Simple Machines Forum SMF Hosting Built for Communities
Your forum community deserves a home that doesn't let it down. We host your Simple Machines Forum on NVMe-powered servers with 1-click install, Free SSL, and Free migration. And if you ever need help, our PapaSquad team is a real person away, 24/7.
Plans as low as $2.95 per month2
OPEN SOURCE AND FREE FOREVER
What Is Simple Machines Forum (SMF)?
Simple Machines Forum (SMF) is a free, open-source discussion board software written in PHP with a MySQL database. It lets anyone build and run a full-featured online community without paying for software licenses. You can use it for customer support, gaming clan boards, fan communities, professional Q&A spaces, or any kind of discussion-based website.
SMF has been around since 2003. The current version, SMF 2.1.x, runs on any standard Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP (LAMP) hosting setup. That's exactly what our Web Hosting plans are built on. The software itself is always free to download and use. All you need is a hosting plan to run it.
SMF is built and maintained by a non-profit volunteer community. Since SMF runs on a standard LAMP setup, any HostPapa shared hosting plan has everything it needs, right out of the box.
READY TO GO, OUT OF THE BOX
SMF Server Requirements & Our Compatibility
SMF's requirements are minimal, and HostPapa exceeds them at every tier:
- PHP 7.4+ required: all plans support PHP 5.6 through 8.x, your choice.
- MariaDB required: MariaDB 10+ is standard on every plan.
- 20MB disk space required: plans start at 25GB NVMe, scaling to unmetered.
- 1 database required: Essentials includes one; Premium and Elite offer unlimited.
- Linux recommended: all servers run CloudLinux OS.
- SSL recommended: free SSL is included on every plan, no setup needed.
The only thing that changes between plans is scale, how much traffic your forum can handle and how fast it stays under load.
Why Over 500,000 Website Owners Choose HostPapa
Reliable NVMe Storage
Free Domain Registration
Dedicated Server Resources
Security Built in From the Start
30-Day Risk-Free Guarantee
99.9% Uptime Guarantee
Real Support From Real Experts
Powerful Simple Machines SMF Hosting
If for any reason you’re not satisfied with our services, you can cancel at any time in the first 30 days of signup to receive a full refund for the service.
Domain fees are non-refundable.
MADE FOR VAST ONLINE COMMUNITIES
Is SMF Right for Your Community?
SMF is a strong option if you want a self-hosted forum that you fully control, without a monthly software fee. Here are the kinds of communities it works well for:
- Gaming communities: SMF's board hierarchy and user role system let you organize servers, games, and clans cleanly.
- Business support forums: Set up private boards for customers with verified accounts, restrict content by user group, and keep your support conversations organized.
- Hobbyist & niche groups: Photography clubs, car enthusiasts, collectors: if your community has regulars who want to talk, SMF gives them a home.
- Educational or non-profit boards: SMF is free to run and easy to moderate, which makes it a practical choice for organizations on limited budgets.
If you already have a Vanilla Forum, phpBB, or MyBB installation and want to switch to SMF, we can help with that too. Our free migration service covers existing forum databases.
SMF AND OTHER POPULAR SOFTWARE
How Does SMF Compare to Other Forum Platforms?
If you're deciding whether SMF is the right fit, here's a straightforward look at how it compares to the most common alternatives:
- phpBB: A free board system suitable for all our hosting solutions. It’s quick to set up and it’s included with our Softaculous installer.
- vBulletin: Paid solution that has more complex installation, more advanced features and a medium learning curve.
- XenForo: A premium forum platform with annual billing. Best suited for large, high-traffic communities, but expect a steeper learning curve.
All four platforms run on our Web Hosting plans. If you start with SMF and later decide to migrate to another platform, our team can help with that too.
Need Help?
Having trouble installing Simple Machines SMF? Get 24/7 support from the PapaSquad by phone, live chat, and email.
Get Started In 4 Easy Steps
1-Click Simple Machines SMF Installation
Installing Simple Machines SMF on your HostPapa account is quick and beginner‑friendly. There’s no need to download files, create databases, or use FTP. The Softaculous app installer does the technical work for you in just a few clicks.
Open cPanel
Log in to your dashboard, then open cPanel for your account.
Find Simple Machines SMF
Search for Simple Machines SMF in the Softaculous app installer.
Click Install
Hit the "install" button to start the Simple Machines SMF installation process.
Follow the Prompts
Follow the instructions to finish your Simple Machines SMF installation.
We migrate your website & domain for Free.
(Yes, you read that right.)
Try our Web Hosting services risk-free for 30 days1. If you don't love us, we’ll let you return to your existing web host for Free! 
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Compare Our Web Hosting Plans
Want to dive into the numbers? At HostPapa, we're proud of our powerful, secure, and reliable Web Hosting servers.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
Number of supported websites
Email addresses
Inbox storage
Website staging
Softaculous script installer
CMS scripts 1-click setup (WordPress, Joomla!, Drupal etc.)
