Invision community Vs Xenforo

[Forsaken]

Agreed. Its going to be interesting to see how XF navigated this, as XF actively offers cloud too.

It's not a move all companies do, and it only really happens when companies have basically decided to entirely refocus on cloud customers. The most telling shift would be if XF starts releasing cloud exclusive features without offering a way for customers to do it themselves, either as a self-hosted service, or an external API.

Guess I'll get called a "loyal XenForo customer", but I do not see them going the same route as IPS as it is very different from how they have made development decisions from the beginning. There have been many things I have disagreed with on XF, or things I do not like about it, but extensibility and providing tools to developers and designers has never been one of them, even if I always want more .

 

[Suzanne O]

Out of all the forum software i have had so far i think xenforo's is the best one out there.
It's just that if you go set up your forum and you decide it's going to be a xenforo software based forum where you can do a lot of stuff that doesn't need a config file to fill out or 6 monthly memberships then it's great.

 

[kainos]

Here Forum Index: 1. Table traditional 2. Fluid, Topics 3. Feed 4. Grid......Is IPS 5 Beta 8 now....There are more options with side panel

 

[PrettyPixels]

Here Forum Index: 1. Table traditional 2. Fluid, Topics 3. Feed 4. Grid......Is IPS 5 Beta 8 now....There are more options with side panel

Yes, this looks amazing. I really wish xenForo would implement something like this for the forum list and expand the widget display options. I have high hopes for the new style that will ship with xenForo 2.4.

I admit, I've been tempted to switch back to Invision because of the modern look and CMS. The thing that stops me is (like mentioned earlier in this thread) they're really clamping down on customization within the suite. If you have a niche site with very specific custom needs, you're likely out of luck with Invision. For example, I'd like to include video embeds (such as Rumble) and social share from some more obscure sources. There are add-ons that fit my needs here (or I could have one developed) but it sounds like that isn't possible with the newest version of Invision. We're stuck with stock.

I'm also turned off by Invision's clear railroading to (extremely expensive!) cloud services and routine ditching of features. I don't like that Invision changed their policies after-the-fact so purchased licenses now expire; existing licenses should have been grandfathered in. There is no guaranteed feature parity between suite versions. Most recently they got rid of user walls and thread ratings, which are two features I use. I also strongly dislike the way they ditched the Marketplace; not only did the third-party developers I talked to feel screwed over, but it seriously impacted the customer experience on updates.

I also have a list of improvements I'd like to see with xenForo. First of all, the updates are slow as molasses and there are large spans of radio silence that makes development feel stalled from the user end. There are many features that seem very basic and should be stock; a couple that come to mind are admin alerts for new user registrations and automatic cleansing of users who haven't confirmed after X weeks. They're small things, but really add up when you need an add-on for each.

So yes, I check in with Invision from time to time and am even tempted. But I always find myself sticking with xenForo because of our site's need for customization.

 

[Smartea]

I had to verify this post is real.

This post is pathetic, and they dismiss the pricing as if money isn't a factor.

This 500$ bundle abomination is sad and angering.

 

[Smartea]

 

[AWS]

There are add-ons that fit my needs here (or I could have one developed) but it sounds like that isn't possible with the newest version of Invision.

There are addons being developed for v5. I have an addon installed to import videos from any source I want. I can import to forums or pages. I created a page for it.

Most recently they got rid of user walls and thread ratings, which are two features I use

I'm not familiar with user walls and I have been a customer of IPB since 2003. I do remember an addon for that in 2.x and 3.x. Thread rating are alive and well. Not removed. Just aren't as prominent as they were. That can be changed with a simple edit.

I am moving back to Invision. If not for a misunderstanding I would have never left.

 

[PrettyPixels]

There are addons being developed for v5. I have an addon installed to import videos from any source I want. I can import to forums or pages. I created a page for it.

I spoke with a developer (many months back) who told me embedding videos from other external sources (Rumble, specifically) wasn't possible in 5.0. I hope you're correct and they've added this functionality in the meantime.

Thread rating are alive and well. Not removed. Just aren't as prominent as they were.

According to Marc at Invision, topic ratings are removed in version 5.0. Ratings only remain for other areas of the suite.

I am moving back to Invision. If not for a misunderstanding I would have never left.

I wish you the best and would be curious to hear your thoughts on the new suite.

 

[kainos]

I am moving back to Invision

 

[Wanji]

There are addons being developed for v5. I have an addon installed to import videos from any source I want. I can import to forums or pages. I created a page for it.


