# Create A Forum

> Free forum hosting service with built-in eCommerce, classifieds, photo galleries, arcade, and portal features for building online communities.

Create A Forum is a free forum and message board hosting platform that allows anyone to build an online community without technical knowledge. The service has been operating for over 10 years and hosts thousands of active forums. It offers a free ad-supported plan plus paid upgrades to remove ads and unlock additional features like eCommerce, chat rooms, and custom domains.

## Core Features

- Unlimited posts, topics, boards, and subforums
- Advanced member permissions system by group
- EzPortal: Custom portal with ezBlocks and additional pages
- Photo gallery system with personal galleries and comments
- Built-in arcade with 100+ games
- Mobile theme and Tapatalk integration
- Social login integration (Facebook, etc.)
- Custom domain support
- Newsletter and mass email/PM system

## Premium Add-ons (Ultimate Plan)

- eCommerce store: Sell digital and physical products
- Classifieds system: Listings and auctions
- Chat room: Real-time Ajax chat
- Downloads Pro: File uploads with optional paid downloads
- Ad Seller Pro: Manage your own ad placements
- Custom smileys upload
- 250MB attachment and gallery storage
- Footer branding removal
- Ad-free experience

## Plans

- Free Plan: Full forum features, ad-supported after 30 days
- Paid Plans: Ad-free options with premium add-ons at budget-friendly prices
- Ultimate Plan: All features unlocked including eCommerce, classifieds, chat, and downloads

## Key Pages

- /free-forum.php: Free forum signup
- /ultimateplan.php: Ultimate plan features and pricing
- /features.php: Complete feature list
- /support/: Support forums and help
- /faq.php: Frequently asked questions

## Comparisons (vs other platforms)

- /compare.php: Hub comparing Create A Forum against other community platforms
- /facebook-groups-alternative.php: vs Facebook Groups — ownership, Google indexability, data export, the June 2025 mass group suspensions
- /proboards-alternative.php: vs ProBoards — no forum export on ProBoards, v5 software from 2013, no built-in monetization
- /tapatalk-alternative.php: vs Tapatalk Groups — paid mobile app since 2025, $20/mo Premium with pageview caps, no self-serve export
- /forumotion-alternative.php: vs Forumotion — 20MB free storage, unpublished pricing, no database export per their ToS

Key differentiator across all comparisons: Create A Forum lets every forum admin download a full database backup at any time; Facebook Groups, ProBoards, Tapatalk and Forumotion do not offer self-serve full data export.

## Topics Covered

- Free forum hosting
- Online community building
- Message board creation
- Forum administration
- Member management and permissions
- Forum monetization (eCommerce, classifieds, paid downloads)
- Forum customization and themes

## Use Cases

- Hobby and interest communities
- Fan forums and discussion groups
- Gaming communities
- Support forums for products or services
- Private member communities
- Small business customer forums
- Anyone wanting to monetize a forum with built-in eCommerce

## Company

Create A Forum is located in Lombard, Illinois, USA.

## Contact

- Website: https://www.createaforum.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/createaforum
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/createaforum