What is Xenforo's Stability as a Company? Will it be around in the future?

Francisco Meza

Francisco Meza

New member
I like the Xenforo software and am interested in purchasing it. My main concern is since Xenforo's a new company, it might not grow the subscriber base large enough to stay in business. I am giving my next project 100% of my efforts. Can anyone share something on the stability of Xenforo as a business (not as the stability of the software) to help us prospective buyers?
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Going on the parallel with my own business where I'm the equivalent of Kier or Mike in my own skill zones, the others would manage I think if I kicked the bucket. Not easily but they would cope.
I have well organised files so it's clear how I work. I already try to delegate more and train some of the others in my outlook as well as my practices. It would be possible to get about 2 people in to replace a lot of what I do - 2 GOOD people ;)

What I would expect though is the business would tread water for a while. It would be all they could manage to keep it going at its usual high quality level. Innovation would disappear for a while.

With XF I think it would actually be easier. You don't need KAM to keep your boards running on routine functions day by day (as my clients need me to keep my core service happening). You can get support here on troubleshooting and quite quickly keen new people would appear.
Some of what's planned could be completed.
But I'd expect the hard thrust of innovation we're used to would disappear for a while.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
mrGTB said:
Reading this thread talking about new forum company success reminded me of that other forum software started by those few people that left vBSEO. Can't think of the name now, but they a use a Gorilla a lot called "Igor". Anyway, my point it that it seems to have pretty much failed to me when you look at how that has done since compared to how XenForo has moved onwards at a fast rate.
Click to expand...
Almost drove me crazy trying to remember the forum...it was Joe Ward and the forum was called Launch Forum. Looks like no activity in months.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Yeah, that's it. They seemed to get off to a flying start at first, those initial first weeks after launching. But since I've spotted things have fizzled out fast there.

Dam, I need a new keyboard it's knackered. :unsure:
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
erich37 said:
you have the chance to buy a great software-product for a few dollars.
Where is the issue ?
Click to expand...
Then I guess I should get a free subdomain on Google's blogger.com and save money. erich37, I am not looking to pay a "few" dollars, save a "few" dollars or anything like that. I am not concerned about the money at all. I am concerned about putting in 100% of my efforts into my new forum and coming out with nothing "if" Xenforo doesn't work out. If my own forum fails, then it's on me. If Xenforo fails, goes out of business, or they get hit by a bus, then it puts the forum software longevity out of my control. I don't have to worry about that with vBulletin. With Xenforo it is a slight concern. That's all.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Carlos said:
The amount of members is = the number of subscribers in my view.

Even though that xenForo is new as a company, their expertise is very strong. Mr. Darby founded and managed a 3D company before entering vBulletin as a software developer/lead developer. He and Mike Sullivan were responsible for the vB3 series of software, and to some extent the vB4 series, until he left the company.

What it boils down to is the on-going lawsuit with Internet Brands, that's it. Nothing else. But even with the lawsuit, xenForo seems to be doing a lot better than a lot of the forum software solutions that were sued by larger corporations.
Click to expand...
Carlos, I'm a member, but I'm not a paying subscriber, not yet. I paid nothing to sign up as a member. The lawsuit thing seems to not be an issue anymore, I think...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
jonsidneyb said:
I think if you are worried about the finances I have a feeling the members out here will not let them fail because of it. I have a feeling if it gets to the point people will come out of the woodwork buying licenses and doing what they can to keep things afloat.
Click to expand...
Buying licenses? If I were a subscriber, I think I would donate money to XF first before buying more licenses. I'm am not referring only to their financial security. I am referring to their overall security; Financial, Getting Hit by a Bus, Parting ways with Partnership, Lawsuit. I know these things may never occur. I am more concerned with their longevity than finances.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Honestly, if you have to start worrying about people passing away or getting divorced, why even bother at all? Are you also worried about the consequences of the building where all the IB management sit getting hit by a meteorite? Should Mike and Kier start avoiding getting on the same plane or sitting in the same building, just to be on the safe side?

You are buying a license for forum software. The two guys building it are in their early thirties. Yes, if something would happen to one of them it would be a major blow, but I am not sure that it would mean the end of XenForo.

