Xenforo lite

[Mr Lucky]

A cheaper version with very basic features.

I now have two licenses, but would consider a 3rd, however it's for a very lightly used forum that doesn't need all the bells and whistles of xenforo (wonderful as it is) or any addons.

I think an upgradeable lite version for about half the price would be great.

 

[RobParker]

It's already ridiculously cheap for what it is...

 

[MattW]

Once you get to 3 licences, so start to get a bulk discount.

 

[tyteen4a03]

For small forums, MyBB might be a better choice. Once you get big, you can switch back to XenForo.

 

[Mr Lucky]

For small forums, MyBB might be a better choice. Once you get big, you can switch back to XenForo.

No, horrible to have to learn different ACP and moderating.

 

[Mr Lucky]

It's already ridiculously cheap for what it is...

Not for everyone.

I also think this might just sway a few people who are currently using nulled versions.

 

[tyteen4a03]

No, horrible to have to learn different ACP and moderating.

The common forum softwares aren't that different...

I ran a lightly used MyBB forum before; it's the same guessable batches of buttons and interfaces.

 

[Andrej]

I also think this might just sway a few people who are currently using nulled versions.

Even software that only cost 5$ is pirated, so I wouldn't consider that as an argument.

 

[tyteen4a03]

Even software that only costs 5$ is pirated, so I wouldn't consider that as an argument.

As a poor student that once had next to zero income, I don't agree. I absolutely hated what was available (MyBB wasn't as popular at that time) and it made me shiver just to think of the days of Discuz! and phpBB.

Although free will always be better in the eyes of the poor...

 

[Mr Lucky]

Even software that only costs 5$ is pirated, so I wouldn't consider that as an argument.

Believe it or not there are some people that would prefer not to use pirated software if they could afford the legit versions. Of course you are right, some will always just want stuff for free, illegal or not, but for others there is a sort of threshold at which they decide that something is just too expensive.

I never meant this to turn into a debate, just an idea I threw out there.

It actually makes the difference between me buying another licence or struggling on with phpbb for a very small insignificant forum.

I think this idea would be incredibly easy to develop, it is basically the same software with a lot of stuff turned off.

 

[Steve F]

If the forum is small and insignificant then surely it would not require much ACP setup or moderation?

Besides trying to make a lite version would require extra development time and a whole new support area. Look around for second hand license is your best bet or free.

 

[Mr Lucky]

Look around for second hand license is your best bet or free.

I did look, it all seems a bit dodgy. And I don't think there is such a thing as a free licence.

 

[Steve F]

Free forum software such that has been suggested

 

[Martok]

I think this idea would be incredibly easy to develop, it is basically the same software with a lot of stuff turned off.

I disagree. Really you'd have to recode and remove the functionality altogether. If it's left in and 'switched off' then you'll get people buying the 'lite' version and simply hacking it back on again.

Recoding a 'lite' version is only going to take the devs away from the main software, which I don't think they will do. I don't think it's in their best interests to spend a lot of time on something that will bring in less money than the full fat XenForo.

 

[HappyWorld]

You can use phpbb / smf for your smaller forum.
I think those 2 are the best free forum software.

 

[Mr Lucky]

Free forum software such that has been suggested

You can use phpbb / smf for your smaller forum.

You seem to have missed my earlier posts. i am currently using phpbb but really don't want to. Hence the suggestion.

I disagree. Really you'd have to recode and remove the functionality altogether. If it's left in and 'switched off' then you'll get people buying the 'lite' version and simply hacking it back on again.

I can see that this suggestion is meeting a lot of resistance, fair enough, it was just a suggestion, but much of the negatives are pure speculation.
I think if people are going to hack, they'd just get the nulled full version which seems to be readily available.

The concept of lite software is however a tried and tested marketing success story. Think of Apple:

iMovie > FCP
Garageband > Logic

 

[Mike Edge]

XenForo pricing is already a lite price compared to other commercial forum software. In fact almost 50% cheaper then vB.

 

[Paul B]

Out of interest, which features would you remove to make a "lite version for about half the price", without ruining the functionality, usefulness and user engagement?

Don't include anything which has been added since 1.0, as the price has remained the same since then.

 

[Martok]

I can see that this suggestion is meeting a lot of resistance, fair enough, it was just a suggestion, but much of the negatives are pure speculation.
I think if people are going to hack, they'd just get the nulled full version which seems to be readily available.

I think my assessment is likely more accurate than your speculation that a lite version is just a case of switching stuff off.

If people are going to hack anyway, then your argument that a cheaper lite version is null and void (pun intended).

 

[Mr Lucky]

Out of interest, which features would you remove to make a "lite version for about half the price", without ruining the functionality, usefulness and user engagement?

Don't include anything which has been added since 1.0, as the price has remained the same since then.

Interesting question. If this is being taken seriously as a suggestion then I am happy to throw some ideas out

To begin with I would remove most styling options (apart from using your own logo and colour changes).

Limit number of addons. New users would soon find they want more and so upgrade - good marketing strategy.

Limit number of usergroups (same good marketing strategy)

Limit number of nodes (same good marketing strategy)

For a start that would seem to be it. It would encourage small forums to pay for lite licence as opposed to null and then upgrade when they discover how good it could be if/when they want to expand.

I am sure there is a much better way of doing this than the above, but I'm neither a developer expert nor a marketing expert. I'm just a bloke who threw the idea out there. My gut feeling is that this would work very well in getting many new customers for the full version as the current demo thing never let's you get an actual live forum.