The wpForo Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about wpForo 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.
wpForo
The Insider’s Guide
WordPress forum plugin with optional paid AI features
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among course and community platforms, read from wpForo’s own pages.
Made by gVectors Team · 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 wpForo’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on wpForo’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
2.2
GPA, above 45 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade
wpForo is a forum plugin for WordPress that adds boards, nested forums, member profiles, reputation points and several forum layouts to a WordPress site. The plugin itself is free; its 3.0 AI Edition adds search, summaries, translation and moderation through a separate credit-based AI service. Paid add-ons sold by the maker extend it with private messages and custom fields.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about wpForo, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It is a plugin you install, host and maintain on WordPress yourself.
- 1
Best for a feature-heavy forum inside WordPress
wpForo is a free WordPress forum plugin with several boards, five layouts, groups and a reputation system.
- 2
Paid plans start at $15 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $15 per month for optional AI credits.
- 3
There is a free plan
The wpForo plugin is free, with over 100 core features according to the vendor; only the AI service and paid add-ons cost money.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Multiple boards and layouts
Runs several independent forums from one WordPress install with Extended, Simplified, Q&A, Threaded and Boxed layouts.
- 6
Members and reputation
Profiles, user groups with permissions, a points-based reputation system, reactions and @mentions.
- 7
AI search and summaries
Semantic search, topic summaries and suggestions run on the credit-based wpForo AI service.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 45 of 98
That is against the other course and community platforms we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace wpForo you would be making a search engine with an AI model behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
wpForo at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $15 per month for optional AI credits
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- AI service free trial of 500 credits, plus free indexing credits sized to your forum
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- gVectors Team
- Category
- Courses & Communities
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a feature-heavy forum inside WordPress
wpForo is a free WordPress forum plugin with several boards, five layouts, groups and a reputation system. The AI search and moderation run on a credit service from $15 a month, and the add-on bundles cost $190 or $290, so the free part is only the base.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | The 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 | B | The plugin is free with no stated cap and the AI service has a 500-credit trial. You still pay for hosting. |
| Features | B | Several 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 | D | It is a plugin you install, host and maintain on WordPress yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, inside WordPress, with WPML, Polylang and reCAPTCHA as its listed connections. |
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 wpForo is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- WordPress sites that want a feature-rich forum on their own domain
- Communities that want AI search and moderation without leaving WordPress
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$15
A month to start. There is a free plan too
wpForo has a free plan. Paid plans start at $15 per month for optional AI credits.
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.
The free plan
The wpForo plugin is free, with over 100 core features according to the vendor; only the AI service and paid add-ons cost money.
Trying it first
AI service free trial of 500 credits, plus free indexing credits sized to your forum
Read from wpforo.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
WordPress forum plugin with optional paid AI features. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, AI search, community.
Several boards, five layouts, groups, reputation, reactions and built-in spam protection.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- WPML
- Polylang
- Google reCAPTCHA
wpForo is made by gVectors Team.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
45/98
Other course and community platforms it is graded above
wpForo's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 45 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 20.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 71 of 98) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $15 a month, against a middle price of $36 for the category: 8 of the 65 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 10 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 99 course and community platforms we grade, cut by the letter each got. wpForo’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 17 of 98
- BFree plan and trialAbove 71 of 98
- BFeaturesAbove 56 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. wpForo 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
To replace wpForo you would be making a search engine with an AI model behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $180 a year.
What you could not
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- A members' space with posts, chat and events that people keep coming back to.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. wpForo’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
bbPress, Asgaros Forum, Discourse, phpBB and MyBB
The 5 tools wpForo is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
bbPress
Free
Free, open-source forum plugin for WordPress.
- bbPress is open source, according to its own site.
- wpForo also covers AI search.
- bbPress also covers rSS reader.
- 2.0GPA
Asgaros Forum
Free
Lightweight discussion board plugin for WordPress.
- wpForo also covers AI search.
- Asgaros Forum 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.
- Discourse is open source, according to its own site.
- wpForo also covers AI search.
- 2.0GPA
phpBB
Free
Free open-source bulletin board software written in PHP.
- phpBB is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- wpForo also covers AI search.
- 2.0GPA
MyBB
Free
Free open-source forum software with plugins and themes.
- MyBB is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- wpForo also covers AI search.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 wpForo free?
wpForo has a free plan. The wpForo plugin is free, with over 100 core features according to the vendor; only the AI service and paid add-ons cost money.
How much does wpForo cost?
wpForo lists 4 plans. wpForo plugin: $0. AI Starter: $15 per month for 1,000 AI credits.
What platforms does wpForo work on?
wpForo is available on Web.
Does wpForo have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. wpForo is listed for Web.
Does wpForo have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. wpForo is listed for Web.
Is wpForo open source?
wpForo is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
What does wpForo integrate with?
wpForo's listing names WPML, Polylang and Google reCAPTCHA. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does wpForo have a free trial?
Yes. AI service free trial of 500 credits, plus free indexing credits sized to your forum.
Who makes wpForo?
wpForo is made by gVectors Team.
What are the alternatives to wpForo?
The closest alternatives to wpForo in our directory are bbPress, Asgaros Forum, Discourse, phpBB and MyBB.
How does wpForo compare with other course and community platforms?
wpForo's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 45 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 20.
Is wpForo good value for money?
ToolGPA grades wpForo C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $15 a month, against a middle price of $36 for the category: 8 of the 65 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of wpForo?
To replace wpForo you would be making a search engine with an AI model behind it.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from wpForo’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 wpForo'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 gVectors Team. Prices change, so check wpforo.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
- wpForo, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/wpforo
- 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, "wpForo: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/wpforo
Know someone choosing between course and community platforms?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/wpforo/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
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- 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 wpForo’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. wpForo is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by gVectors Team. Prices and plans change: check wpforo.com before you buy.