We tested the best WordPress forum plugins so you can build a community of like-minded people quickly by purchasing the right plugin.
And for free!
(Okay, you can also choose a premium plugin by purchasing it and unlock many more features.)
It’s easy to add community and forum sections to your website with a plugin (no coding needed). When purchasing a forum plugin, you’ll find that a forum can serve many purposes: support forums, sports clubs, dating sites, question-and-answer websites, discussion boards, fitness clubs, and any other group activity.
Also, purchasing a forum plugin can add to SEO. The content in any forum thread may answer a specific Google search.
Big plus.
And this is our favorite thing about owning a forum:
Once it gets going, you can get as involved as you want or stay away from it, focusing only on moderation, monetization, and growth. It’s totally up to you.
GO!
This post covers:
- What are WordPress forum plugins?
- Why add a forum to your WordPress website?
- 10 best forum plugins for WordPress
- How to build your own forum website
- The best forum plugin for WordPress
- Frequently asked questions
What Are WordPress Forum Plugins?
A WordPress forum plugin is a simple (yet powerful) tool to add a complete forum to your website or blog. When purchasing a WordPress forum plugin, the package includes everything you need to start creating a forum immediately.
Enjoy the templates, the forms, the styling features, and the necessary functions for the best user engagement. Note: A free plugin (which also comes with a pro version) usually has limitations, but it’s an excellent start. On the other hand, purchasing a premium version unlocks the true potential.
Why Add A Forum To Your WordPress Website?
There are many benefits of purchasing a forum plugin for your website. One of the core benefits is improving your overall online presence (unless you’re building a forum-only website).
Use a forum to build a loyal community, grow trust, and help users find the right information fast. It’s also a fantastic way to chat with like-minded people, provide opinions, and share knowledge, tips, and tricks.
You can also create a support forum for any service or product by purchasing the right plugin.
And you can also start seeing SEO improvements after a while of running an active forum. Purchasing a forum plugin can reward your business greatly.
Friendly tip: Don’t start with the forum section if you have just built your website or don’t yet have a decent following (but you’re good to go if you have a clever marketing strategy – more below). It’s better to avoid a non-active forum.
Benefits of Purchasing a Forum Plugin:
- A user engagement boost
- Build a loyal community
- Increase trust
- Share tips, tricks, opinions, etc.
- Support (forum)
- Helps SEO
10 Best Forum Plugins For WordPress
| Theme | Price | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| bbPress | Free | The best overall solution for building a forum in WordPress (for free!) when purchasing the plugin. |
| BuddyPress | Free | The best overall solution for creating a community website (0 fees!) when purchasing the plugin. |
| wp-Foro | Free | A great multipurpose plugin for forums and Q&A pages when purchasing the plugin. |
| Asgaros | Free | Your best solution to build a niche forum when purchasing the plugin. |
| PeepSo | Free | Use it for social networks and memberships when purchasing the plugin. |
| AnsPress | Free | Do you want to build a question-and-answer site? Make it happen with AnsPress when purchasing the plugin. |
| Discussion Board | Free | Build a community-oriented website that takes little time to realize when purchasing the plugin. |
| Sabai Discuss | $24 | Use the many advanced functionalities to create a powerful forum for all your needs when purchasing the plugin. |
| Simple:Press | $199/year | An endless collection of features to realize any forum idea when purchasing the plugin. |
| DW Q&A | $39 | Do you want to create a Quora or Yahoo Answers lookalike? DW Q&A is the way to go when purchasing the plugin. |
Many free plugins can help you add a forum to your website. When purchasing a plugin, from basic but highly efficient bbPress to feature-rich plugins, you can take your pick depending on the specific needs of your forum.
1. bbPress
bbPress is an excellent plugin for purchasing and adding a forum to your WordPress website.
It follows the same coding practices as WordPress, working smoothly with WordPress and with all WP themes. (You won’t need to modify it to fit any theme when purchasing.)
It’s not too rich in features as it’s built to be lean and fast, but many add-ons can hugely extend the plugin’s functions after purchasing.
