Head-to-head · October 2026
bbPress Protected Forums vs wpForo Forum
wpForo Forum comes out ahead, winning 7 of 7 head-to-head checks against bbPress Protected Forums.
bbPress Protected Forums
bbPress Protected Forums adds a metabox, shown while editing a forum, that allows you to disable new topic…
wpForo Forum
wpForo is the first AI powered forum plugin for WordPress. Full-fledged yet easy and light forum solution for…
| Metric | bbPress Protected Forums | wpForo Forum |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 90+ | 20K+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 181 | 56.5K |
| Download trend | +11.7% | +218.5% |
| Rating | 5/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Reviews | 3 | 390 |
| Health score | 32/100 | 93/100 |
| Last updated | 14 years ago | 2 weeks ago |
| Tested up to | WP 3.4.2 | WP 7.1.3 |
| Support resolved | — | 100% |
| Requires PHP | Any | 7.1+ |
| First released | Sep 2012 | Jun 2016 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
bbPress Protected ForumswpForo Forum
Choose bbPress Protected Forums if…
You prefer its feature set and workflow — it holds its own on the fundamentals.
- Small user base (90+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 14 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.4 (latest is 7.1)
Choose wpForo Forum if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.
- Proven at scale on 20K+ active sites
- Loved by users — 4.7/5 from 390 reviews
- Actively developed — last update 2 weeks ago
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Responsive support — 100% of recent threads resolved
FAQ
bbPress Protected Forums vs wpForo Forum: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 11, 2026
Which is better, bbPress Protected Forums or wpForo Forum?
wpForo Forum comes out ahead, winning 7 of 7 head-to-head checks against bbPress Protected Forums. Choose wpForo Forum if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.
Is bbPress Protected Forums more popular than wpForo Forum?
wpForo Forum is the more popular of the two with 20K+ active installs, compared with 90+ for bbPress Protected Forums.
Can I use bbPress Protected Forums and wpForo Forum together?
Both plugins cover bbPress and forums, so most sites only need one. Running two plugins that do the same job can cause conflicts and slow your site down — pick the one that fits best and remove the other.
Are bbPress Protected Forums and wpForo Forum free?
Yes. Both are free to download from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Either may also offer paid upgrades from its developer.
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