Comparison
Forumotion vs your own forum hosting: an honest comparison
Forumotion makes it quick and free to start a forum, with a choice of classic forum layouts and plenty of built-in extras. Here is where it’s the better option, where running your own forum on Traxio.uk is, and what you can and can’t take with you.
The short version
Choose Forumotion if you want a free forum in a few clicks, like having extras such as a chatbox, gallery, portal and calendar built in, and are content for Forumotion to run the platform, with adverts on the free service.
Choose your own hosting, such as Traxio.uk, if you want the actual open-source software (MyBB, phpBB or SMF), your own domain, no adverts you didn’t choose, and a forum whose files and database you can download and move at any time.
At a glance
| Feature | Forumotion | Traxio.uk |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A hosted forum service with its own platform | Web hosting on which you install free forum software |
| Cost to start | Free | Free for 30 days, no card |
| Ongoing cost | Free; optional paid packages, priced in Forumotion credits or monthly | £0.99/month (£11.88 a year) |
| Adverts | Advertising on forums; removal is a paid option | None added by Traxio |
| Forum address | A Forumotion subdomain; own domain name through a paid package | Your own domain (required) |
| Software | Forumotion’s platform, with phpBB2, phpBB3, PunBB, Invision, ModernBB and AwesomeBB-style versions | Genuine MyBB, phpBB or SMF |
| Built-in extras | Chatbox, gallery, portal, calendar and more | Whatever you install: each package has add-ons for these |
| Customisation | Themes, CSS, templates and JavaScript within Forumotion | Any theme or add-on; full file and database access |
| Full data export | No backup or dump provided, beyond data-portability requests | Yes: your files and database, any time |
| Software updates | Handled by Forumotion | You apply them (Softaculous helps) |
| Support | Community support forum | Knowledgebase, guides and AI-assisted help desk (hosting only) |
Sources: forumotion.com (versions and free features); Forumotion terms of service (advertising, paid services, backups); Forumotion packages announcement (Free, Advanced and Premium packages, credits or monthly payment).
Where Forumotion is the better choice
- Free to run, if adverts are acceptable to you and your members.
- Quick to start, with no domain or installation needed.
- Lots built in. Chatbox, gallery, calendar and portal without installing anything.
- No maintenance. Forumotion handles the platform, and keeps restore points you can use.
Where your own hosting is the better choice
- Real, portable software. MyBB, phpBB and SMF are open-source projects you can run on any PHP host. If you ever leave Traxio, you take the whole forum with you.
- Your database, not just your theme. Forumotion’s terms rule out a full backup; on your own hosting, downloading everything is a normal, routine task.
- No adverts, one simple price. £0.99 a month after the trial, with no credits or activity-based pricing to work out.
- Your own domain from the start, so every link to your forum is yours.
What you take on with your own hosting
A domain (around £8–£12 a year), an afternoon of set-up, and responsibility for updates and backups. Extras such as a gallery or chat come from add-ons you choose and install. Traxio’s support covers the hosting, not the forum software. The set-up planner and forum guides help with all of it.
Moving from Forumotion
Since Forumotion doesn’t provide a database dump, there’s no direct import into MyBB, phpBB or SMF. Owners who move typically build the new forum, copy their rules and best guides across by hand, and invite members over with a clear announcement. Moving from a hosted forum has the full plan. Data-portability requests are a separate, legal route for personal data; they’re not designed as a forum migration tool.
Try it side by side
The Traxio.uk trial is free for 30 days with no card. Set up a test forum, try MyBB, phpBB or SMF, and decide with real experience. If it isn’t for you, let the trial lapse and nothing is charged.
Common questions
Is Forumotion free?
Yes, Forumotion forums are free to create and run. Its terms describe advertising on forums, and optional paid services such as packages, a domain name and advert removal. Traxio.uk is free for 30 days, then £0.99 a month, with no adverts.
Can I choose phpBB on Forumotion?
Forumotion offers several versions named after classic forum software (phpBB2, phpBB3, PunBB, Invision and its own ModernBB and AwesomeBB). These are layouts on Forumotion’s own hosted platform, not installations of that software you can download. On Traxio.uk you install the real, open-source phpBB, MyBB or SMF.
Can I back up my Forumotion forum?
Forumotion’s terms say that, apart from data-portability provisions, no backup or dump of a forum or its data is provided. Themes can be exported. Forumotion keeps its own restore points that admins can use to roll back.
Is Traxio.uk affiliated with Forumotion?
No. Forumotion is a trademark of its owner. Traxio.uk is an independent UK hosting service, and this page is our own comparison based on Forumotion’s public information.
Start your forum free for 30 days
Real hosting for MyBB, phpBB or SMF on a domain you own. £0.99 a month after the trial, and nothing is charged automatically.
Start your forum free Plan my set-up
Free for 30 days with no card details required. Then £0.99/month if you choose to continue.