Flarum vs Simple Machines Forum
A side-by-side comparison of Flarum and Simple Machines Forum — pricing, license, deployment, and where each tool wins.
Flarum
flarum.org
Delightfully simple forums. Flarum is the next-generation forum software that makes online discussion fun again.
Simple Machines Forum
simplemachines.org
Free, professional grade software package that allows you to set up your own online community within minutes.
| Feature | Flarum | Simple Machines Forum |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Model | Open-source | Open-source |
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Deployment | Self-hosted, Cloud | Self-hosted |
| Category | Communication - Social Networks and Forums | Communication - Social Networks and Forums |
| Self-hosted | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Free tier | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
Pick Flarum if…
- ✓You prefer Flarum's feature set or ecosystem fit.
Pick Simple Machines Forum if…
- ✓You prefer Simple Machines Forum's feature set or ecosystem fit.