# MyBB review (2026): is it any good? > Free open-source forum software with plugins and themes Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. MyBB is free, open-source forum software run by a volunteer project. You download it and install it on your own web server. It has a plugin system, a built-in template and theme editor, moderation and administration tools, private messaging and community-made translations. - **Category:** Courses & Communities - **Made by:** MyBB Group - **Website:** https://mybb.com - **Runs on:** Web - **Who should skip it:** Not for you if you do not want to run a server, as the project sells no hosting. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, MyBB is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** The software is free and open source; you pay only for your own web hosting. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | MyBB | $0 | Free download, currently version 1.8.41. You host and maintain it yourself. | Read from https://mybb.com/download/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with MyBB before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Hobby and fan communities that want a free forum they host - Admins moving an older forum over with the Merge System ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. MyBB is free forum software with plugins, themes and translations. You host it yourself, run it with volunteer support, and plugin and theme quality varies. - **Value for money: C.** The software is free but you pay for hosting and run it yourself, which keeps it at the ordinary grade. - **Free plan and trial: B.** Free and open source with no plan caps, though you provide the server. - **Features: C.** Plugins, a template editor, moderation tools, private messages and 30+ translations cover forum basics, but add-ons are community-made. - **Ease of use: D.** No store rating on record, and it must be installed and kept up on your own server. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Web only, and no integrations are listed. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from MyBB's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among course and community platforms - MyBB'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). - MyBB 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. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/courses-communities ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** MyBB 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. - You could not: A members' space with posts, chat and events that people keep coming back to. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Community, Open source, Self-hostable ## Alternatives - [phpBB](https://toolgpa.com/tools/phpbb): Free open-source bulletin board software written in PHP. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/mybb-vs-phpbb) - [Simple Machines Forum](https://toolgpa.com/tools/simple-machines-forum): Free open-source community forum software (SMF). [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/mybb-vs-simple-machines-forum) - [Flarum](https://toolgpa.com/tools/flarum): Free open-source forum software you host yourself. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/flarum-vs-mybb) - [NodeBB](https://toolgpa.com/tools/nodebb): Open-source forum software with managed hosting plans. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/mybb-vs-nodebb) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://mybb.com/ - https://mybb.com/download/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/mybb Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).