I'm not familiar with user walls and I have been a customer of IPB since 2003. I do remember an addon for that in 2.x and 3.x. Thread rating are alive and well. Not removed. Just aren't as prominent as they were. That can be changed with a simple edit.

I am moving back to Invision. If not for a misunderstanding I would have never left.

So, will you sell your XF license?

 

[Nebulous]

I prefer XF to IPB personally, but I can use either or. I am flexible. I can even post on those extremely outdated proboards free forums.

 

[AWS]

So, will you sell your XF license?

I have many that I will eventually sell.

 

[Ashley S]

XenForo has a better support team.

 

[goyo]

I have many that I will eventually sell.

Fyki.: Don't take this the wrong way (you are likely aware of these), but all of the sites in your signature and below (the ones that work) are slow as hell. I clicked on one of them a few days ago; I thought it was temporary, but revisited today once more, and it's the same:

Forum² - A Community for Forum Enthusiasts | SEO Help Forum | BASH.zone

It is not just their initial load times - navigating through pages is equally sluggish (is Microsoft IIS still used for PHP hosting?)

I won't even touch the 3-column layout from the '90s. It creates unnecessary cognitive load and reduces content focus.

At least in the case of Reddit, the right column doesn't disappear randomly and always shows different and relevant information to the main content or for content exploration - whereas here, you never know what to expect.

Also, why do we have a search box just to receive another pop-up/modal when I click inside to search?

Whoever thought this was the future of UX... and yet I keep hearing this IPS marketing BS that "they don't make decisions around code" (that's for sure) but rather "conversations with community management teams".

And? What is the end result?

• Fewer clicks anywhere?
• Quicker content discovery?
• Faster sites or navigation or pages?

Their 5th iteration doesn't solve any of the above issues.

I'm an IPS member since 2002, yet I barely log in to their forums - especially since their third-party addon section is gone - as it's harder to find and follow anything.

I'm not an advocate for any single platform, but as a coder and UX designer, I prioritize tools that deliver performance and usability for my communities. IPS isn't hitting that mark lately.

For example, enterprise level is not what Microsoft 365 thinks with its slow-loading and ever-changing apps, and lately, I've seen many parallels in IPS.

 

[ANONYMOUSKOREAN]

invision has their alpha site online to to preview.

Invision Community 5

it does not look like all the stuff is available yet though.

I was originally going to go with XF but now looking at this and surprisingly NodeBB the choice is not so clear.

 

[Digital Doctor]

golfwrx.com uses Invision and it's terribad.

 

[AWS]

What's so bad about it? It's the same type forum home as any other forum.

 

[Yenxji]

I understand why IPBoard is very expensive, it's pretty that they are capitalist and purely greedy (Yeah that's my opinion, to be honest, sorry IPBoard staff). But did IPBoard try to take competitors against XenForo? This must be too stupid they are.

I'm glad I went with XenForo when I decided to choose IPBoard or Discourse, but I went with XenForo for too good.

 

[Opus X]

I understand why IPBoard is very expensive, it's pretty that they are capitalist and purely greedy (Yeah that's my opinion, to be honest, sorry IPBoard staff). But did IPBoard try to take competitors against XenForo? This must be too stupid they are.

depends on what you want or need.
to get equal you have to buy plug ins to get you there with xenforo.
then you can be at or over the price of the other package.
so if you need only a forum then xenforo is cheaper.
if you want more it is sometimes not.
site i am staff on it cost almost $800 from what owner has said.

 

[ANONYMOUSKOREAN]

depends on what you want or need.
to get equal you have to buy plug ins to get you there with xenforo.
then you can be at or over the price of the other package.
so if you need only a forum then xenforo is cheaper.
if you want more it is sometimes not.
site i am staff on it cost almost $800 from what owner has said.

Yeah for what its worth I think Invision IS worth the price. My issue is customizing Invision seems much harder to do than any other software for the most part.

This is what's been pulling me towards XF/NodeBB.

I understand why IPBoard is very expensive, it's pretty that they are capitalist and purely greedy (Yeah that's my opinion, to be honest, sorry IPBoard staff). But did IPBoard try to take competitors against XenForo? This must be too stupid they are.

I'm glad I went with XenForo when I decided to choose IPBoard or Discourse, but I went with XenForo for too good.

We're currently looking at NodeBB as well. Is there any specific reason you never bothered with that software?