Flarum

Overview of Flarum

Flarum is modern, fast, and completely free open-source community software designed for building engaging discussion forums. This extensible platform serves communities of all sizes – from small interest groups to enterprise-level forums – with a focus on simplicity, performance, and user experience. Built with PHP for easy deployment and powered by the lightweight Mithril JavaScript framework, Flarum delivers responsive, intuitive interfaces that work seamlessly across all devices without unnecessary complexity or bloat.

As the combined successor to esoTalk and FluxBB, Flarum represents the evolution of forum software with its MIT license ensuring complete freedom and no vendor lock-in. The platform excels at creating welcoming spaces for various communities including community platforms, forum clients, and collaboration tools. Whether you're building a helpdesk system, membership community, or web3 discussion space, Flarum provides the foundation for meaningful conversations and engagement.

How to Use Flarum

Getting started with Flarum is straightforward – download the open-source software from GitHub and deploy it on any web hosting environment, including shared hosting plans. The installation process requires basic PHP knowledge and follows standard web application deployment procedures. Once installed, administrators can customize their forum through the intuitive admin panel, install extensions from hundreds of available options, configure user permissions and groups, apply themes using LESS styling, and set up notification systems. The platform's comprehensive documentation and active developer community provide support throughout the setup and customization process.

Core Features of Flarum

1. Extensible Platform – Build on core experience with hundreds of available extensions for unlimited customization
2. Groups and Permissions – Configure user access, moderation rights, and category-specific actions easily
3. Powerful Editor – Choose between simple BBCode/markdown or full WYSIWYG editing options
4. Styling and Themes – Customize appearance through admin settings, installed themes, or custom CSS
5. Real-time Notifications – Engage users with browser, email, and websocket-powered instant updates

Use Cases for Flarum

• Helpdesk and customer support systems with self-service articles and staff ticket management
• Paid membership communities for recurring revenue through subscription models
• Web3 and decentralized communities supporting innovative blockchain projects
• Educational forums for course discussions and student collaboration
• Open source project communities with developer discussions and issue tracking
• Gaming communities with real-time updates and engagement features
• Professional networks and industry-specific discussion platforms

Support and Contact

For support and community assistance, visit the official Flarum community forum. The platform benefits from active developer collaboration on GitHub where issues can be reported and feature requests submitted. Email contact: contact@flarum.org

Company Info

Flarum is developed by Toby Zerner as open-source community software. The project maintains an active presence on GitHub with contributions from developers worldwide, fostering continuous improvement and extension development.

Login and Signup

Access your Flarum community or set up a new installation on the Flarum website. Individual forum instances manage their own user registration and authentication systems.