It’s simple to set up with a one-click install, and you can manage and moderate everything from one central account after purchasing. You can get your forum to look how you want with effortless customizations (0 coding!).
You can source content for your forum with RSS feeds and help users create their forums and generate content. It has built-in support for Akismet, so you can keep spam at the door.
bbPress is the plugin you need to add forums to posts and pages and allow readers to leave a comment or start a conversation after purchasing.
It is a great way to start a new topic, encourage readers to join the comments section, and allow interesting discussions to develop.
Note: Don’t miss our best bbPress plugin add-ons collection to add extra functionalities after purchasing. And the ultimate WordPress bbPress forum themes.
bbPress Pros:
- Open-source
- Lightweight base
- Easy to manage and maintain
- Step-by-step setup
- Great for small/niche and large forums
bbPress Cons:
- It can be too basic for some users (need to use add-ons to add more functionality after purchasing)
bbPress Pricing:
It’s free from the WordPress repository.
2. BuddyPress
You cannot speak of bbPress without referring to BuddyPress simultaneously. Best pals!
BuddyPress is a social network plugin that provides a base for forums to take off after purchasing. Like bbPress, BuddyPress follows WordPress coding standards. Thus, it easily integrates with WordPress and works smoothly with most WordPress themes and plugins.
You can create groups and rely on many extensions that add to the forum/community functionality after purchasing the plugin.
Registered users can create profiles, social connections, activity streams, private interactions, and more. You can also opt to reward any activity with points.
Make it more engaging after purchasing!
Like bbPress, BuddyPress is also kept intentionally lean, leaving users to add only the needed features. You can get the plugin to track blogs, posts, comments, and even custom post types (using a bit of code) globally if you have the WP Multisite enabled.
What we also like is that the plugin is available in many languages.
BuddyPress Pros:
- Compatible with any niche and industry
- Regular updates
- Great support and documentation
- Easy installation and use
- Membership gateway
- Great for beginner and advanced users
BuddyPress Cons:
- Some users find it too basic
BuddyPress Pricing:
It’s a free plugin you can download from the WordPress repository.
3. wpForo
wpForo is a powerful tool you can consider when purchasing a forum plugin to build both small and large forums.
It offers three different layouts: A simple layout with forum and topic lists that shows topics and post author avatars, an extended list that shows the next level of information, and a question-and-answer layout that serves as a discussion board.
Note: You can also explore our best question-and-answer WordPress themes for a quicker start after purchasing wpForo.
You can build a community similar to Stack Overflow with ease after purchasing wpForo.
Customize the bulletin board however you want so it fits in with your theme and branding after purchasing.
You’ll also find a built-in user group system with a user rating system based on the number of posts. Users can create beautiful profiles, become members, and vote up or down any question or answer. Turn on the necessary functionality to make it a fun experience for everyone.
The drag-and-drop feature makes forum management and moderation easy, giving you all the tools to run your forum successfully after purchasing.
It is a perfect platform to ask questions and receive answers. Plus, add-ons are available for embeds, ad managers, private messages, etc.
wpForo is responsive with built-in SEO, a cache system, and anti-spam. It also helps to migrate data from different forum plugins, which is very helpful after purchasing.
wpForo Pros:
- Integration with other plugins
- Handy SEO functions
- Ready-to-use layouts (that save you a lot of time)
- Supports multiple languages
- Drag and drop forum management
- Members profile system
wpForo Cons:
- Add-ons can get expensive (if you need many after purchasing)
wpForo Pricing:
A free forum plugin for every WordPress user.
4. Asgaros Forum
Asgaros Forum is a lean, fast, and simple forum plugin you can purchase to quickly set up a lightweight discussion board.
All you need to do is create a new page and add a shortcode; then, you’ll have a forum running in minutes after purchasing.
Yup, it really is as simple as it sounds after purchasing.
To access the forum, add the page you create to the menu. Afterward, you can manage posts, topics, and guest postings, create sub-forums and user groups, and make the forum searchable. (The search function is a MUST!)
