Can someone tell me why I should buy xenForo

[Phil1ooo]

Hello

I am in need of another forum script as I have been using free forums for around 4yrs now and there times seems to have passed now.

Can anyone tell me why or what the benefits are in buying a script over using some of the many free ones that provide very good support, add-ons, themes etc and mostly for free as well.

What will this script give or provide me that other free ones won't?
From what I can see this price for a forum compared to free ones would have to provide a super fantastic forum which allows for multi forum sign-up and sign-ins, security features beyond the normal free ones coded in, mods to be installed using an inbuilt installer in admin panel and so much more.

After comparing the demo with my current script and those of other free forum scripts and finding that xenForo doesn't really offer anything special or different than what other free forums scripts do and in fact they offer much much less when it comes to usability features and controls so why should I pay so much for is available totally free.

From what I have seen the add-ons are no better and in fact do less and yet charged for.

I am asking anyone who is capable of proving to me that paying this much and even anything at all for this xenForo script is far better than using a free forum script which offers more than xenforo does from what I can see so far.

Your comments please.

NOTE; This is not an attack or what ever you may wish to call in on xenforo or it's script as I am not that kind of person.

I do however want to know what the differences are between using a free or paid forum as I am genuinely looking for a new forum script.

Cheers

 

[Paul B]

Sounds to me as if you had already made your mind up before you posted the thread.

I will request a free 1 month trial on my server and if it's correct then I will look at purchasing it. If they agree they may have a sale is what you guys say is true but if they disagree then I will stay with the free or find some other forum else where

Free trials of that nature are never approved.

 

[14DH01]

There are 3 people who work for XenForo, Kier, Mike and Ashley. Everyone else is a customer.

I tell them respect! as against an army of dev, they fail to live up to these three guys

 

[Andrej]

I will request a free 1 month trial on my server and if it's correct then I will look at purchasing it. If they agree they may have a sale is what you guys say is true but if they disagree then I will stay with the free or find some other forum else where because 500 bucks on uncertainty is a lot of money especially when for all I know some of these users may be fake or work for xenforo in some way which means they would say anything to get a sale.

140$ is the base price of XenForo. You are not requested to buy all those add-ons if you don't need them.

You can get a demo here. There is no self-hosted demo.

 

[Phil1ooo]

65 bucks a year? For what?

It's $40 for 1 year of support ticket + update and you can choose to use it or not.

I'm buying xenforo during last sale ($110) and it was really, really, underpriced.

If you read what I wrote correctly! you have noticed that I was talking about the whole package except for the installation. That's 140 for the script + 250 for the copyright removal + 60 for the RM + 50 for the ES and there is the yearly support and add-ons which are 40 for support + 15 for RM and 10 for the ES. add it urself.

IMHO, pricing removal isn't needed, I am a proud XenForo user and I like to display that, also the 40$ is just for updates, you can still use the software.

Well aware of that and totally agree.

Cheers

 

[Phil1ooo]

140$ is the base price of XenForo. You are not requested to buy all those add-ons if you don't need them.

You can get a demo here. There is no self-hosted demo.
Smile to the world.

Having said that it would cost me that much should I want them all and that's the important fact here.And then there's all the mods so basically (again not forced to buy them ) but if you want to better your forum you end up having to.

 

[tyteen4a03]

Having said that it would cost me that much should I want them all and that's the important fact here.And then there's all the mods so basically (again not forced to buy them ) but if you want to better your forum you end up having to.

I don't like paying for mods mods either so I release all my addons as open source addons (unless I really, really need money, I remain a broke student ).

Do remember that XenForo was dragged down by IB so there's a 3 year stall on development progress. Had IB not start the lawsuit joke, XenForo would have gotten much further than what it is today.

 

[Sheratan]

If you read what I wrote correctly! you have noticed that I was talking about the whole package except for the installation. That's 140 for the script + 250 for the copyright removal + 60 for the RM + 50 for the ES and there is the yearly support and add-ons which are 40 for support + 15 for RM and 10 for the ES. add it urself.


Well aware of that and totally agree.

Cheers

Having said that it would cost me that much should I want them all and that's the important fact here.And then there's all the mods so basically (again not forced to buy them ) but if you want to better your forum you end up having to.

I see your point.

Protip #1: Know your community. Know your server. Know your software. Install what you really need. Do you need E.S? R.M?

If you dont, then you dont need to buy them. Simple.

 

[14DH01]

you're wrong! the RM can be bring him money

 

[Sheratan]

you're wrong! the RM can be bring him money

 

[Andrej]

Having said that it would cost me that much should I want them all and that's the important fact here.And then there's all the mods so basically (again not forced to buy them ) but if you want to better your forum you end up having to.

Here is the tip of the day: There is a reply button which saves the hassle of copying and pasting an quote.

 

[Phil1ooo]

Sounds to me as if you had already made your mind up before you posted the thread.

If that's what it sounds like then your not really paying attention.
This is a business for us and not a hobby and I have others I need to account to, to justify spending this amount of money on something that can be free.

Free trials of that nature are never approved.

Of what nature?
1 - the fact that I would prefer to test it out first rather than use a demo.
2 - The fact that I want to see if it is worth spending that amount of money.
3 - The fact that spending so much money online for something you know nothing about so wanting to know before hand is (in your opinion then ) a bad thing and we are fools for this request rather than just paying up and shutting up and then dealing with the consequences.
I feel trial period is more than fair and in fact it's not only fair, it should be mandatory when dealing online with developers.
You have any idea how much money we spent when we started out because of wanting payments first and then finding out you got sucked in, You have any idea how many developers online cheat you.
We don't fall into those traps anymore.
We have bought a good 70% of scripts we have first been allowed to test before paying, (Try buying a car without testing it first) as for demos you have any idea how many demos are online that work and then when installed on your server they don't work the same way.

