Are you interested in building a thriving online community? Launching a forum website can be an excellent way to do it. So, you might be looking for some of the best forum hosting providers.
The good news is that some of the most popular providers offer hosting plans that are well-suited to forum websites. You’ll just want to pay attention to some key factors like forum software type, installation, and email limits.
👉 In this post, we’ll discuss what you should look for when choosing a web host for your forum website. Then, we’ll share five of the best forum hosting providers on the market. Let’s get to it!
What to look for when choosing a forum hosting provider
Before we share the best forum hosting providers, let’s go over a few things you may want to look out for when choosing one:
- Forum software type. 👨💻 Some of the most popular software for creating forums is phpBB, vBulletin, and MyBB. When you’re using a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, you can also use a plugin such as bbPress. If you have a preference for specific forum software, you’ll want to look out for it.
- Forum software installation. 🖱️ If you don’t have experience coding, or you want to launch your website fast, how you install your forum software is key. Ideally, you’ll want a forum host that allows for a simple installation process.
- Email sending limits. 📧 Online forums allow users to interact with each other via messages, comments, etc. Typically, this interaction can be set up with notifications. With this in mind, you’ll want to make sure to choose a forum hosting option that lets you send emails. Or, you could also integrate with a separate email sending service.
- Security features. 🔒 When you run a forum website, you’ll be dealing with sensitive user data. Therefore, you need to make sure your site is secure. Look for essential features like website backups, Direct Denial of Service (DDoS) protection, SSL certificates, updates, etc.
- Performance and resources. 📊 High-traffic forums can be very intensive because they require a lot of changes to your site’s database. So if you plan to have a very active community, you’ll want to make sure your forum hosting provider has enough power to get the job done.
- Customer support. 🧑💻 No matter how user-friendly your hosting provider’s dashboard and tools are, there’s always a chance that you’ll run into issues. In that case, you’ll want to be able to reach out to someone for help. Quality web hosting providers will offer some combination of chat, phone, and ticketing support. It’s good to make sure you’ll get at least two out of three of these, as well as support in your local time zone.
When you consider the above, you’ll be better prepared to choose the best forum hosting for your unique needs.
Five best forum hosting providers
Now that you know what to look for in a provider, let’s check out the five best forum hosting services!
1. Bluehost
Bluehost is one of the most widely trusted web hosts around. In fact, it’s one of only two hosting providers that are officially recommended by WordPress.org. So, it’s no surprise that it offers some of the best forum hosting options around.
After you set up your website and domain, Bluehost allows you to install phpBB using the MOJO Marketplace installer in your cPanel account in just a few clicks. Alternatively, if you’re using WordPress, you can easily transform your site into a forum using the bbPress plugin.
Of course, most Bluehost plans also comes with everything you need to build a fast and secure website. For instance, you’ll get automatic WordPress updates, a content delivery network (CDN), and 24/7 customer support.
🎯 Key Features
- Easy installation of phpBB forum software in cPanel OR easy WordPress install so that you can add a forum plugin
- SSL certificates with most plans
- CDN for faster performance
- Limit of 150 emails per hour
- 24/7 customer support
💳 Pricing
You can get a WordPress hosting plan for as little as $2.95 per month. For a bit more, you can get more advanced performance and security features.
2. Hostinger
Next on our list of the best forum hosting providers, let’s take a look at Hostinger. Similar to Bluehost, Hostinger is a household name when it comes to web hosting, so you know you’ll be getting a top-notch service.
It’s also compatible with phpBB forum software as well as WordPress. Even better, it offers an auto-installer tool within its native control panel which allows you to get the software up-and-running in three clicks. However, if you’re running a WordPress site, you can always use a forum plugin.
🎯 Key Features
- Auto-installer tool for phpBB forum software and/or WordPress
- SSL certificates with all plans
- CDN included in most plans
- Email limit of 200 per hour or 500 per hour (depending on your plan)
- 24/7 customer support in multiple languages
💳 Pricing
Hostinger’s premium plans start at $2.99 per month for both the regular hosting and the WordPress hosting.