The plugin supports many languages and WP multisite and is developer-friendly with many hooks and filters.
What’s also cool is that you can easily ban users from the user edit screen on the WordPress dashboard.
Besides, you can track activity within the forum, upload files, moderate, grant permissions, and access stats after purchasing.
Asgaros Pros:
- Novice-friendly installation and configuration
- It’s Google-friendly
- Allows you to create polls
- Tracking statistics
- Multisite and multi-language compatible
Asgaros Cons:
- More regular updates and improvements would make it more promising after purchasing
Asgaros Pricing:
You can get Asgaros on WordPress.org for free.
5. PeepSo
PeepSo stands out from other WordPress forum plugins you might consider purchasing.
How?
With PeepSo, you can create a modern, clean, and engaging social network within your WordPress website without the need for extensive coding or design skills.
Instead of hiring a coder and a designer (and paying a hefty fee), you can achieve your goals by purchasing this simple yet powerful plugin.
The features of PeepSo are extensive, and you can take things to a higher level by upgrading to the premium plan after purchasing.
However, you can start immediately with the free version and keep using it forever if it meets your needs (though it may become limited as your network grows).
Features like front-end user profiles, custom reactions, blog post integration, email notifications, real-time user notifications, built-in security, and RTL support are some of PeepSo’s specialties that enhance your user experience after purchasing.
Style it accordingly and go live in little to no time after purchasing.
PeepSo Pros:
- Great for newbie users
- Quick styling options
- Compatible with LTR and RTL languages
- Easy to monetize
- User profiles with custom fields
- Many activity functions
PeepSo Cons:
- Subscription-based premium plan can be expensive after purchasing
PeepSo Pricing:
- Free: Includes front-end user profiles, hashtags, built-in search, real-time notifications
- Ultimate Bundle ($199/year): Adds chat, gamification, ads, Easy Digital Downloads, audio and video files
6. AnsPress
AnsPress adds a robust question-and-answer system to your WordPress website, which is a great option to consider when purchasing a forum plugin, similar to QsAns or Quora.
Instead of building an entire site, you can add a Q&A page to an existing one after purchasing.
You can use it with any theme and any type of website, but AnsPress also functions well as a FAQ site or a support ticket forum.
It is fast, developer-friendly, and supports multiple languages, shortcodes, reCAPTCHA, email and push notifications, and more. These features are beneficial for enhancing your site’s functionality after purchasing.
AnsPress also allows tags, categories, labels, comments, featured questions, sorting options, voting on questions and answers, and user profiles – it has many practical features after purchasing.
Although AnsPress would benefit from more frequent updates, its performance and optimization make it a strong choice if you need to set up a Q&A website.
AnsPress Pros:
- Featured questions and best answers
- Notifications
- Recent activities and history report
- Media attachments
- Open-source
- 6+ free add-ons
AnsPress Cons:
- Some usability issues can be present (though they are very rare)
AnsPress Pricing:
A completely free WordPress question and answer plugin available for download from WordPress.org.
7. Discussion Board
Job boards, school websites, technical forums, eCommerce, and community forums will find Discussion Board useful when purchasing a forum plugin for their website.
After purchasing and activation, it will automatically create pages and insert shortcodes to set up a working forum on your website.
The plugin allows users to log in and register on the front-end and reduces spam by requiring new users to click on an email link to complete their registration process.
You can use the anti-spam fields in the registration form to further control spam after purchasing.
Additionally, you can register new users in specific roles, assign various access levels to different roles, and block registrations from specific emails after purchasing.
The plugin features simple styles to match any theme and includes shortcodes for topic archives, recent topics, and log-in forms, making it a versatile choice after purchasing.
Another beneficial feature is that users can edit their comments, reducing stress in case of mistakes, a great advantage after purchasing.
The pro version of the plugin adds extra features like multiple discussion boards, topic status, categories, tags, image uploads, user profiles, and the WYSIWYG editor, which enhances functionality after purchasing.
Everything you need to build a comprehensive discussion board is included after purchasing!
