Simple Machines Forum vs Discourse
A side-by-side comparison of Simple Machines Forum and Discourse — pricing, license, deployment, and where each tool wins.
Simple Machines Forum
simplemachines.org
Free, professional grade software package that allows you to set up your own online community within minutes.
Discourse
discourse.org
Advanced forum / community solution based on Ruby and JS.
| Feature | Simple Machines Forum | Discourse |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Model | Open-source | Open-source |
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Self-hosted, Cloud |
| Category | Communication - Social Networks and Forums | Communication - Social Networks and Forums |
| Self-hosted | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Free tier | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
Pick Simple Machines Forum if…
- ✓You prefer Simple Machines Forum's feature set or ecosystem fit.
Pick Discourse if…
- ✓You prefer Discourse's feature set or ecosystem fit.