vBulletin 6 has arrived, what do you think about it?

[Arantor]

The template should be extra.fewer

Hmm. I can't come up with a good backronym with that, as opposed to "Leaner Style Sheets" being the origin of the name LESS.

I have to admit some of my bug reports verge on maybe being over pedantic.

And that's perfectly valid - the terminology in a product should be consistent. And by definition it is a bug. But it's absolutely the sort of thing that skews how many "active bugs" there are.

As for my note about comments being wrong, this isn't language terminology but PHP type hinting where it doesn't affect users but does affect developers.

 

[Arnox]

Not that they don't work on modern servers either without help because the underlying language has also changed, which means you're increasing the surface area of trouble.

I'm a little confused here. Could you rephrase this?

 

[Arantor]

I'm a little confused here. Could you rephrase this?

vB3 doesn't run on modern PHP, meaning that you either have to spend a lot of effort patching it, or you run older PHP to make it work. Which also isn't supported meaning that you raise the risk of a vulnerability causing you trouble.

 

[Arnox]

vB3 doesn't run on modern PHP, meaning that you either have to spend a lot of effort patching it, or you run older PHP to make it work. Which also isn't supported meaning that you raise the risk of a vulnerability causing you trouble.

Yes, that's what I mean. If it wasn't for the security concerns of the old forum software and the old version of PHP needed, vB3 (and 4) would still be great pieces of forum software to run, but alas, that is not the case.

 

[Dkf]

Well, It's been a debatable topic Depending on every but Xenforo is getting better and better and vbulletin is still have issues with bugs.

I think the problem is not the errors, but the lack of a community - no community means no mods.
What is taken for granted here is simply absent in vBulletin.

For example:
s9e Media Sites - embedding content from 135 media sites.
Cloudflare
ChatGPT
Siropu ADS Manager - the ability to organize ads on the forum.
xf2addons.com, xenaddons.com - many mods and solutions.

And none of this exists in vBulletin.


I think vBulletin will shut down in the near future.

 

[Alpha1]

I think vBulletin will shut down in the near future.

I wouldn't hold my breath. Their core business isn't selling the software, but running their own forums. They buy up forums for a dime on the dollar once the webmaster throws in the towel. It doesn't seem in their interest to provide good software to their customers competitors. They use a different version of the software for their own sites.

 

[Dkf]

They buy up forums for a dime on the dollar once the webmaster throws in the towel.

I don't know why they are buying up forums or what they are doing with them.

tehnari.ru - the forum was over 20 years old. Programmers and electricians used to communicate there.
The forum was simply shut down, and now all pages return 404.

I think that in the future, the internet, as we know it today, will no longer exist. There will only be mobile apps – TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

Most likely, Meta will develop a new protocol that won't use things like DNS, certificates, or the web, making content delivery straight to users' phones much simpler.

 

[Dkf]

Appreciation for the The chatgpt, Cloudflare points.

Maybe I gave unsuccessful examples...
But let's assume I'm a person who wants to create a forum.
vB5 addons - 0. There is nothing. Doesn't that raise any questions?
vB6 addons - 21 threads (discussing plugins, BB code modifications, styles, and languages. A total of 21 threads).
Xenforo, "Resource and add-on releases [2.x]" - 4K Threads

21 vs 4K ?
Hmm... What should a person choose?

 

[TLDR]

Hmm... What should a person choose?

Back when flamewars still were fun, back in the old iPhone vs. Android days, there was the argument that iPhones get updates like forever and Android not so much.
To which the Android fans said, that iPhones get so many updates because it's more broken. Android phones don't need updates for so long because they are less broken.

So clearly, XF having 4K resources vs. vB's 21 means that vBulletin is already perfect as-is and doesn't need any more add-ons.

You are welcome.

Spoiler

/s

 

[Alpha1]

 

[Dkf]

So clearly, XF having 4K resources vs. vB's 21 means that vBulletin is already perfect as-is and doesn't need any more add-ons.

I understand that this is sarcasm without /s

It could be like that. Maybe vB is perfect like Malevich's Black Square and doesn't require any additions.

Then we can see how Google views this product.

 

[zappaDPJ]

Ironically vBulletin's cycle between release candidates is 2-3 months and has been for some while. That doesn't necessarily make the software any better, it's still built on ancient, recycled code and the support leaves a lot to be desired. In fact there's post just gone up advertising for a tech support rep.

