VBulletin

vBulletin is a proprietary forum software package used to create and manage online communities. It provides core features for discussion forums such as threads and posts, user accounts, private messaging, moderation tools, search, and an administration panel, along with options for themes, plugins, and customizations.

Originally developed by Jelsoft Enterprises and released in 2000, vBulletin gained widespread adoption as a standard platform for online communities during the 2000s. The product was acquired by Internet Brands in the late 2000s, and development continued under the vBulletin Solutions umbrella. Over successive major releases, the software introduced modernized interfaces, improved performance, mobile support, and expanded moderation and security features.

Technically, vBulletin is written in PHP and runs on a web server with a relational database backend, typically MySQL. It is designed to be extended through add-ons and a template system that allows administrators to customize layouts and functionality. The vendor offers both on-premises licenses and cloud-hosted options, such as vBulletin Cloud, to host forums managed by the company.

In the ecosystem, vBulletin has supported numerous large forums and has a long-standing presence in the commercial forum software market. It faces competition from open-source forum platforms and newer commercial products, and discussions around security and maintenance have been prominent for older versions. As with many proprietary forum solutions, ongoing use involves licensing, updates, and potential migration considerations when upgrading versions.