3. Wix
Now, let’s consider Wix as a forum hosting provider. It’s important to note that this is not a classic web host, but it can still be an excellent option. Wix is actually an all-in-one website builder that comes with managed hosting.
That means the setup is a little different than with WordPress and other CMSs. Typically, you’d need to set up your domain and WordPress installation, then install your forum software or forum plugin through your hosting provider. With Wix, you’ll need to install Wix Forum instead.
The good news is that installing Wix Forum is pretty straightforward. After you add the extension to your site, you’ll have to create a category and customize your forum settings.
Wix might be a perfect option for some, but you won’t get as much control over your website as you would with a CMS like WordPress. Additionally, you can only use Wix with Wix Forum – you wouldn’t be able to use other forum software like phpBB.
🎯 Key Features
- Complete hosted website builder solution
- Easy-install of Wix Forum
- Site Booster app with all plans except Lite
- Marketing features
- Email sending limits based on your email plan – you can send 200 emails per month for free or pay to send more
- 24/7 customer care
💳 Pricing
Wix plans start at $16 per month.
4. A2 Hosting
Next up on our list is A2 Hosting. This well-established hosting provider offers a wide variety of hosting options, including options for shared, managed, WordPress, VPS, and dedicated hosting. Therefore, it can cater to various kinds of customers.
Similar to its extensive hosting types, A2 hosting also provides tons of options when it comes to forum software. You’ll be able to use the Softaculous Installer in cPanel to set up one of the following: phpBB, MyBB, SMF Forum, bbPress, Vanilla Forums, and more.
A2 Hosting also includes all the basics that you’d expect from the best WordPress hosting provider. For example, you’ll get free migration services, optimized website speeds, and security features like SSL certificates, backups, and the Jetpack plugin pre-installed.
🎯 Key Features
- The ability to install your preferred forum software with Softaculous
- Cloudflare CDN and caching for peak performance
- Forum-specific hosting plans
- Email sending limit of 500 per hour (1,000 per day maximum)
- 24/7 customer support
💳 Pricing
A2’s WordPress plans start at $11.99 per month. However, it also offers forum-specific hosting options starting at only $2.99 per month.
5. SITE123
If you’re looking for a cheap and simple forum hosting option, SITE123 might be the choice for you. This is another all-in-one website builder solution. That means, the setup and installation will be a bit more straightforward than with other traditional hosting options.
With SITE123, there’s virtually no installation process. All you have to do is choose a forum layout, set up your forum categories/topics, and publish your forum site!
Furthermore, SITE123 forum websites come with everything you need, including discussion board features, message board management, and advanced forum search.
However, like Wix Forum, you can only use SITE123’s built-in forum software – you cannot install other options like phpBB.
🎯 Key Features
- All-in-one website builder and hosting solution
- Built-in forum software (no need for installation)
- Pre-made forum website templates
- 24/7 customer support
💳 Pricing
SITE123 offers a free plan but it comes with limited bandwidth and storage, and only gives you a subdomain. For your own domain and a more generous package, you can upgrade to a premium plan for $12.80 per month.
Launch your forum today 🚀
Starting a forum website can be a great way to bring people together online. However, due to the level of user engagement, forum sites have a few special requirements when it comes to web hosting.
If you’re looking for some of the best forum hosting providers consider Hostinger or A2 Hosting. Both of these web hosts offer lots of variety, easy setup, and strong performance features.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for a streamlined, all-in-one website builder solution, you might want to check out Wix (with Wix Forum) or SITE123.
If you’re interested in using WordPress, you could also use any quality WordPress hosting provider. Then check out our roundup of the best WordPress forum plugins, which can help you easily turn any WordPress site into a forum.
Do you have any questions about the best forum hosting providers on this list? Let us know in the comments section below!