The Simple Machines Forum Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Simple Machines Forum 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.
Simple Machines Forum
The Insider’s Guide
Free open-source community forum software (SMF)
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among course and community platforms, read from Simple Machines Forum’s own pages.
Made by Simple Machines · 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 Simple Machines Forum’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Simple Machines Forum’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
Simple Machines Forum, usually called SMF, is free and open-source community forum software written in PHP. You install it on your own web server and it stores its data in a database such as MySQL or PostgreSQL. The project describes it as a way to set up an online community within minutes.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Simple Machines Forum, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You run it yourself, and its listing is thin because the project's own site could not be read.
- 1
Best for free BSD-licensed forum software
Simple Machines Forum is free forum software under a BSD licence on PHP with MySQL or PostgreSQL.
- 2
It is free
Simple Machines Forum has no paid plan at all. The software is free and open source under a BSD 3-clause license; you pay only for your own web hosting.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Open-source license
The software is licensed under the BSD 3-clause license, and its development repository is public on GitHub.
- 5
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.
- 6
Quick setup
The project says you can set up your own online community within minutes of getting the software.
- 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
Simple Machines Forum is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Simple Machines Forum at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Simple Machines
- Category
- Courses & Communities
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for free BSD-licensed forum software
Simple Machines Forum is free forum software under a BSD licence on PHP with MySQL or PostgreSQL. You run it yourself, and its listing is thin because the project's own site could not be read.
| 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 caps, though you provide the server. |
| Features | C | The listing shows a basic forum with a wiki and community forum for help, but little about its features. |
| Ease of use | D | No store rating on record, and it must be installed and maintained 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 Simple Machines Forum is for
- Fits if you can host a PHP forum yourself
- Works for people who want a BSD-licensed forum
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Small communities that want a free forum on their own host
- Admins who prefer a permissive BSD license
Worth knowing
- 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.
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
Simple Machines Forum is free to use.
The software is free but you pay for hosting and run it yourself, which keeps it at the ordinary grade.
SMF
$0
Free download. You host and maintain it yourself.
The free plan
The software is free and open source under a BSD 3-clause license; you pay only for your own web hosting.
Read from github.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 community forum software (SMF). Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, community.
The listing shows a basic forum with a wiki and community forum for help, but little about its features.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Simple Machines Forum is made by Simple Machines.
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
Simple Machines Forum'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).
Simple Machines Forum 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. Simple Machines Forum’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. Simple Machines Forum 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
Simple Machines Forum 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. Simple Machines Forum’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, MyBB, Flarum and NodeBB
The 4 tools Simple Machines Forum is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
phpBB
Free
Free open-source bulletin board software written in PHP.
- 2.0GPA
MyBB
Free
Free open-source forum software with plugins and themes.
- 2.0GPA
Flarum
Free
- 2.4GPA
NodeBB
Free plan · from $20/mo
Open-source forum software with managed hosting plans.
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 Simple Machines Forum free?
Yes. Simple Machines Forum is free to use.
How much does Simple Machines Forum cost?
Simple Machines Forum lists one plan. SMF: $0.
What platforms does Simple Machines Forum work on?
Simple Machines Forum is available on Web.
Does Simple Machines Forum have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Simple Machines Forum is listed for Web.
Does Simple Machines Forum have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Simple Machines Forum is listed for Web.
Is Simple Machines Forum open source?
Yes. Simple Machines Forum is open source, according to its own site.
Who makes Simple Machines Forum?
Simple Machines Forum is made by Simple Machines.
What are the alternatives to Simple Machines Forum?
The closest alternatives to Simple Machines Forum in our directory are phpBB, MyBB, Flarum and NodeBB.
How does Simple Machines Forum compare with other course and community platforms?
Simple Machines Forum's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 23 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 21.
Is Simple Machines Forum good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Simple Machines Forum C for value for money. Simple Machines Forum has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Simple Machines Forum?
Simple Machines Forum is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Simple Machines Forum’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 Simple Machines'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 Simple Machines. Prices change, so check simplemachines.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
- Simple Machines Forum, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/simple-machines-forum
- 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, "Simple Machines Forum: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/simple-machines-forum
Know someone choosing between course and community platforms?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/simple-machines-forum/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded course and community platforms after Simple Machines Forum, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
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- 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 Simple Machines Forum’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. Simple Machines Forum is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Simple Machines. Prices and plans change: check simplemachines.org before you buy.