The MyBB Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about MyBB 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.
MyBB
The Insider’s Guide
Free open-source forum software with plugins and themes
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among course and community platforms, read from MyBB’s own pages.
Made by MyBB Group · 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 MyBB’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on MyBB’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
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about MyBB, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You host it yourself, run it with volunteer support, and plugin and theme quality varies.
- 1
Best for free forum software with plugins and themes
MyBB is free forum software with plugins, themes and translations.
- 2
It is free
MyBB has no paid plan at all. The software is free and open source; you pay only for your own web hosting.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Plugins
A plugin system adds features to a forum, and the project lists hundreds of plugins and themes to install in a few clicks.
- 5
Themes and templates
A built-in template and theme editor gives control over the forum's design.
- 6
Moderation and administration
Separate tools for moderators and staff, and an administration area for running the board.
- 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
MyBB is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
MyBB at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- MyBB Group
- Category
- Courses & Communities
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for free forum software with plugins and themes
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
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 MyBB is for
- Fits if you can install a forum on your own hosting
- Works for communities that want themes and plugins
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
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.
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
MyBB is free to use.
The software is free but you pay for hosting and run it yourself, which keeps it at the ordinary grade.
MyBB
$0
Free download, currently version 1.8.41. You host and maintain it yourself.
The free plan
The software is free and open source; you pay only for your own web hosting.
Read from mybb.com 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 software with plugins and themes. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, community.
Web only, and no integrations are listed.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
MyBB is made by MyBB Group.
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
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.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 99 course and community platforms we grade, cut by the letter each got. MyBB’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. MyBB 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
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.
What you could not
- A members' space with posts, chat and events that people keep coming back to.
What this rests on. MyBB’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
phpBB, Simple Machines Forum, Flarum and NodeBB
The 4 tools MyBB is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
phpBB
Free
- 2.0GPA
Simple Machines Forum
Free
- 2.0GPA
Flarum
Free
- 2.4GPA
NodeBB
Free plan · from $20/mo
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
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 MyBB free?
Yes. MyBB is free to use.
How much does MyBB cost?
MyBB lists one plan. MyBB: $0.
What platforms does MyBB work on?
MyBB is available on Web.
Does MyBB have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. MyBB is listed for Web.
Does MyBB have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. MyBB is listed for Web.
Is MyBB open source?
Yes. MyBB is open source, according to its own site.
Who makes MyBB?
MyBB is made by MyBB Group.
What are the alternatives to MyBB?
The closest alternatives to MyBB in our directory are phpBB, Simple Machines Forum, Flarum and NodeBB.
How does MyBB compare with other 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.
Is MyBB good value for money?
ToolGPA grades MyBB C for value for money. MyBB has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of MyBB?
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.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from MyBB’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 MyBB'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 MyBB Group. Prices change, so check mybb.com 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
- MyBB, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/mybb
- 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, "MyBB: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/mybb
Know someone choosing between course and community platforms?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/mybb/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded course and community platforms after MyBB, 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 MyBB’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. MyBB is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by MyBB Group. Prices and plans change: check mybb.com before you buy.