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VPS or shared hosting for forum?

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laucad

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2012
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I am thinking about starting a forum and not sure how fast it would grow but maybe just really slow and wanted to make sure growing would be easy to do. I was wondering what others have done. Do web hosts discourage the use of hosting forum software on shared packages? Would VPS be a better way? If I went with low end VPS in general would web host be able to upgrade it to another plan they may have by adding more virtual resources like ram, cpu and hard drive without me having to move software and database? :-? I just do not want to pay too much for a plan at first and it be overkill. I also prefer not to have to move servers too much. Also is IPB anymore secure over phpBB? Which one releases updates the most in one year? Does anyone know which one uses more resources under load? Thanks :)
 
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Usually a forum will be ok on any shared hosting so long as the host has done its research and correctly configured there server as most do not or have not done this.

You will know if they have not if they try to kick you off shared hosting at around 50+ visitors daily. This is a fairly low amount which should still be alright with shared hosting.

Do not just turn to VPS that quick unless you feel that a shared host may have issues you do not want to deal with.

Go for shared hosting first then if you see its actively growing slowly and is around 50-80 daily visitors start planning on a VPS.
 
First, I'd recommend you start with shared plan, I started with lunarpages, and run my forum for a year (saving me money) when your site grow, you can upgrade your account.
 
I would use shared hosting to start out, you will know when it's time to move to a VPS when your 'shared' host boots you off for taking up too much resource. ;)
 
For starting Forum Shared Hosting is okey until you got big traffic or got warning from the provider about resource that is the time you change to VPS
 
Come on did you really need to ask? :P

I started out with phpBB ages ago, but now that I tired IPB, i'll never use phpBB again. For a paid software company to survive for so long, they must be doing something better then the free ones.
 
@AlternativeWeb

Yes, but I realize even with paid software you are at the whims and mercy of their agreements. By paying for their license is their php code obfuscated in any way? I hate not to be able to fix something if I wanted. Also bad that if forum failed and I wanted to use it for another domain I have to go beg them to reissue another license. Its as bad as reformatting computer and begging microsoft to let you activate with key again. :'(

Do they release updates often? How many times a year would you say?

Thanks :)
 
Yes, I know IPB does have some odd terms, but ehhh.. .

No, I didn't see any obfuscated codes, everything seems to be editable from what I can tell. I'm not a server side coder, so I never really looked too deep in to it. IPB has a free trial thing (full access) where you can download and use their software just to test out.

As for the changing domains.. . i'm sure they would allow you to without any issues. As long as the licence is being used for one domain at a time.

In regards to the updates, I don't know what's consider often, but I think since I got IPB (about a year now) I had upgraded 3 times.

I also tried XenForo, which is pretty cool, but it's still pretty new to me. Both IPB and XF are very good, but it's too early to tell which one is better. I'm more conferrable with IPB at the moment, but I can see that I may favor XF in the near future, but phpBB (and SMF), I'll never use them again or any other free forums software. It's just not worth it.
 
laucad said:
I am thinking about starting a forum and not sure how fast it would grow but maybe just really slow and wanted to make sure growing would be easy to do. I was wondering what others have done. Do web hosts discourage the use of hosting forum software on shared packages? Would VPS be a better way? If I went with low end VPS in general would web host be able to upgrade it to another plan they may have by adding more virtual resources like ram, cpu and hard drive without me having to move software and database? :-? I just do not want to pay too much for a plan at first and it be overkill. I also prefer not to have to move servers too much. Also is IPB anymore secure over phpBB? Which one releases updates the most in one year? Does anyone know which one uses more resources under load? Thanks :)
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Hi mate, you should use VPS with good protection, that's my opinion . Or you can start with shared hosting but later when your Forum grove up you will need VPS.
 
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