Websites using VBulletin

Okay, let s dive into vBulletin, covering its overview, revenue, alternatives, pricing, and customer care.

vBulletin: A Comprehensive Overview

vBulletin is a proprietary internet forum software package developed by vBulletin Solutions, Inc. (formerly known as Jelsoft Enterprises). It s a widely recognized and established platform used for creating and managing online communities. Here s a breakdown:

• Purpose: Primarily designed for creating forums, message boards, and online discussion platforms. It facilitates user interaction, content sharing, and community building.
• Key Features:
  • Threaded Discussions: Organizes conversations in a hierarchical manner, making it easy to follow discussions.
  • User Management: Robust user registration, authentication, and permission systems.
  • Moderation Tools: Provides tools for forum administrators and moderators to manage content and user behavior.
  • Customization: Allows users to customize the look and feel of their forums with themes, templates, and plugins.
  • Content Management: Features for managing forum posts, articles, and other content.
  • Search Functionality: Advanced search options to find relevant discussions and content.
  • Mobile-Friendly: Responsive design for viewing on various devices.
  • Private Messaging: Allows users to communicate privately.
  • Multi-Language Support: Supports multiple languages for a global user base.
  • Integration Options: Integrates with other web technologies and platforms through plugins and APIs.
• Target Audience: Businesses, organizations, and individuals looking to create engaging online communities. It is used by a wide range of industries, including gaming, hobbies, support forums, and more.
• Development History: Originally developed by Jelsoft Enterprises in 2000. Over time, it has been through several version updates and ownership changes.

Revenue

Specific revenue figures for vBulletin Solutions are not publicly available. As a privately held company, they don t disclose that information. However, revenue is primarily generated from:

• Software Licenses: The core income stream is through the sale of licenses for vBulletin. There are various license types depending on the number of users and features required.
• Add-ons and Plugins: They sell or provide access to plugins, add-ons, and third-party customizations.
• Support and Services: Offering support packages, custom development, and setup services.

Alternatives to vBulletin

If you re looking at forum software, here are some popular alternatives with different strengths:

• XenForo:
  • Strengths: Known for its modern design, user-friendly interface, performance, and strong support community. Often considered a direct competitor and favored by those migrating from vBulletin due to its similar structure with an improved modern codebase.
  • Weaknesses: Can be more expensive than some other alternatives.
• phpBB:
  • Strengths: Free and open-source, highly customizable, and boasts a large community. Very popular.
  • Weaknesses: Can feel less modern and visually appealing than some other options. Its user interface might be perceived as less intuitive.
• MyBB:
  • Strengths: Free and open-source, relatively easy to use and manage, with a focus on speed and performance.
  • Weaknesses: Less feature-rich than some other commercial platforms.
• Discourse:
  • Strengths: Modern and responsive design, streamlined discussions, strong community-oriented features.
  • Weaknesses: Can require more server resources. Doesn t have a traditional forum interface, being structured more like a chatroom.
• Flarum:
  • Strengths: Free and open-source, simple and lightweight design, focuses on a more modern, simplified approach.
  • Weaknesses: Relatively new, with a smaller community and fewer features compared to older options.
• NodeBB:
  • Strengths: Modern, real-time, built on Node.js, high performance and scaling capabilities.
  • Weaknesses: Requires more technical expertise for setup and management, doesn t have a traditional forum feel.
• Invision Community:
  • Strengths: Feature-rich suite of community tools, including forums, blogs, downloads, and more.
  • Weaknesses: Can be complex and has a higher price point.

Pricing

vBulletin s pricing is not always straightforward and depends on the specific licensing requirements. Generally, they offer different license tiers:

• vBulletin Connect: This is their latest offering, including a core forum, blog, and article functionality. The pricing tends to be based on annual subscriptions with varying features, number of users, or website visits/page views. There may be one-time purchase licenses available for previous versions, but they are not commonly supported anymore.

• One-Time Purchase vs. Subscription: In the past, vBulletin offered one-time purchase licenses for specific versions, but they have moved towards a subscription model for vBulletin Connect.

• Add-ons: May come at additional costs.

• Renewal and Upgrades: Subscription renewals are needed to continue access to updates and support.

• Custom Development: Customization and development services are also available, usually at hourly rates.

Customer Care

vBulletin offers customer support through different channels:

• Official Support Forum: Their main platform for users to seek help, report bugs, and interact with the vBulletin team.
• Email Support: Provided for direct communication regarding issues, licensing, and account-related matters.
• Documentation: A comprehensive knowledge base and documentation is available online.
• Community Support: A user community is available for assistance.
• Premium Support: Depending on the license or plan, paid support is available for faster and more personalized assistance.

Key Takeaways:

• Established Platform: vBulletin is a well-established forum software with a long history.
• Subscription Model: They ve largely shifted to a subscription model with their latest vBulletin Connect software.
• Cost: Pricing can vary, and it s important to research the different plans available for their current offering, vBulletin Connect.
• Alternatives: Plenty of robust alternatives are available, each with its strengths and weaknesses.
• Customer Care: They offer different tiers of support, depending on the plan and the nature of assistance needed.

Recommendations:

• If considering vBulletin, research the current pricing for vBulletin Connect thoroughly based on your website s needs.
• Compare vBulletin with alternatives (especially XenForo) before making a decision, paying attention to licensing cost, feature requirements, and community support.
• For a smaller, budget-friendly project, consider free, open-source options like phpBB or MyBB.
• Always read reviews, and check out demos to make an informed choice.

Do you have any specific questions about vBulletin or the alternatives that you would like me to answer? I can provide more targeted information if you d like.