Which one is better ? Proboards or Zetaboards ?

[HallofFamer]

While your post was true a couple days ago, this is no longer the case. We just launched a new service, Forums.net, and ProBoards forums are able to upgrade to our new service. The new service does include the ability to get a full export of your forum's data.

Well even if you now offer database backup service it does not make proboards as a forumware better. Sure its now a usable service, but its still barely 'usable'.

 

[InspiredSCIForum]

Well even if you now offer database backup service it does not make proboards as a forumware better. Sure its now a usable service, but its still barely 'usable'.

How are you coming to these conclusions? What kinda knowledge/experience do you have about ProBoards?

 

[HallofFamer]

How are you coming to these conclusions? What kinda knowledge/experience do you have about ProBoards?

I have seen forums running on proboards, and a good number of them. I am speaking from my personal experience, and I have every right to post my opinion on a public forum.

 

[Kyrie]

Since earlier this year I've been thinking of starting a forum on ProBoards, customizing the looks to a point where it doesn't even look like a ProBoards forum anymore and then getting it active.

The reason? I just to prove once and for all that ProBoards and other free forum hosts are a valid option for certain projects, and the decision to use one isn't necessarily a reflection of one's seriousness or dedication as a forum admin.

Is ProBoards also the one that uses Forums.net?

 

[meetdilip]

Forums.net is the paid solution of proboards.

 

[pclinger]

I am confused. How much bandwidth do you provide if we use that term ? Or am I to understand that only text gets free bandwidth ?

For just viewing pages, we don't track bandwidth.

When you click to download an attachment, we track the bandwidth from that download.

Well even if you now offer database backup service it does not make proboards as a forumware better. Sure its now a usable service, but its still barely 'usable'.

I'd be interested in your critique of what our software should be doing that it isn't. We're always looking to improve our service. Obviously a hosted solution will not let you install plugins on the back-end, but besides that feature, what are we missing from our forum software?

 

[Kyrie]

For just viewing pages, we don't track bandwidth.

When you click to download an attachment, we track the bandwidth from that download.



I'd be interested in your critique of what our software should be doing that it isn't. We're always looking to improve our service. Obviously a hosted solution will not let you install plugins on the back-end, but besides that feature, what are we missing from our forum software?

I'd love a limited free plan.

 

[pclinger]

I'd love a limited free plan.

Aka www.proboards.com?

 

[GTB]

What I didn't like about proBoards in the end, what made me go and get shared hosting instead and run phpBB on it. The forum software is OK, looks nice until those ads start showing up and spoil it all. When you look at the cost to remove then, it seemed there was no option to totally remove them, you pay to remove them for so long only, so it's an ongoing cost thing to keep ads off the forum. When comparing the cost doing it, compared to the cost of running shared hosting and having no ads displayed. It was a better option to go shared hosting instead of free with proBoards.

Guess it works better if having a Big Board on ProBoards, as then ads displayed out-weights the cost of them going paying themselves to run a big board. But for a small forum if you don't wants ads displayed, then I could not see sense in why ProBoards was a better option than only paying £30 year for shared hosting ads free.

 

[pclinger]

What I didn't like about proBoards in the end, what made me go and get shared hosting instead and run phpBB on it. The forum software is OK, looks nice until those ads start showing up and spoil it all. When you look at the cost to remove then, it seemed there was no option to totally remove them, you pay to remove them for so long only, so it's an ongoing cost thing to keep ads off the forum. When comparing the cost doing it, compared to the cost of running shared hosting and having no ads displayed. It was a better option to go shared hosting instead of free with proBoards.

Guess it works better if having a Big Board on ProBoards, as then ads displayed out-weights the cost of them going paying themselves to run a big board. But for a small forum if you don't wants ads displayed, then I could not see sense in why ProBoards was a better option than only paying £30 year for shared hosting ads free.

I can understand that, especially if you're the kind of person that knows how to install the software and doesn't mind maintaining it yourself (which isn't the audience ProBoards is really geared towards). Obviously we can't provide a set price to permanently remove all ads, then we're hosting you for free forever. That's a losing business model for any company unless there was some other potential revenue source.

 

[Sports Chatter]

Since earlier this year I've been thinking of starting a forum on ProBoards, customizing the looks to a point where it doesn't even look like a ProBoards forum anymore and then getting it active.

The reason? I just to prove once and for all that ProBoards and other free forum hosts are a valid option for certain projects, and the decision to use one isn't necessarily a reflection of one's seriousness or dedication as a forum admin.

I found proboards has by far the most options and features of all the free hosting sites. I started my community on a free proboards board and recently upgraded to their paid service so I could monetize it,. and also not have to worry about their "rules". I'm very happy with them ( I did thoroughly check out the other free hosts as well) but I am new to all this ha ha

 

[Nebulous]

I prefer Zetaboards, if I had to choose.

I have been on a couple proboards forums recently and it seems like their features are improving a bit, still, not for me though.

 

[klownz]

It seems Zetaboards url cannot to be shared on FB. It is marked as spam.

I have no problem with posting my zetaboard to FB, here's my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HorrorMansion.net & with the domain name you just buy a decent one & get rid of the zeta one.

Zeta is restrictive in some ways (coding) but over all its pretty solid & has a good support team. Someone posted about obtaining the information from zeta & that is a genuine problem so watch out for that and one last thing... someone mentioned not liking free forums, this can be solved by just upgrading to zetaboards premium which doesn't cost much & gives some extra perks.

Never used proboards so can't comment on it.

 

[Pebbles]

i say proboards
because of the build in like system lol
oh and the different url options​

 

[Cierra]

I think Zeta, they have more customization options. Although the url's are pretty bad, like has been said.

 

[Liam Madness]

It's been a minute since I checked out the free hosting software. I have no need for them personally but I've joined a few forums that are hosted on free hosting and I gotta say I like zetaboards more.

 

[waterball]

Nither. both of them are not good to use.

 

[GTB]

It's a nice touch ProBoards having a shoutbox by default to use, but it needs auto refresh with the shoutbox. Noticed before it only loads new chats when you reload the page. Read it so called auto refreshes but on my testing it with two accounts used in two browsers (one logged in) with guest shouts allowed. It never auto refreshed any new shouts.

 

[cheat_master30]

It's a nice touch ProBoards having a shoutbox by default to use, but it needs auto refresh with the shoutbox. Noticed before it only loads new chats when you reload the page. Read it so called auto refreshes but on my testing it with two accounts used in two browsers (one logged in) with guest shouts allowed. It never auto refreshed any new shouts.

No auto refresh? That seems strange for a shoutbox...

 

[GTB]

Indeed, but think they do it to save on resources used (that was what I read in another post). But then also read in another post they use it. But on testing looked to me like it didn't use auto refresh at all. In the post that said they use auto refresh, it said it slows down if you pause not posting in shoutbox to save on resources but I tested using two accounts posting often and never did it auto show post made to other account unless I re-loaded page or hit the refresh button located in shouitbox to list any new shouts made.