Which Forum Tool Do You Think Is Best (and Why)?

[multimediocrity]

I am a web guy, so I have been tossing around the idea of starting a forum, much like the one on this site, but a completely different topic.

I have heard and read quite a bit about different options for forums over the years, but I wanted to ask your opinions. Which forum tool is best and why?

I suppose the most popular, it seems, is PHPBB. This tool seems very convoluted and difficult to use (seriously, it took me about 15 minutes to find the "search" feature).

What other tools are there out there, and what are the pros and cons of each?

Thanks!

[JPnyc]

most popular in use on the Web today is this one, vBulletin. Most powerful, full plug-in system so you don't have to hack up files, lots of third-party add-ins

[opifex]

my preference for a full blown forum like this one is phpBB... for the same reason that JPnyc likes vBulletin.
Additionally phpBB is easier to hack into your personal needs if you have to do something "different" with it. I'm working up a phpBB site with blog areas and other goodies. The existing mods cover almost anything you might want, but tweaking is pretty easy. And... phpBB is open source.

[thewebhostingdi]

Hi,

PHPBB is free available forum software. If you are developing a forum with such good subjects then I suggest you to go with VHulletin which is paid tool.