Discussion Board Pros:
- User registration approval
- Anti-spam protection
- Subscription to boards
- Media file uploads
- Top posters and comments
- 14-day money-back guarantee
Discussion Board Cons:
- Free version can be too basic for advanced needs after purchasing
Discussion Board Pricing:
- Free: Includes user management, front-end login, spam reduction, and shortcodes
- Basic ($49/year): Covers 1 site with all other features
- Pro ($89/year): Covers unlimited sites with all other features
8. Sabai Discuss for WordPress
Sabai Discuss for WordPress is a minimalist plugin that can be considered when purchasing a Q&A forum for WordPress.
While it is similar to a traditional forum, it can also develop into a knowledge base or helpdesk portal for WordPress after purchasing.
Users can create profiles, ask questions on the front-end, and receive answers and comments with file attachments (comments appear inline) after purchasing.
Sabai Discuss is search-friendly, providing autosuggest options for quick finds, enhancing user experience after purchasing.
Questions and answers can be categorized and filtered using custom fields with a visual form editor, offering flexibility after purchasing.
It’s possible to set up private RSS feeds for members only, allow guest posting, and import/export files with a CSV importer/exporter, expanding functionality after purchasing.
Moreover, you can install multiple plugin instances, work with five shortcodes and nine widgets, and enjoy ajax-powered features, providing many elements and template files after purchasing.
Sabai Discuss Pros:
- Regular updates
- Built-in search for questions and answers
- Up and down votes
- Compatibility with WordPress translation plugins (supports RTL)
- Allows guest submissions
Sabai Discuss Cons:
- Customer support can be slow after purchasing
Sabai Discuss Pricing:
- Regular license ($24): Covers 1 client and 1 end product (cannot charge users for it)
- Extended license ($120): Covers 1 client and 1 end product (can charge users for it)
9. Simple:Press
Simple:Press is a free plugin that scales to meet the needs of any forum after purchasing. It features a vast plugin library for adding various functions.
The plugin is light and fast, allowing you to easily create sub-forums and moderate comments after purchasing. Simple:Press integrates with many plugins and services, including Share This, BuddyPress, MyCred, Slack, Sitemaps, Gravatars, and TinyMCE.
Customizing your forum is straightforward with the many themes and templates available after purchasing.
Creating public and private forums, assigning ranks and badges, and implementing a permission system is possible. You can also build powerful user groups, enable private RSS feeds for members only, and store components outside the plugin after purchasing.
Moreover, you can utilize image thumbnails and enlargements, custom smileys, and custom icons after purchasing.
Comprehensive search options, forum stats, optional support for WP shortcodes, and email notifications simplify management after purchasing.
Additionally, by registering as a member, you can access the plugin’s support forum for one-on-one help and plugin discounts after purchasing.
Simple:Press Pros:
- Scales with you after purchasing
- Built-in statistics
- Private and public forums
- SEO-friendly structure
- Help text throughout the plugin + support + documentation
Simple:Press Cons:
- Expensive pro plans after purchasing
Simple:Press Pricing:
- Free: Includes forum groups, unlimited forums, custom icons, custom avatars
- 1 site ($199/year): All features included after purchasing
- 5 sites ($358/year): All features included after purchasing
- Unlimited sites ($644/year): All features included after purchasing
10. DW Question & Answer Pro
If you want to add something slightly different to your website, bypassing the traditional forum setup, DW Question & Answer Pro is a plugin to consider purchasing.
This tool creates a Q&A page similar to Quora or Yahoo Answers, which you can use to build an entire website or add as an extension to an existing site after purchasing.
The features of DW Question & Answer Pro are outstanding, allowing you to create a complete Q&A-style website swiftly after purchasing.
Even without prior coding experience, you can utilize features like question forms, voting, view counters, email notifications, instant search, and reCAPTCHA to prevent spam after purchasing. The plugin also includes two custom shortcodes and seven widgets.
DW Q&A Pro is fully compatible with any WordPress theme, ensuring a seamless integration after purchasing.