There is nothing wrong with doing ones homework, there is nothing wrong with requestion a free trial period, there is nothing wrong with asking questions and most of all there is nothing wrong with being careful with who your dealing with when means spending so much money with no insurance that you like that product because you didn't get a change to test it out.

Protip #1: Know your server. Know your software. Install what you really need. Do you need E.S? R.M?

Our servers are more than good for this as we are in hosting ourselves, As for ES, yes it does have it's advantages and RM well I'm looking into that but wouldn't mine seeing it on some other forum to see exactly what is can do. (if anyone wouldn't mind placing a link to one that would be great).

Cheers

 

[tyteen4a03]

*snip*

The problem really comes from pirates and nullers out there. Since XenForo the package does not obfuscate the source code, offering on-site trials is like giving nullers exactly what they want - for free. I'm not saying we shouldn't trust you, it's that by giving you this one exception, you would open a floodgate of similar examples (you're behind the screen so you really can say whatever you are, we won't be able to verify anyway) which would only lead to more nulled releases.

This is the standard across all paid scripts - you can ask for a refund, but you can't ask for on-site trials. As inconvenient as this sounds for potential customers, this protects developers from nullers fine.

 

[DRE]

Xenforo has a great addon community, awesome addons and excellent SEO capabilities and security right out of the box. Cstomization is easy, updates are generally painless compared to... vBulletin and Wordpress and you can do pretty much anything with your xenforo installation.

 

[Phil1ooo]

The problem really comes from pirates and nullers out there. Since XenForo the package does not obfuscate the source code, offering on-site trials is like giving nullers exactly what they want - for free. I'm not saying we shouldn't trust you, it's that by giving you this one exception, you would open a floodgate of similar examples (you're behind the screen so you really can say whatever you are, we won't be able to verify anyway) which would only lead to more nulled releases.

This is the standard across all paid scripts - you can ask for a refund, but you can't ask for on-site trials. As inconvenient as this sounds for potential customers, this protects developers from nullers fine.

YES of cause I do understand that.
BUT a free trial is actually very simple, encrypt the script leaving the html editable. Place a 1 month restriction on it so that it stops working after that period.
Once purchased supply the full version. Not that difficult really when you try.

There are many other ways around your remarks and that would at least show you have the interest of your script at heart to potential buyers.

I guess the consensus here is that I won't spend this much money on something I know nothing about and can't test first and you guys make so much money that you feel people just have to take your word for it and hope for the best and just the fact that once that money is spent and it's not what you want then you need to bring it down to a bad experience.
You made your money so what do you care in the end.

And you can argue that point all you want but the fact remains that this looks like it all take.

This is the standard across all paid scripts

NOT all but yes some and those we choose not to touch as it looks like what will happen with this one.

You have/had a chance for a sale but obviously your making so much money that you don't need another sale.

Cheers

 

[jmurrayhead]

You have/had a chance for a sale but obviously your making so much money that you don't need another sale.

You're being quite ridiculous. If you can't figure it out from the online demo and from using this site, you can't be helped. Ciao.

 

[DRE]

Did this dude just ask for a free trial?

 

[Adam Howard]

I'm going to say it and people are going to hate me for it, but it needs to be said.....

Download a pirated copy.... NOT with the intention to get something for nothing.

But for me it was the best way to actually decide if what I was thinking of buying into would be worth it.

• An online demo does not tell me how good the code is (because you can't see it).
• And online demo does not allow me to see the impact it may have on my setup.
• An online demo did not let me install styles and add-ons or make customizations.

So I understand the need to "try" something before you buy. And encoded files wouldn't have done me good either (because of all the above reasons).

In the end, only you can decide what is best for yourself and your community.

I personally know, that XenForo offers the current best optimized forum script that uses the fewest resources, is the most flexible, user friendly, and is highly customizable. And I can tell you that. But it's clear you're a little like myself and need to actually "play with it" before you decide.

However.... And this is important... There is no way to ever know if such an "invalid" copy is safe (odds are more than higher than normal that obtaining such would not be safe). Keep that in mind of the danger of looking for such an "alternative trial".

 

[Phil1ooo]

You're being quite ridiculous.

Ridiculous in your eyes, visit al the problems others have and it doesn't sound so ridiculous.
My original question was, why should I buy xenforo over using a free forum.

So far after visiting the forum extensively I found that users are having just the same issues and yet there paying for there problems.
I haven't yet heard one single reason as to why I should be paying for something that involves having the same problems and keep on paying every year if I need those problems fixed.

Yes I did use the demo as you say long before post my question which is what made me post it.

All I get so far is basically saying either buy it and leave. Nice Business Ethics which in true reality shows the true form of this product.

A WASTE OF MONEY

Cheers

 

[TheBigK]

...because everyone is buying it and it's probably the coolest thing you might just do today.

 

[Phil1ooo]

I'm going to say it and people are going to hate me for it, but it needs to be said.....

But for me it was the best way to actually decide if what I was thinking of buying into would be worth it.

• An online demo does not tell me how good the code is (because you can't see it).
• And online demo does not allow me to see the impact it may have on my setup.
• An online demo did not let me install styles and add-ons or make customizations.

At least one person here understands the reasoning behind all of this as it seems others seem to just visit the forum, pay there money and hope for the best after that.

Download a pirated copy.... NOT with the intention to get something for nothing.

I never expect something for nothing BUT I also never expect to pay for something which I may not like after a few weeks because the demo couldn't provide me with the tests I would have liked to perform.

Cheers