Simple Machines Forum (SMF) Hosting

A2 Hosting offers an up-to-date version of Simple Machines Forum (SMF) as an easy Fantastico auto-install. If you'd like to install your own copy of SMF, our shared web hosting accounts are fully equipped with all the software you need including PHP 5 and MySQL 5.

Overview

Simple Machines Forum is a free, professional grade software package that allows you to set up your own online community within minutes.

SMF's powerful custom made template engine puts you in full control of the layout of your message board. With the unique SSI (Server Side Includes) function you can let your forum and your website interact with each other.

SMF is written in the popular language PHP and uses a MySQL database. It is designed to provide you with all the features you need from a bulletin board while having an absolute minimal impact on server resources.

SMF is a feature-rich discussion board package. Here's just a few of the available features – see the SMF Features List for a full listing.

General
- Comprehensive template system
- Designed for optimal performance and scalability
Security
- All administrative actions require a session based authorization code
- Major actions are time and IP locked, preventing hammering
Boards and Categories
- Create child boards under other boards
- Assign moderators to boards
- Configure permissions for each member group on the board level
Member Registration
- Require registration before forum entrance
- Require a user to agree to terms before they register
- Require a moderator to approve registration
Statistics
- Several board statistics (accessible by permission)
- Tracking of topics, messages, new members, and hits per day
Theming and Templating
- Ability to install a new theme through your administration center
- Default templates are XHTML 1.0 Transitional and CSS 2.0 compliant
- Selectable smiley sets

Simple Machines Forum (SMF) Support

Thanks to Fantastico, installing SMF is a breeze. Just follow the guided installer and Fantastico will take care of all the initial configuration and database setup for you. Within minutes, you'll be up and running with this powerful, flexible online community software.

If you'd like to do a custom installation of SMF, our shared webhosting plans feature all the software you'll need including PHP 5 and MySQL5.