7 Best Forum Hosting Reviews (Feb. 2024) - $1.99 to $5

Laura Bernheim

By: Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim
Laura Bernheim

Laura has spent more than 12 years crafting engaging and award-winning articles that share the passion behind organizations' products, people, and innovations. As a long-time HostingAdvice contributing expert, she combines a reputation for producing quality content with rich technical expertise to show experienced developers how to capitalize on emerging technologies and find better ways to work with established platforms. A professional journalist, Laura has contributed to The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, the Sun Sentinel, and the world's top hosting providers.

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Editor: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro
Lillian Castro

Lillian brings more than 30 years of editing and journalism experience to our team. She has written and edited for major news organizations, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the New York Times, and she previously served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Florida. Today, she edits HostingAdvice content for clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement.

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Thinking of starting you own online forum? Doing so may be easier than you think, especially if you choose the right forum hosting provider. Below you'll find our reviews of the best forum hosting sites on the web, along with a list of their features, their pricing, and links to their forum-specific hosting plans. Whether you seek a cheap forum host or a more robust forum software provider, you have many great options with these top providers.

Best Overall | Cheap | Dedicated | VPS | WordPress | Site Builders

Disclosure: When you sign up through links on our site, we often earn referral fees from partners. For more information, see our ad disclosure and review policy.

1. Bluehost.com

Bluehost review

Monthly Starting Price $1.99

  • Install phpBB for FREE with one click
  • Automatic site backups conducted daily
  • Manage forum tools directly from cPanel
  • FREE advertising credits
  • US-based support available 24/7 with 99.9% uptime
  • Get started on Bluehost now.

FORUM
RATING 4.7 ★★★★★ Our Review

Bluehost: Our Expert's Review
Bluehost Review

Ryan Frankel (HostingAdvice.com): We trust Bluehost for many hosting niches, and the company’s forum hosting services showcase Bluehost’s focus on simple setup and reliable servers. Manage all forum operations with your choice of forum software, which can easily be installed via cPanel as you’re getting started. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 10 GB SSD - 100 GB SSD FREE (1 year) 5 minutes

2. A2Hosting.com

A2 Hosting review

Monthly Starting Price $2.99

  • Fast forum hosting for phpBB, SMF, and others
  • More forum software choices than any provider
  • Unlimited storage, bandwidth, and databases
  • Easily manage your forum hosting with cPanel
  • FREE SSL and SSDs for security and speed
  • Get started on A2 Hosting now.

FORUM
RATING 4.6 ★★★★★ Our Review

A2 Hosting: Our Expert's Review
A2 Hosting Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): A2 Hosting offers the most options for forum hosting we’ve seen. Whether you prefer vBulletin, MyBB, phpBB, or another forum application, you can easily install from your own cPanel portal. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 100 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD New or Transfer 4 minutes

3. InMotionHosting.com

InMotion review

Monthly Starting Price $2.29

  • Choose from any forum application
  • Easily set up SMF and phpBB with 1-click installs
  • All-SSD storage means 20x-faster page loads
  • FREE SSL certificate and DDoS protection
  • cPanel management with Softaculous script library
  • Get started on InMotion now.

FORUM
RATING 4.6 ★★★★★ Our Review

InMotion: Our Expert's Review
InMotion Review

PJ Fancher (HostingAdvice.com): As one of the best all-around providers in the industry, InMotion Hosting is a predictably strong option for building an interactive online community. The host pairs modern, strong hardware with unrestricted forum application options to deliver a hosting service that can grow with your forum website. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
90 days 100 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD FREE (1 year) 5 minutes

4. Hostinger.com

Hostinger review

Monthly Starting Price $2.49

  • Multiple forum options available via 1-click script
  • Unlimited websites and bandwidth on most plans
  • Optimized WordPress hosting to pair with forums
  • Manage your forum via custom control panel
  • High-speed hosting for less than $1 per month
  • Get started on Hostinger now.

FORUM
RATING 4.5 ★★★★★ Our Review

Hostinger: Our Expert's Review
Hostinger Review

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com): Don’t let the low price tag fool you — Hostinger is a high-class host with tons of perks and upgrades available to site owners. The host supports phpBB, myBB, Vanilla Forums, SMF, FluxBB, and other forum programs available through an easy one-click installation script. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 50 GB SSD - 200 GB SSD FREE (1 year) 3 minutes

5. IONOS.com

1&1 IONOS review

Monthly Starting Price $1.00

  • Launch your forum on high-powered hosting
  • Faster page loads than many competitors
  • Upgrade to cloud hosting for pre-installed phpBB, MyBB, and SMF
  • FREE domain, SSL certificate, and email
  • Dedicated time with a personal consultant
  • Get started on 1&1 IONOS now.

FORUM
RATING 4.4 ★★★★★ Our Review

1&1 IONOS: Our Expert's Review
1&1 IONOS Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): 1&1 IONOS offers the full complement of forum software to build an online community on top of reliable, high-performance web hosting. Enjoy around-the-clock support and above-average 99. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 10 GB - Unlimited FREE (1 year) 4 minutes

6. HostGator.com

HostGator review

Monthly Starting Price $2.64

  • Launch a phpBB-powered site quickly and easily
  • Install forum software in a single click with cPanel
  • Build an online community with custom themes
  • Host up to unlimited domains on one account
  • Instant shopping carts, blogs, forums, and more
  • Get started on HostGator now.

FORUM
RATING 4.3 ★★★★★ Our Review

HostGator: Our Expert's Review
HostGator Review

Ryan Frankel (HostingAdvice.com): HostGator plans streamline the process of building, hosting, and growing an online forum powered by popular application phpBB. Instantly set up your forum with MediaphpBB, and enjoy all the other tools cPanel has to offer. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 10 GB SSD - 40 GB SSD FREE (1 year) 4 minutes

7. SiteGround.com

SiteGround review

Monthly Starting Price $2.99

  • FREE forum software with powerful performance
  • Available apps include phpBB, vBulletin, and SMF
  • FREE CDN and multiple server locations
  • FREE site transfer, cPanel license, and SSH access
  • Use the latest PHP version that's most compatible
  • Get started on SiteGround now.

FORUM
RATING 4.2 ★★★★★ Our Review

SiteGround: Our Expert's Review
SiteGround Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): SiteGround is an ideal choice for application-specific hosting, including web hosting for forum creation and maintenance. Start with your choice of community-based application, such as phpBB or Simple Machine Forum (SMF), and you’re off. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 10 GB SSD - 40 GB SSD New or Transfer 6 minutes

Review Breakdown: Best Online Forum Hosting

Ready to start a forum website but don't know where to look? Our hosting experts compiled the table below to give you a quick glance at all the top forum-friendly web hosting providers. As you review each forum host, take into consideration price, features, and software compatibility.

Here are the best forum hosting services: