Plugin extensions
- Extra features such as profiles or attachments come from WordPress's plugin system rather than the core plugin.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Akismet
bbPress is made by bbPress project (WordPress community).
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
23/98
Other course and community platforms it is graded above
bbPress's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 23 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 21.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 71 of 98) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
bbPress has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 99 course and community platforms we grade, cut by the letter each got. bbPress’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 17 of 98
- BFree plan and trialAbove 71 of 98
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 98
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 98
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 98
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 78 course and community platforms. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. bbPress is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
bbPress is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 54 of the 98 other course and community platforms grade higher.
What you could make
- RSS reader: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A members' space with posts, chat and events that people keep coming back to.
What this rests on. bbPress’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
wpForo, Asgaros Forum, phpBB, MyBB and Discourse
The 5 tools bbPress is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
wpForo
Free plan · from $15/mo
WordPress forum plugin with optional paid AI features.
- bbPress is open source, according to its own site.
- bbPress also covers rSS reader.
- wpForo also covers AI search.
- 2.0GPA
Asgaros Forum
Free
Lightweight discussion board plugin for WordPress.
- bbPress is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.0GPA
phpBB
Free
Free open-source bulletin board software written in PHP.
- phpBB is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- bbPress also covers rSS reader.
- 2.0GPA
MyBB
Free
Free open-source forum software with plugins and themes.
- MyBB is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- bbPress also covers rSS reader.
- 2.6GPA
Discourse
Free plan · from $100/mo
Open-source discussion forum software with hosted plans.
- Only Discourse lists iOS and Android apps.
- bbPress also covers rSS reader.
- Discourse also covers team chat.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is bbPress free?
Yes. bbPress is free to use. The whole plugin is free under the GPL; you pay only for your own WordPress hosting and any add-on plugins you choose.
How much does bbPress cost?
bbPress lists one plan. bbPress: $0. Prices were read from bbpress.org on Nov 13, 2026.
What platforms does bbPress work on?
bbPress is available on Web.
Does bbPress have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. bbPress is listed for Web.
Does bbPress have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. bbPress is listed for Web.
Is bbPress open source?
Yes. bbPress is open source, according to its own site.
What does bbPress integrate with?
bbPress's listing names Akismet. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes bbPress?
bbPress is made by bbPress project (WordPress community).
What are the alternatives to bbPress?
The closest alternatives to bbPress in our directory are wpForo, Asgaros Forum, phpBB, MyBB and Discourse.
How does bbPress compare with other course and community platforms?
bbPress's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 23 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 21.
Is bbPress good value for money?
ToolGPA grades bbPress C for value for money. bbPress has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of bbPress?
bbPress is free, so making your own would save you nothing. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 54 of the 98 other course and community platforms grade higher.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from bbPress’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from bbPress's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by bbPress project (WordPress community). Prices change, so check bbpress.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- bbPress, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/bbpress
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "bbPress: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/bbpress
Know someone choosing between course and community platforms?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/bbpress/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded course and community platforms after bbPress, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Courses & Communities Insider's GuideEvery one of the 99 course and community platforms we grade, compared
- Hylo Insider's GuideFree open-source platform for community groups and coordination3.2 GPA
- Academy LMS Insider's GuideWordPress LMS plugin with a free core and Pro licenses by site count2.8 GPA
- Circle Insider's GuideCommunity platform with courses, events, payments and branded apps2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what bbPress’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. bbPress is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by bbPress project (WordPress community). Prices and plans change: check bbpress.org before you buy.