If you’re considering creating a forum, then MYBB is a very popular and powerful forum software you should consider…and it’s free. They’re quick to release security patches and have really good antispam features.
I’ve been using MYBB for over 13 years, so here are some things you really should know before you embark on this journey.
MYBB’s default theme isn’t responsive
One of the most shocking things about MYBB is that its default theme isn’t mobile-friendly. This was a big deal for me even 13 years ago, so you can imagine how awkward this must be in 2026. It relies heavily on tables…yikes! I can’t think of any niche that would willingly wave off the mobile users with a UI that requires constant zooming.
According to Similarweb, mobile traffic accounts for 66.42% and Desktop 32.16%.
This means you’ll most likely install a responsive theme or risk annoying your mobile users.
You MUST know basic HTML and JavaScript
The moment you enter the world of custom themes, you’ll definitely need to modify one or two things in the template files. This, of course, requires some knowledge of HTML, or you’ll end up breaking your forum. You might also encounter some JavaScript-based features not working and need to delve into the scripts.
The need for HTML knowledge doesn’t stop at custom themes. MYBB updates sometimes require you to modify the template file of your theme(s).
Updates can feel very manual
If you’re coming from WordPress, you’ll find MYBB updates quite manual. You’ll have to back up your forum files and database (recommended), download the changed files, and extract them into your forum directory. You might or might not need to run an update script. The real hassle comes when you need to update your theme’s template files, manually, one at a time.
As you can guess, it’s very easy to miss an essential change to the template system and start running into bugs as a result.
Consider learning PHP once your forums build an identity
Once your forum starts gaining traction and your users either start making feature requests or you start seeing the need to implement more features, then you’d best learn basic PHP. If you’re lucky to find a plugin for your intended feature, it could be inadequate for your use case. You’ll also have to worry about security updates.
I’ve had to tweak or write a few plugins myself to suit my forum’s identity.
Don’t rely heavily on third-party plugins
This is not unique to MYBB. I always advise users of any third-party plugin supporting software to minimise their use of plugins. A plugin must be very important to your core forum functionality; if not, it’s just trouble waiting to happen. Installing plugins on MYBB is nowhere near as smooth as on WordPress where you have a one-click installer/uninstaller.
Installing plugins on MYBB requires manual file management. You copy all the plugin’s files to their respective directories, then activate the plugin. To uninstall the plugin, you first deactivate it, then delete each plugin file manually.
Bonus Tip
One of your biggest challenges will be spam. While MYBB has some anti-spam (e.g.StopForumSpam integration) and cleanup (like the almighty Purge Spammer) features, you might still struggle because spam techniques keep advancing. There’s the CleanTalk plugin, but I didn’t have a great experience with it.
I use a two-pronged approach to fight spam. First, I filter them at registration and login with a combination of CAPTCHA, StopForumSpam and Cloudflare Page Rules. Then I created a rule that requires a user’s first x posts to require moderation. I have found this to be very effective at reducing spam.
Legitimate users (whose credentials might have been obtained from data leaks on other websites)
Conclusion
Despite these limitations, MYBB remains a highly recommended forum software. Ensure your forums are hosted with a reliable webhost to avoid 5xx errors and downtimes…especially when the rogue bots come calling.