Hey everyone! Like many out there, I'm trying to navigate building my own little online space for me and my fellow creatives. I've got a limited budget and my setup options are a bit daunting, so I'm hoping to find the perfect forum software. Specifically, I'm looking for something that's built on PHP and has the following must-have features:
- Invitation only for users
- Username and password protection
- Functionality for real-time chat
- The capability to copy/paste into posts and upload files directly
- Options for embedding content
- A private forum that requires logging in to access
- Mobile-friendly design
Our group of 6 writers and artists needs a platform that allows us not just to communicate, but also to keep a permanent record of our posts and projects. We've been using Discord, but it's just not cutting it anymore—it's messy and makes it hard to find older discussions. We'd like a decent chat feature that complements the forum, but the forum itself is our priority.
I'm willing to spend up to $30 CAD (around $17.50 USD) a month on domains and hosting, but I'm a bit lost on how to make it all work. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
6 Answers
I totally understand where you're coming from, but a forum alone might not fix your actual problem. Have you thought about using Notion for organizing your work and maybe keeping Discord (or simplifying the chat to something like group texts)? A forum tacked onto a chat isn't a perfect long-term solution.
Running a VPS can be quite affordable—usually around $5-10 a month. You could split costs with friends and set up Docker on it. Discourse is excellent and has built-in chat, plus you can host it for free on that setup!
Creating a tailored solution with a forum and chat can lead to a lot of complexity. Instead, start with an existing forum that has private groups and search functionality, and then integrate a separate chat tool later. Focus on your budget over feature-checklists to find what works best.
If you want a solid combination of forum and real-time chat, Discourse might be your best bet. It runs on Docker, not PHP, but it checks all the boxes: invites, private categories, searchable history, and decent upload options. If you’re set on PHP, phpBB or MyBB can serve well for forums, but you may end up needing a separate chat solution. Just consider using cloud storage like S3 for your media to save your VPS resources.
Check out Flarum and consider adding a neon chat extension—it might fit your needs! For hosting, a Hetzner VPS with a domain should cost you around $15 a month, which is pretty reasonable for what you’re looking to do.
Honestly, what you’re describing sounds a bit like Discord with a few extra features. Have you thought about just organizing your Discord channels better? It could save you a lot of hassle, especially since you already have paid hosting.
How reliable is that server, though? And what about storage limitations?