Flarum vs Invision Community

Flarum and Invision Community are both popular forum software options, each with its own set of features and capabilities. Flarum is known for its modern and sleek design, while Invision Community offers a more traditional and robust forum experience.

General information

Flarum
Invision Community
Introduction :
Flarum is a modern, open-source forum platform that was launched in 2015. It has gained popularity for its sleek design, user-friendly interface, and extensive customization options. Flarum is known for its active community and regular updates, making it a top choice for those looking to create engaging online forums. Its focus on simplicity and performance sets it apart from other forum platforms on the market.
Introduction :
Invision Community is a robust platform that offers a comprehensive suite of community building tools, including forums, blogs, and galleries. Launched in 2002, it has a strong reputation for being user-friendly and highly customizable. Invision Community is popular among online communities for its extensive features, active support community, and regular updates to keep pace with evolving online trends.
Advantages :
  • Easy to use and customize
  • Fast and lightweight performance
  • Active community for support and plugins
  • Modern and responsive design
  • Secure and reliable platform
Advantages :
  • Easy to use and navigate interface
  • Active and supportive community
  • Regular updates and improvements
  • Customizable design and functionality
  • Integrated tools for engagement and analytics
Disadvantages :
  • Limited number of available plugins and extensions
  • Relatively smaller community support compared to others
  • Steeper learning curve for beginners
  • Less flexibility in customization options
  • Limited themes and design options available
Disadvantages :
  • Steeper learning curve for beginners
  • Limited customization options compared to others
  • Higher cost for advanced features
  • Limited third-party integrations
  • Requires regular maintenance and updates
Website users : Thousands
Flarum is used by thousands of websites, making it a popular choice among online platforms for forum communities.
Website users : Thousands
Invision Community is used by thousands of websites worldwide, making it a popular choice for online communities and forums.
๐ŸŸก Difficulty : Average.
Getting started with Flarum may require some technical knowledge, but with the right resources, users can navigate the platform effectively.
๐ŸŸก Difficulty : Average.
Invision Community has a moderate learning curve, requiring some technical skills to set up and customize, but resources are available for assistance.
Year launched : 2015
Flarum was launched in 2015, positioning it as a relatively newer option compared to other established content management systems.
Year launched : 2002
Invision Community was launched in 2002, making it one of the earlier content management systems available in the market.
Official website : https://flarum.org/


Commercial details

Flarum
Invision Community
๐ŸŸข Open source : Fully.
Flarum is fully open source, written in PHP. The entire platform is available for modification and customization by the community.
๐ŸŸก Open source : Partially.
Invision Community is partially open source, with limited access to the source code for customization and development purposes.
๐ŸŸข Free option : Yes.
Flarum offers a free, open-source option with basic features. However, additional features and support may require paid extensions or services.
๐ŸŸข Free option : Yes.
There is a free option available for Invision Community, but it may have limited features compared to paid plans. It is a self-hosted platform.
โšช Paid option : Unknown.
Flarum offers extensions and premium support services, but it is unclear if there is a paid option for the core platform.
๐ŸŸข Paid option : Yes.
Invision Community offers a paid option with additional features and support, providing more value for users looking for advanced capabilities.


Platform details

Flarum
Invision Community
โšช Hosted : Unknown.
Hosted options may be available through third-party vendors, but direct hosting by Flarum is unclear. Further research is needed.
๐ŸŸข Hosted : Yes.
Invision Community offers a hosted option, providing users with the convenience of a managed service for their online community platform.
๐ŸŸข Self host : Yes.
Self-hosting is possible with Flarum, allowing users to have full control over their hosting environment and data privacy.
๐ŸŸข Self host : Yes.
Invision Community offers a self-host option, allowing users to host the platform on their own servers or through third-party vendors.
๐ŸŸก Headless CMS : Supported via plugin.
Flarum does not natively support headless functionality but can be extended with plugins to enable headless features via API.
โšช Headless CMS : Unknown.
Invision Community does not have native headless support, but it may offer headless features through its API. Further research is recommended.
๐ŸŸก Static content generation : Supported via plugin.
Flarum does not natively support static content generation but can potentially achieve this functionality via a popular plugin.
๐ŸŸก Static content generation : Supported via plugin.
Static content generation is possible in Invision Community through third-party plugins, offering flexibility and customization options for users.


Key features

Flarum
Invision Community
๐ŸŸก Content management : Supported via plugin.
Flarum offers basic content management capabilities but relies on plugins for more advanced features, making it suitable for content management with additional customization.
๐ŸŸข Content management : Support natively.
Invision Community offers robust native content management tools, making it a strong platform for efficiently managing and organizing content.
๐ŸŸก Blogging : Supported via plugin.
Flarum can be used for blogging with the help of third-party extensions, offering a customizable and feature-rich platform for content creation.
๐ŸŸก Blogging : Supported via plugin.
Invision Community offers basic blogging capabilities, but it is enhanced by third-party plugins for more advanced features and customization.
๐Ÿ”ด E-commerce : Not supported.
Flarum does not have native e-commerce capabilities. However, it can potentially be enhanced by third-party plugins for e-commerce functionality.
๐ŸŸก E-commerce : Supported via plugin.
Invision Community can be used for e-commerce with plugins like Commerce, offering robust features for online stores.
๐ŸŸก Community forum : Supported via plugin.
Flarum offers basic forum functionality but can be enhanced by popular third-party extensions for additional features and customization.
๐ŸŸข Community forum : Support natively.
Invision Community offers a robust set of community features out of the box, making it a strong platform for building forums and communities.
๐ŸŸก Content subscription : Supported via plugin.
Content subscriptions and paywalls can be supported through popular third-party extensions, enhancing Flarum's capabilities in this area.
๐ŸŸก Content subscription : Supported via plugin.
Content subscriptions/paywalls can be implemented through third-party plugins/extensions, offering flexibility and customization options within Invision Community.


Other features

Flarum
Invision Community
๐ŸŸก Multi-site : Supported via plugin.
Multi-site functionality is not supported natively in Flarum but can be achieved through the use of third-party plugins/extensions.
๐ŸŸก Multi-site : Supported via plugin.
Multi-site functionality can be achieved via third-party plugins, offering flexibility and customization options for managing multiple sites within Invision Community.
๐ŸŸก Multi-language : Supported via plugin.
Multi-language support in Flarum is primarily achieved through third-party extensions, offering flexibility and customization for different language requirements.
๐ŸŸข Multi-language : Support natively.
Invision Community supports multi-language natively, making it easy for users to create and manage content in multiple languages without the need for additional plugins.
๐ŸŸก XML Sitemaps : Supported via plugin.
Flarum does not natively support XML sitemaps but can be enhanced by popular third-party plugins/extensions for this functionality.
๐ŸŸก XML Sitemaps : Supported via plugin.
Supports XML sitemaps through popular third-party plugins/extensions, enhancing SEO capabilities for better search engine visibility.


When choosing between Flarum and Invision Community, consider the level of customization and user experience you desire. Flarum is great for those looking for a minimalist and user-friendly forum platform, while Invision Community may be more suitable for those needing advanced features and a more traditional forum setup.