Best forum plugin for a Wordpress blog?

Factual Questions
1

Hi all,

So I want to add a forum to my blog, and I’m trying to find out which would be the best. I can’t find anything but Tal.ki that really has social media integration, but that seems to be the only way that people can sign up in the first place, and I’m not sure if it really has the best flexibility… and I don’t think you can change the URL.

I like SimplePress. But is the point about social media actually that important? SP doesn’t have it, but I can’t find anything else that does, either. SP isn’t free, but I really need something that is going to WORK. I need some suggestions!! Who else has tried this?

2

Social media doesn’t matter at all, IMHO. And making people sign up through Facebook or whatever seems like a disincentive, to me.

3

I don’t like that signup method either. It would be nice to have that social media integration, though… does anyone know of any other plugin besides Tal.ki that has that option? Or another forum option? It doesn’t have to be free…

4

bbPress - http://bbpress.org. It’s the official forum plugin for WordPress, and certainly the best integrated.

If you’re looking for something more like a social network, see BuddyPress.org.

5

MMmmm… okay. I have read about bbpress before. However, a lot of people seem to be saying that it is not as user friendly as SimplePress and also requires many plugins and lots of time spent figuring everything out. I have two books to finish writing, three writers’ groups, a blog, a marketing plan, a job… you get the picture. :wink:

6

Perhaps they were referring to an old version. I just installed bbPress myself to see - it took less than a minute to get a test forum running. Just a matter of installing the bbPress plugin in WordPress, and clicking on the Forums tab.