In 2003 or so, when I installed it, Simple Machines Forum (SMF) seemed like a better option than PphBB, which I had previously used. PhpBB had security issues and SMF seemed to have fewer problems.

I first tried using SMF several years ago when I needed to deploy a forum fast for demo purposes. Trying SMF and some other solutions to choose the best one for intuitive administration, supporting all features they desired, I choose SMF. Everyone loved it! SMF got awarded with "Best free forum award" in 2009. In my opinion, that should have been news to no one, as it was fully expected. Installation and configuration are relatively fast and easy, with minimal server and client requirements. SMF has its own package manager for smooth administration. With all that said, it is worth noting that SMF supports the industry security standards. The features supported are too many to list separately. What really got me at first were the overall smoothness, the language support and the interface. SMF supports PHP and MySQL/PostgreSQL, Apache, ASpell, user ranking, smileys, email notifications, file upload, user karma, permission profiles, over 45 different languages, themes, mods and customizations, etc. Dedicated tools are available for easy conversion from other forum software to SMF for easy transition. And the best part is that it is open-source!

The best parts about SMF is that it is free and open source and very secure. It has many features like premium subscriptions, Access Control Lists (ACL), and great media features. Moderation and Administration is very easy. I use the development version because Its new theme is great