Fast, One-ClickSMF Hosting
Free open-source forum software (Simple Machines Forum). Install SMF in one click with the Softaculous installer on cPanel NVMe hosting: LiteSpeed, free SSL, daily backups and 24×7 support. From $1.43/mo billed triennially.
cPanel NVMe Hosting Plans for SMF
Pick a server region and a plan, then install SMF from Softaculous in one click. Prices are live from our billing system.
Pay for 3 years and get 6 more months free on shared and reseller plans. Not combined with coupon codes.
Starter
First site, blogs, portfolios
+6 months free
$51.60 + 4.96% processing fee billed today for 3 years
42 months for the price of 36, about $1.23/mo
Renews at $51.60 every 3 years
- 5 Websites
- 10 GB NVMe Storage
- 10 MySQL Databases
- 25 Email Accounts
- 250 GB Bandwidth / month
- 1 GB RAM · 1 core
- Free Let's Encrypt SSL & free migration
- LiteSpeed Enterprise + LSCache
- Imunify360 · KernelCare · CageFS
- Daily JetBackup backups
- cPanel · Softaculous (400+ apps)
- 24×7 support · 99.99% uptime
Smart
Small business, a few projects
+6 months free
$104.00 + 4.96% processing fee billed today for 3 years
42 months for the price of 36, about $2.48/mo
Renews at $104.00 every 3 years
- 20 Websites
- 30 GB NVMe Storage
- 40 MySQL Databases
- 100 Email Accounts
- 500 GB Bandwidth / month
- 2 GB RAM · 2 cores
- Free Let's Encrypt SSL & free migration
- LiteSpeed Enterprise + LSCache
- Imunify360 · KernelCare · CageFS
- Daily JetBackup backups
- cPanel · Softaculous (400+ apps)
- 24×7 support · 99.99% uptime
Business
Agencies and growing stores
+6 months free
$208.40 + 4.96% processing fee billed today for 3 years
42 months for the price of 36, about $4.96/mo
Renews at $208.40 every 3 years
- 50 Websites
- 75 GB NVMe Storage
- 100 MySQL Databases
- 250 Email Accounts
- 1 TB Bandwidth / month
- 3 GB RAM · 3 cores
- Free Let's Encrypt SSL & free migration
- LiteSpeed Enterprise + LSCache
- Imunify360 · KernelCare · CageFS
- Daily JetBackup backups
- cPanel · Softaculous (400+ apps)
- 24×7 support · 99.99% uptime
Enterprise
High-traffic, large portfolios
+6 months free
$365.20 + 4.96% processing fee billed today for 3 years
42 months for the price of 36, about $8.70/mo
Renews at $365.20 every 3 years
- 200 Websites
- 150 GB NVMe Storage
- 300 MySQL Databases
- 1,000 Email Accounts
- 2 TB Bandwidth / month
- 6 GB RAM · 4 cores
- Free Let's Encrypt SSL & free migration
- LiteSpeed Enterprise + LSCache
- Imunify360 · KernelCare · CageFS
- Daily JetBackup backups
- cPanel · Softaculous (400+ apps)
- 24×7 support · 99.99% uptime
Every plan runs on enterprise NVMe storage with per-account CloudLinux limits. Prices are pre-tax with no setup fee; the same plans and prices apply in the USA, India, France, Poland, Canada and Singapore. 30-day money-back guarantee.
What is SMF?
SMF, short for Simple Machines Forum, is free open-source community forum software written in PHP and released under the BSD 3-Clause license. It is developed by the Simple Machines team on GitHub. It provides forums, permissions, a template system and a package manager for installing modifications, and works with MySQL or PostgreSQL.
License: BSD-3-Clause · Built with: PHP + MySQL · Official site: www.simplemachines.org
Common uses
- General community or hobby forum
- Support forum for a product or service
- Member discussion board with custom permissions
- Forum extended with modifications
SMF requirements
- PHP: PHP 7.1 or newer for the 2.1 series, per the SMF wiki
- Database: MySQL 5.6 or newer, or PostgreSQL 9.6 or newer; MariaDB 10.x reported to work
- PHP extensions fileinfo and mbstring
Runs on standard PHP and MySQL with only the fileinfo and mbstring extensions required, so no special server access is needed. Very active boards may need more resources over time.
Why host SMF with Hostripples
- One-click SMF install from Softaculous inside cPanel, with no manual upload or database setup
- All-NVMe storage and LiteSpeed Enterprise with LSCache for quick page loads
- Selectable PHP versions per site and CloudLinux account isolation with CageFS
- Free SSL, daily JetBackup backups and Imunify360 malware protection
- Free migration of an existing SMF site, and 24×7 support in English
SMF features
What SMF offers
Template system
A customizable template system gives control over forum layout.
Permissions and members
Advanced permissions and user management let admins fine-tune access.
Package manager
Installs and removes modifications automatically through a package manager.
Multi-language
Supports multiple languages for international communities.
Search
Provides forum-wide, category, topic and personal message search.
Read tracking
Tracks read and unread topics for members.
Install SMF in four steps
No manual upload or database setup: Softaculous does it from your cPanel.
Plan
Choose a cPanel NVMe plan and server region
cPanel
Log in to cPanel and open Softaculous Apps Installer
Install
Search for SMF, click Install and fill in the form
Launch
Open your new SMF site and start building
Compare with other apps
People who look at SMF often compare it with:
More Forums you can install in one click:
Which plan is right for me?
Pick the line that fits what you need. These are the same plans and live prices as the cards above.
First site, blogs, portfolios
Starter
5 Websites · 10 GB NVMe Storage · 10 MySQL Databases
Choose Starter$1.43/mo
$51.60 + 4.96% processing fee billed today for 3 years
Small business, a few projects
Smart
20 Websites · 30 GB NVMe Storage · 40 MySQL Databases
Choose Smart$2.89/mo
$104.00 + 4.96% processing fee billed today for 3 years
Agencies and growing stores
Business
50 Websites · 75 GB NVMe Storage · 100 MySQL Databases
Choose Business$5.79/mo
$208.40 + 4.96% processing fee billed today for 3 years
High-traffic, large portfolios
Enterprise
200 Websites · 150 GB NVMe Storage · 300 MySQL Databases
Choose Enterprise$10.14/mo
$365.20 + 4.96% processing fee billed today for 3 years
Prices for USA. Other billing terms and server locations are on the plan cards.
SMF Hosting: Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know
Still have questions?
Our support team is live 24/7.
Ready to launch SMF?
Pick a cPanel NVMe plan and install SMF in one click. Free SSL, free migration and 24×7 support included.