A modern, lightweight forum platform built with PHP 8. No database server required, runs on JSON flat files. Open source, fast, and endlessly extensible.
Everything you need
From flexible storage to powerful editors, granular permissions to SEO-ready pages, Flatboard gives your community everything it needs, right out of the box.
And also…
Extend Flatboard with plugins: polls, blog, private messaging, reputation, auto-moderation, analytics, and many more.
Runs on JSON flat files, no database server required. SQLite backend and StorageMigrator available with Flatboard Pro.
Each admin can easily customise the editor toolbar to match their community's needs — choose tools, presets, and layout, no code required.
Clean URLs, meta tags, canonical links, and sitemap — benefit from optimised natural search engine ranking out of the box.
Members react directly to any post with emoji reactions — boost engagement and get instant feedback without replying.
Categories managed by group permissions — control who can read, post, or moderate each section with fine-grained access rules.
Update Flatboard to the latest version in one click from the admin panel — no command line, no FTP, no downtime.
The default theme lets you customise colours and upload your logo directly from the admin panel — no CSS, no code, no technical knowledge required.
Members receive real-time notifications for replies, mentions, and reactions. Subscribe to any discussion to never miss an update — delivered in-app and by email.
Pin, lock, or mark a discussion as solved in one click. Members can flag the best answer directly from the thread — no admin panel required.
Adds 7 exclusive plugins, a built-in Analytics Dashboard, and a fully-featured premium theme on top of the Community edition — for a one-time payment of $49.
CMS pages, blog engine, landing page template, navigation builder & contact form — all in one plugin.
Open Graph, JSON-LD, XML sitemap, robots.txt, 301/302 redirects, GA4/GTM, and per-page overrides.
4 layouts, 4 navbar styles, dark/light mode, configurable colours, animations & parallax.
Visit KPIs, 30-day traffic charts, top pages, referrer sources & engagement ratios.
Dual-mode WYSIWYG & Markdown, image upload, YouTube/TikTok embeds, emoji picker & autosave.
Full inbox with read receipts, typing indicator, attachments, search & email notifications.
Activity charts, leaderboards, anomaly detection, spam scoring & email alerts.
Migrate between JSON and SQLite backends in one click — atomic, rollback-friendly, zero downtime.
Shadow ban, pre-moderation queue for new users, discussion merge with automatic 301 redirects, and bulk actions (hide, lock, pin, delete…).
Add ?token=your_api_key to any feed URL to access private categories in your feed reader — no login required. Works for all feed types: global, category, user, and tag.
Community-driven
Flatboard gets stronger with every bug report, translation, and idea.
Come ask questions, share your setup, or just say hello.
Browse the official docs to install Flatboard, create plugins, customise themes, and master every feature.
Read the DocsFound an issue? Report it on the forum so we can fix it quickly. Every report makes Flatboard more stable.
Bug ReportsAsk questions, share plugins, show off your install, and connect with other Flatboard users and developers.
Visit ForumNews & updates
Flatboard 5.6.0 "BASTION" — what changed since 5.5.1 "AEGIS" Six weeks. Fourteen releases. One version bump. Here's everything between AEGIS (5.5.1) and BASTION (5.6.0), grouped by what it means in practice rather than which minor it landed in. 🔒 Security — why "BASTION" This cycle opened with a foc…
Read more🚀 Changelog — Flatboard 5.6.0 "BASTION" Release date: May 17, 2026 Security SQL injection: SqliteStorage::count() — table and column names not validated — The $table parameter and condition keys were interpolated directly into the SQL query without any validation. $table is now checked against an ex…
Read moreQuick answer Choose Flatboard if you're starting fresh and want a forum that works in 2026 without fighting a codebase built in 2004. No MySQL, no manual updates, actively maintained. Stick with SMF if your community is already running on it and you have no compelling reason to move. SMF still works…
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