So everyone asking of Xenforo, 'are we there yet?' Be careful what you wish for

 

[markmaxwell]

vBulletin 6: Incremental Steps, Missed Opportunities

I took a look at vBulletin 6 after receiving the announcement email, and while I appreciate the under-the-hood updates (CKEditor 5, Shopify integration, etc.), it’s hard not to feel underwhelmed. The interface still carries the same clunky DNA as vB5, and calling this a "major" version (X.x.x) feels like a stretch—it’s more of a point release masquerading as something bigger.

The Shopify feature is a smart addition for e-commerce forums, but as others noted, it’s not enough to justify a switch from XenForo (or even attract new users). The mobile experience, in particular, seems rough around the edges—dropdown menus and text wrapping issues shouldn’t be problems in a 2023 release.

I’ll give credit where it’s due: vBulletin’s legacy is undeniable, and for long-time users, incremental updates might suffice. But for anyone who’s migrated to XenForo (or even explored alternatives like Discourse), vB6 doesn’t offer anything compelling enough to reconsider. It’s a shame, because a true modernization—especially in UI/UX—could’ve reignited interest.

For now, I’m sticking with XenForo. The fluidity of features like text selection and quoting and the thriving add-on ecosystem make it hard to look back. That said, I’m curious to hear if anyone’s found hidden gems in vB6 that aren’t immediately obvious.

 

[markmaxwell]

Hey folks, loving this thread—great to see everyone’s takes! After digging a bit more into vB6 (thanks for the nudge, @Suzanne O, to check out those built-in styles), I’ll admit there’s some flexibility there if you’re already in the vBulletin camp. The Shopify hook still sounds cool for niche forums—imagine selling gear right in a thread—but I keep circling back to what @x3sphere said about the mobile mess. Those dropdowns and text glitches? Oof, that’s a tough pill to swallow in 2025 when my phone’s basically my forum lifeline.

@Sal Collaziano, I totally get your nostalgia for vB3 and vB4—those were peak vibes for me too back in the day. But vB6 feels like it’s stuck in that past without the charm. Meanwhile, XenForo just keeps nailing the little things—like @Miri said, that text selection quoting is pure gold. Anyone else finding stuff in vB6 that’s tempting them even a tiny bit, or is it all just “meh” compared to XF’s polish? I’m still team XenForo, but I’m all ears for a sleeper feature that might’ve slipped by me!

 

[markmaxwell]

Really appreciating everyone’s insights here—keeps me thinking! After messing around with vB6 a bit more, I can see it still has some legs for die-hard users who love tinkering with its guts (Shopify integration’s a neat trick for sure). But @Dkf’s point about the add-on desert is spot-on—21 threads vs. XenForo’s 4K? That’s a community lifeline VB6 just can’t match. For anyone starting fresh, XF’s ecosystem is like a treasure chest—mods like Siropu ADS Manager or s9e Media Sites save so much hassle.

I’d love to hear from anyone who’s actually pulled off something slick with vB6 lately—maybe a hidden tweak that makes it sing? Otherwise, I’m still riding the XenForo wave; it’s just too smooth to abandon. Cheers for keeping this thread buzzing, folks!

 

[mjda]

So everyone asking of Xenforo, 'are we there yet?' Be careful what you wish for

I certainly don't want them to speed to get us where we're going, but I would like to occasionally know what town we're in and/or approximately how far away we are.

 

[zappaDPJ]

I certainly don't want them to speed to get us where we're going, but I would like to occasionally know what town we're in and/or approximately how far away we are.

I agree, there's not enough communication.

 

[D.O.A.]

VBulletin 3 was the best, the add-ons and themes were good, my users collectively had a stroke when we moved to the first xenforo version and lost all the add-ons like the casino etc and most functionality. Now we never look back. VBulletin 6 is a pile of crap. IB (the owners) rest on their laurels and haven't evolved. Change my mind.

 

[Arnox]

VBulletin 3 was the best, the add-ons and themes were good, my users collectively had a stroke when we moved to the first xenforo version and lost all the add-ons like the casino etc and most functionality. Now we never look back. VBulletin 6 is a pile of crap. IB (the owners) rest on their laurels and haven't evolved. Change my mind.

Again, I think if vB3/vB4 still received security and PHP updates, people would still probably be using them now.