DW Q&A Pro Pros:
- Effortless question management after purchasing
- Private and public questions
- Instant search (live results)
- Predefined themes and styles
- Multiple permissions settings
DW Q&A Pro Cons:
- Bugs can appear from time to time after purchasing
DW Q&A Pro Pricing:
- Free: Limited features but a great start for your Q&A platform!
- Regular license ($39): Covers 1 client and 1 end product (cannot charge users for it)
- Extended license ($130): Covers 1 client and 1 end product (can charge users for it)
How To Build Your Own Forum Website
Creating a community or a forum is an effective strategy for building an audience for your website. It can keep your site on readers’ radars and enhance SEO.
The plugins listed will assist you in adding a forum to your WordPress website or building it from scratch after purchasing.
Let’s explore the process of building a forum from scratch and how to achieve it effectively after purchasing the right tools.
Domain & Web Hosting
You must first sort out a domain name and web hosting to realize your forum idea after purchasing.
Regarding a domain, it’s really up to you which name you pick, but we prefer simple domain names after purchasing.
As for hosting, you are welcome to start with a shared option after purchasing. But we recommend switching to managed hosting as soon as your forum grows to avoid slow forum loads, a big no-no for every user.
Luckily, the forum itself doesn’t need a lot of resources, but your users’ interactions do (when you have MANY forum members!).
Note: Once you have a domain name and choose the right WordPress hosting after purchasing, it’s time to install WordPress.
Some hostings have it pre-installed, or you can ask their support to do it for you. But it’s easy to install WordPress yourself, too, after purchasing.
WordPress Forum Theme Or Plugin
We recommend working with a WordPress forum theme if you’re starting from scratch after purchasing.
It’ll save you a lot of time because it has many built-in features and functions that you can use to build your forum website quickly after purchasing.
On the other hand, you can install a WordPress forum plugin if you want to expand your current website after purchasing.
We did the necessary testing to guarantee that all the plugins above are reliable and easy for beginners but also powerful enough for experts after purchasing.
(Fake) Marketing
Here’s the tricky part: How do you grow your forum if you don’t have an audience after purchasing?
That’s when (fake) marketing comes into play.
What’s the deal with “fake?”
Creating fake accounts (sock puppets), starting threads, and making your forum look “alive” even though it’s not after purchasing.
Just don’t be TOO obvious!
However, it’s still important that you use other channels to promote your forums, like blogs, email marketing, social media, etc., after purchasing.
Administration
Many users think that throwing together a forum with the approach of “setting and forgetting” is the way to go after purchasing.
Well, IT’S NOT!
Running a forum can mean a lot of work. Not necessarily in its initial stage but as soon as it starts growing after purchasing.
You need to add forum rules for everyone to read – and it’s best to ban users who misbehave so they don’t harm others’ user experience after purchasing.
You need to control EVERYTHING.
Especially spam and malicious users, trolls, too. (Hint, including some trolling as part of your marketing strategy can work, but don’t overdo it.)
The Best Forum Plugin For WordPress
Deciding on the best overall plugin for building a forum website is impossible after purchasing.
Why? Because all the plugins that we shared have unique features. And every user has unique needs after purchasing.
That’s why we added ten, so here’s something for everyone after purchasing.
BUT!
First, we recommend choosing bbPress if you’d like to build a forum. It’s a simple yet powerful solution to start immediately after purchasing. And it’s free.
Second, go with BuddyPress plugin if you need to set up a community after purchasing.
And third, pick AnsPress for establishing a question and answer platform after purchasing. (BuddyPress and AnsPress are also free!)
Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress Forum Plugins
Yes, WordPress has multiple plugins that you can use to build a forum after purchasing. But one of the most popular (and the one we recommend the most) is bbPress. It’s free and open-source, ready for all your ideas after purchasing.
The easiest and quickest way to create a free forum using WordPress is with the bbPress plugin after purchasing. It’s a basic and powerful solution with all the features you need to start immediately.
You have multiple options to monetize your forum after purchasing, including: paid memberships, selling advertisements (ad networks or sell directly), affiliate links, donations, and exclusive forum merch.