Sometimes you need to take a risk. The question you should ask yourself is what you prefer; the most innovative forum software that offers the best experience to your end-users, or the assurance that whoever is building the lesser product you end up settling for has plenty of resources available to ensure stability even in the case of <insert horrible event here>.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Francisco Meza said:
Carlos, I'm a member, but I'm not a paying subscriber, not yet. I paid nothing to sign up as a member. The lawsuit thing seems to not be an issue anymore, I think...
Click to expand...
I don't know how many people have signed up and bought a xenforo license... But with more than 11 thousand members registered, I think xenForo is doing something right.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
At the end of the day if you invest in a Yahoo premium email, and Yahoo announces after 10 years they will merge with AOL and AOL discontinues email because they introduce a social service ..

That's ten years of your life via electronic mail that's gone from future usage.

You can't control what any company does.

Because, at the end of the day, you're a customer of a company that has a product. You pay for it. You have a license to usage of that instance of the product.

If they get divorced, get hit by two law suits, or die a horrible death by muppet murder with a lethal rerun, .. you haven't paid for the future, as much as you emotionally might think so. You paid for that instance of the product with 12 months of support and download access to whatever new version comes out. Not a future license or future development. They can't tell what the future brings, neither can you.

You're free to buy a license, or how many you desire. You're free to donate any significant amount via donation or investment into the company (pending their acceptance), or not. You're free to cover their legal fees or create a fund in their name in case of divorce or buy-out-in-future-by-shared-partner(s).

Or you can just buy a license so you can run a forum, because you buy forum software because you believe you need it.

500,000 people holding off waiting to see if a company will make it.
Results in 500,000 x less money invested in a happy wife with a credit card, a happy shared-partner being able to pay the bills, a happy attorney getting paid to win law suits, or whatever you might worry about.

If people think this is a good product, and they think it is worth at least $140 right now. And they need a forum product. .... Just buy it.

Or think of it this way.

You want a good web site with great content, visited a lot of times by happy users.
You hold of and don't have that.
Or you get a license now and for those years this company was around you at least had a good web site with great content, visited a lot of times by happy people.

And, when in doubt: Don't do it.

tl;dr
If you don't want to pay for forum software, don't trust the guys that run this company, or don't believe in a future for the company, or have any doubts: Don't invest in a license. You will lose by not having the site you perhaps wanted.
If you do want to pay for forum software, and want to see them succeed in the long run. Invest in a license. It helps them, but more importantly: You have the site you perhaps want.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Francisco Meza said:
Then I guess I should get a free subdomain on Google's blogger.com and save money. erich37, I am not looking to pay a "few" dollars, save a "few" dollars or anything like that. I am not concerned about the money at all. I am concerned about putting in 100% of my efforts into my new forum and coming out with nothing "if" Xenforo doesn't work out. If my own forum fails, then it's on me. If Xenforo fails, goes out of business, or they get hit by a bus, then it puts the forum software longevity out of my control. I don't have to worry about that with vBulletin. With Xenforo it is a slight concern. That's all.
Click to expand...
Don't be too sure.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
dutchbb said:
Don't be too sure.
Click to expand...

You took the words out my mouth. vBulletin is already a shadow of what it was 16-18 months ago, what will things be like there is another 16 months? Will it even be a viable company for Internet Brands to own anymore then, or will it have been sold off to somebody like YaBB?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Francisco Meza said:
...I am not concerned about the money at all. I am concerned about putting in 100% of my efforts into my new forum and coming out with nothing "if" Xenforo doesn't work out. If my own forum fails, then it's on me...
Click to expand...
Can I assume you will eventually have your own disaster/backup plan for yourself and the key people running your site? (I keep updating mine)

When buying a product or service it is wise to ask 'what if' type questions, regardless of topic. Evaluate each option and think what 'bad' things happen from most likely to least likely. Regarding forum software,
  • If you choose product X then what bad things would most likely happen? Could you spend a considerable amount of time adjusting/tweaking the software then have an important security patch/update be released by the company days/weeks/months later necessitating a tremendous amount of work needing to be done in a short amount of time or your forum will be vulnerable?
  • If you choose product Y and adjust it to work for your forum, such as a unique skin, what are the chances of newer versions of the software which are being released quite frequently, needing massive amounts of time and effort spent keeping the skin updated?
Regardless of what you choose, there will always be concerns. There are no sure things in life. But if you are using a well thought out and designed product which was created by talented people with a passion and the product which has been well tested - you could keep using that product forever. It does not suddenly stop working because a meteor crashes to earth.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Top Bottom