pB
The open-source board that carried the mid-2000s web — free, extensible, and still maintained.
Active View specimen
Est. 2024 — An open archive
Preserving the history of internet communities, one forum at a time.
Script Foundation documents the software that ran the message boards, guilds, and comment sections of the early web — from Ultimate Bulletin Board to the platforms still running today.
- Catalog
- 142 entries
- Earliest record
- 1995
- Latest record
- 2026
- License
- CC BY-SA 4.0
142Software Archived
618Versions Documented
3,204Screenshots
891Themes Archived
105Discontinued
Permanent Collection
Browse all 142 →
Featured software
vB
The dominant commercial forum platform of the 2000s, known for its polished admin CP.
Active View specimenBorn from a UBB.classic fork dispute — became a free, community-run alternative.
Active View specimenWidely regarded as the first true commercial web forum package.
Discontinued View specimenMyB
A lightweight PHP/MySQL board that grew out of the discontinued MyBBoard project.
Active View specimenXF
Founded by former vBulletin developers; set the modern standard for forum UX.
Active View specimen
1995 — Present
Full timeline →
A brief history, in passing
1995
Ultimate BB
1998
vBulletin
2000
phpBB
2004
SMF
2005
MyBB
2010
XenForo
2020+
Modern platforms
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