Free domain registration or transfer1
1
25GB
2
1GB
5
100GB
10
1GB
Unlimited
200GB
40
2GB
Unlimited
Unmetered
Unlimited
2GB
Number of pages
No-code, easy wizard-driven setup
Site backups
Multilingual sites
Build from any device
Responsive, mobile-ready sites
SEO optimization tools
2
2 Latest versions
2 Languages
2
2 Latest versions
2 Languages
2
2 Latest versions
2 Languages
Email addresses
Email forwarding accounts
Email autoresponders
IMAP/IMAP-SSL connections
POP3/POP3-SSL connections
SMTP/SMTP-SSL connections
Email aliases
Email virus scanning
SpamAssassin spam protection
Outgoing filtering
Webmail
Business-grade email available
Individual mailbox storage
Overall mailbox storage
Email sends per hour
Email attachment size
2
2
Unlimited
25
1GB
2GB
200
20MB
10
10
Unlimited
25
1GB
5GB
200
20MB
40
40
Unlimited
25
2GB
10GB
300
20MB
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
25
2GB
20GB
600
20MB
Daily malware scan
Content Delivery Network (CDN)
Protected pages
Manual vulnerability scan
Secure website trust seal
Automated malware detection
Real-time notifications and alerts
Malware removal assistance
Website performance acceleration
Improved page load speed
Dynamic website acceleration
Asset preloading
Anycast DNS
Speed 10/40/100GBPS
Layer 7 DDoS protection
Layer 3, 4, 5, 6 DDoS protection
Instant purge
One-time
One-time
One-time
Server firewall, monitoring, and intrusion detection
DDoS attack prevention and responses
Multi-factor biometric access data centre
Redundant network carriers
Network monitoring
Brute force detection
CloudLinux O/S protection
Imunify360
ModSecurity
Standard SSL
Domain privacy protection
Premium SSL
Automated website backup
5GB
5GB
10GB
Server resources
Entry points
CPU cores
MySQL usage
PHP 5.6, 7.0, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 8.0, 8.1 (choose your version)
Memory
I/O Usage
Inodes
Minimum cron job interval
Database size
Table size
Hosted domains
Subdomains
Unlimited add-on domains
Unlimited parked domains
Server resources
- Entry points: 10
- CPU cores: 1 core
- MySQL usage: 1 core MySQL
- Memory per process: 1024MB
- Inodes: 150,000
- Minimum Cron Job Interval: 30 minutes
- Database size: 500MB
- Table size: 250MB
10
1 Core
1 Core MySQL
1,024MB
2,048 KB/s
150,000
30 Minutes
500MB
250MB
1
20
Server resources
- Entry points: 20
- CPU cores: 2 core
- MySQL usage: 2 core MySQL
- Memory per process: 1024MB
- Inodes: 300,000
- Minimum Cron Job Interval: 30 minutes
- Database size: 1000MB
- Table size: 500MB
20
2 Core
2 Core MySQL
1,024MB
3,072 KB/s
300,000
30 Minutes
1GB
500MB
5
100
Server resources
- Entry points: 40
- CPU cores: 4 core
- MySQL usage: 4 core MySQL
- Memory per process: 1024MB
- Inodes: 450,000
- Minimum Cron Job Interval: 20 minutes
- Database size: 2000MB
- Table size: 1000MB
40
4 Core
4 Core MySQL
1,024MB
4,096 KB/s
450,000
20 Minutes
2GB
1GB
Unlimited
Unlimited
Server resources
- Entry points: 40
- CPU cores: 4 core
- MySQL usage: 4 core MySQL
- Memory per process: 1024MB
- Inodes: 450,000
- Minimum Cron Job Interval: 20 minutes
- Database size: 2000MB
- Table size: 1000MB
80
8 Core
8 Core MySQL
2,048MB
8,192 KB/s
600,000
10 Minutes
4GB
2GB
Unlimited
Unlimited
Frequently Asked Questions
All your questions in one place! Whether it’s helping you choose a domain name, walking you through our website builder, or configuring your cloud email system for your business, we’re here to help!
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Click below and directly reach one of our awesome support people.
What PHP version does HostPapa use for Simple Machines Forum?
Our shared hosting servers run PHP 8.x by default, and you can switch between PHP 5.6 through PHP 8.x directly from your cPanel account. SMF 2.1.x works best on PHP 7.4 or higher, and we recommend PHP 8.x for the best performance and security.
Can I install Simple Machines Forum without any technical knowledge?
Yes. Our Softaculous auto-installer sets up SMF in a few clicks. You don't need to upload files manually, create databases by hand, or edit configuration files. If you need help at any point, our support team is available 24/7 by phone, chat, or email.
Does HostPapa support Simple Machines Forum mods and plugins?
Yes. SMF's mod system lets you add features like arcade games, help desks, spam filters, profile additions, and more. The SMF Package Manager installs most mods in a few clicks, and our hosting plans are fully compatible with it.
How do I migrate my existing SMF forum to HostPapa?
We offer a free white-glove migration service. Our team moves your forum's files, database, and settings to HostPapa with no downtime and no extra cost. Just request your migration when you sign up and we'll handle everything.
Is SMF hosting different from regular web hosting?
Not technically. SMF runs on any standard PHP + MySQL web hosting plan. What matters is that your host supports the right PHP version, provides a MySQL or MariaDB database, and has enough storage and server resources for your community. All HostPapa plans meet these requirements from day one.
How many concurrent users can my SMF forum support?
SMF itself has no user limit. Your forum's capacity depends on the server resources in your hosting plan. Our Essentials plan handles smaller communities just getting started. As your forum grows and traffic increases, upgrading to Premium or Elite gives you more CPU cores and I/O capacity to handle the load.
Do SMF software updates cost anything?
No. SMF updates are always free. You can update your forum through the SMF admin panel or via Softaculous in cPanel. We recommend keeping your forum up to date, since each release includes security patches.
Can I run other websites on the same plan as my SMF forum?
Yes, on Growth, Premium, and Elite plans. You can host multiple websites on the same account, for example a blog or landing page alongside your SMF forum. The Essentials plan supports one website.
