Versions?

posted in the wrong section before, sry about that

So Im having a problem, I cant figure out the differences of phpbb2, phpbb3, punbb & invision.

is this something anyone could enlighten me on?
I have tried to find a site who compares them with features etc. but without luck
I also know this is a stupid question but you have to start somewhere


Thx for your time

hello neryn.


Forumotion offers 4 forum versions , as you have obviously noticed.

here is a brief look at all the versions and my recommendations.

phpbb2 : This is the first phpbb version on forumotion, it also has a very high popularity rate, but that is only because of its time on the internet. For me phpbb2 is very basic, it has a simple layout, little customisation capabilities. That is why forumotion added template editing to phpbb2. This no longer paid service gives you the ability to add custom blocks and entirely change the view of your forum... you can add new items, but i still think the general style is not to fancy. Mind you template editing requires a solid HTML knowledge

it is the most stable, forum version.

phpbb3: This is phpbb2's successor. it is a newer, faster, sleeker version of phpbb2. It offers a whole load more customisation , and looks very modern. It is web 2,0 based.
It doesn't have template editing, but the CSS lets you customise your forum.
With automatic corner images phpbb3 themes are always rounded off , with little effort you can create a grand forum style.

punBB: This is stand alone forum version. It is very easy to use and elegant. If you are looking at a high class forum experience and ease this is the forum type. It looks different from the phpbb versions. The CSS allows for very flexible modifications of the forums looks. Now with template editing the possibilities of this forum system is now almost unlimited. Pun is straight forward and does what a forum should do while looking good.

invision/IPB: This is my favorite. it is one of the most modern systems. It has an advanced CSS and allows you to customize your forums looks without limitation. This is internet user based. Its for members that know how forums function and want to pull the most out of their forum experience. IPB offers new drop down profile information, freeing up the post block. It also has a revolutionary memberlist system, displaying all the info in useful tabs.


All the versions are very similar, they are all really stable and offer almost identical mods and services.
my recommendation is IPB, especially if you into customization.
punBB for ease of use
phpbb3 for modern and sleek
and phpbb2 for a more ... eh ancient approach to foruming, may I remind you that phpbb2 is scheduled to be removed in a while (within 2 -3 years)


hope this shines all the light you need.
It all comes down to how much you want to visually customize your forum

ah, ok thx alot for the info.

So I learned something new today aswell

Better start learning the CSS basics since I also fav the Invision.
the custom made styles looks better imo.

Jalokim wrote:phpbb2 : This is the first phpbb version on forumotion, it also has a very high popularity rate, but that is only because of its time on the internet. For me phpbb2 is very basic, it has a simple layout, little customisation capabilities. That is why forumotion added template editing to phpbb2. This paid service gives you the ability to add custom blocks and entirely change the view of your forum... you can add new items, but i still think the general style is not to fancy.

it is the most stable, forum version.

We don't have to pay anymore to edit the templates. I can say that because I own a test FM board and I could edit templates without having to pay anything.

Cornelia wrote:

Jalokim wrote:phpbb2 : This is the first phpbb version on forumotion, it also has a very high popularity rate, but that is only because of its time on the internet. For me phpbb2 is very basic, it has a simple layout, little customisation capabilities. That is why forumotion added template editing to phpbb2. This paid service gives you the ability to add custom blocks and entirely change the view of your forum... you can add new items, but i still think the general style is not to fancy.

it is the most stable, forum version.

We don't have to pay anymore to edit the templates. I can say that because I own a test FM board and I could edit templates without having to pay anything.

Thats because older forums got template editing for free.
There was this one promotion on forumotion, I remember getting template editing for free on my testjal forum.
I don't know if it is still happening, maybe it has gone free.

It's gone for free on PHPBB2 Jalo

Neryn, Invision (or IPB) is the best one to use, but if you wan't wanna learn all that CSS stuff you would stick with PHPBB2 and the template editing - thats what iv done

darren1 wrote:It's gone for free on PHPBB2 Jalo

Neryn, Invision (or IPB) is the best one to use, but if you wan't wanna learn all that CSS stuff you would stick with PHPBB2 and the template editing - thats what iv done

oki, well, using phpbb2 atm. and working on the basics of css.

But everytime I see a invision template I slam my head on my desk... looking awesome compared to php.

The problem I have is, in order to make a template I would have to master photoshop, which I dont.
So making a full customized forum, which looks great is abit of a challenge.

but oh well, some day I'll get a hang on it, I hope

ok here is a problem, i m using phbb2 right now, but i want to switch to phbb3 or invision but as i have add some script codes in my site from varius ad companies, and to my knowledge they only work on phbb2 and pun, so if i make a switch to phbb3 or invision will they work there? beacuse they are the only reason i m still using phbb2,
i used that script in the html editing of my overall_footer in the display tab