Discourse and vBulletin are both popular forum software platforms, but they have different features, pricing models, and user experiences. Here’s a comparison of these two forum software options:

1. User Interface and Experience:
   • Discourse: Discourse offers a modern, responsive, and user-friendly interface. It focuses on real-time updates and a more dynamic conversation style with features like infinite scrolling and live previews.
   • vBulletin: vBulletin has a more traditional forum layout. It provides a structured and hierarchical discussion board interface, which some users prefer for its familiarity.
2. Community Engagement:
   • Discourse: Discourse encourages user engagement through features like badges, notifications, and a trust system that rewards users for positive contributions. It aims to create a sense of community.
   • vBulletin: vBulletin also offers features for user engagement, including reputation systems and private messaging. However, it may not have as many modern engagement features as Discourse.
3. Customization:
   • Discourse: While Discourse is highly customizable in terms of branding and themes, it can be challenging to customize extensively without technical knowledge. There are plugins available, but not as many as vBulletin.
   • vBulletin: vBulletin has a wide range of customization options, including themes and plugins. It allows for more extensive modifications and has a larger library of add-ons.
4. SEO and Searchability:
   • Discourse: Discourse is known for its SEO-friendliness and searchability, which can be crucial for driving organic traffic to your forum. It has clean HTML markup and offers features like human-readable URLs.
   • vBulletin: vBulletin also provides SEO features, but it might not be as SEO-optimized out-of-the-box as Discourse.
5. Pricing:
   • Discourse: Discourse offers a free, open-source version that you can self-host. They also offer a hosting service with pricing based on the number of active users. The hosted option includes regular updates and support.
   • vBulletin: vBulletin offers a paid software model with a one-time license fee. However, this fee may vary depending on the version and the number of installations. There may be additional costs for support and updates.
6. Security:
   • Both Discourse and vBulletin take security seriously, and both regularly release updates to patch vulnerabilities. However, the security of your forum can also depend on how well you maintain and secure your hosting environment.
7. Community and Support:
   • Both platforms have active user communities and offer support options. Discourse’s community is known for its helpfulness, and they offer a paid support plan as well. vBulletin offers official support packages as part of its licensing.
8. Mobile Friendliness:
   • Discourse: Discourse is designed to be mobile-friendly from the ground up, making it accessible on a wide range of devices.
   • vBulletin: While vBulletin has improved its mobile responsiveness, it may not be as mobile-friendly as Discourse.

In summary, the choice between Discourse and vBulletin depends on your specific needs and preferences. Discourse is a more modern, user-focused platform with a focus on real-time interaction, while vBulletin provides more traditional forum features and extensive customization options. Your decision may also be influenced by factors like your budget, technical expertise, and existing community preferences.