Flarum

Lightweight PHP forum software for running a discussion community on your own website, extended through a plugin API.

16.4k stars, 1.7k forks PHP On GitHub since December 2014

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

Flarum at a glance

Open sourceYes, MITNo paid parts in the repository
Health41 of 100Actively developed
Self-hostingFrom sourceOne-click in YunoHost and Unraid
InterfaceEnglish onlyNo translation files found
Release rhythmEvery ~47 daysLatest: v2.0.0, 9 October 2026

What is Flarum?

Flarum is a discussion platform you install alongside your website to host a community forum. The backend is written in PHP, which keeps hosting requirements modest, and the browser interface uses Mithril, a small JavaScript framework. The design aims for a clean, uncluttered layout that behaves the same on phones and desktops. Features beyond the basics come from extensions built on its Extension API. The repository on GitHub holds only the skeleton application, while most development takes place in the separate flarum/core repository.

Good fit if

  • You want a self-hosted forum on ordinary PHP hosting instead of a paid community platform.
  • You prefer a minimal discussion board and add features through extensions as needed.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want a forum with a longer list of built-in moderation and community tools: Discourse.
  • You want a federated microblogging network rather than threaded discussions: Mastodon.

Before you adopt it

Flarum is released under the MIT license and has no paid parts in the repository. The Flarum Foundation holds the copyright. Version 2.0.0 shipped in October 2026, so check that the extensions you rely on support it before upgrading. Installation follows the official guide; no Docker image or compose file is provided in the repository. Recent commits to this skeleton repository come from one author, but the main code lives in flarum/core.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 7 November 2026. Report a correction

How to run Flarum yourself

One-click install

Not listed in Umbrel, TrueNAS, CasaOS, Runtipi, Proxmox VE Helper-Scripts and Coolify. Checked against each panel’s app catalog on 12 November 2026.

Ways to install

Docker files
None in the repository
Compose file
None in the repository
Setup effort
Not rated: no compose file to judge from
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
No app builds in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: flarum.org or the README on GitHub. Docker images and packages are checked weekly.

Flarum health: is it still maintained?

41 of 100, actively developed

Release rhythmEvery ~47 daysLatest: v2.0.0, 9 October 2026
Issue repliesNot measuredToo few recent issues from outside the team
Bus factorHigh riskOne person wrote all recent commits
  • Activity
    5 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 6 November 2026.
    9 / 30
  • Contributors
    1 person wrote the 5 commits of the last 90 days; the most active wrote 100% of them.
    2 / 20
  • Releases
    2+ releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v2.0.0, on 9 October 2026.
    15 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Too few recent issues from outside the team to measure, so this part gets a neutral score.
    10 / 20
  • Security practices
    No OpenSSF Scorecard for this repository yet, so this part gets a neutral score.
    5 / 10

Read from GitHub on 12 November 2026. How the score works

Flarum security

Security advisories are the vulnerabilities the maintainers disclosed on GitHub, with the versions that fix them; many advisories can mean careful disclosure as much as weak code.

Security advisoriesNone publishedNo advisories in the repository’s Security tab

Advisories read from GitHub on 12 November 2026.

Flarum license: is it open source?

Flarum uses MIT, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. December 2014First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayMIT.

Flarum for developers

Written in

  • PHP 100%

Getting involved

Contributing guideNot foundNo CONTRIBUTING file in the repository
Open issues0On GitHub
Authors, 90 days1Of 5 commits
Donations2 waysGitHub Sponsors, Open Collective

Language shares are GitHub’s count of the code in the repository.

Alternatives to Flarum

  • NodeBBNode.js based forum software built for the modern web 80 health · GPL-3.0 · 15.2k stars
  • AnswerA Q&A platform software for teams at any scales. Whether it's a community forum, help center, or knowledge… 68 health · Apache-2.0 · 15.7k stars
  • HumHubHumHub is an Open Source Enterprise Social Network. Easy to install, intuitive to use and extendable with… 81 health · AGPL-3.0 · 6.8k stars
  • PixelFedPhoto Sharing. For Everyone. 80 health · AGPL-3.0 · 7.1k stars
  • DiscourseA platform for community discussion. Free, open, simple. 73 health · GPL-2.0 · 48.1k stars

All 18 projects in Social networks & forums

Questions about Flarum

Is Flarum open source?

Yes. Flarum is published under MIT, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Flarum still maintained?

Its health score is 41 of 100 (actively developed). It had 5 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 6 November 2026, and its latest release came out on 9 October 2026.

How do I run Flarum?

You can run it in one click from YunoHost and Unraid. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What is Flarum written in?

Flarum is written mainly in PHP (100% of the code), by GitHub’s count of the repository.

What are the alternatives to Flarum?

Close alternatives in the Social networks & forums category include NodeBB, Answer, HumHub.