What it does
XenForo offers forum software through managed cloud subscriptions or a self-hosted licence. Moderators can collect posts across pages and handle approvals and reports in separate queues. Its seven-day private demo requires a verified customer account.
When a discussion needs cleanup, staff can select items across several pages and apply a bulk move, merge, pin or deletion from the latest page. Content needing approval gathers in one queue; member reports have a separate management view. These views let moderators work through submissions without finding each post again.
Cloud subscriptions include the full XenForo suite and managed infrastructure, with unlimited members and staff. Allowances vary:
| Cloud plan | Monthly page views | Storage |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 400,000 | 50 GB |
| Standard | 1 million | 100 GB |
| Business | 4 million | 240 GB |
Monthly or annual billing is available. Persistent excess usage after a second month triggers an automatic upgrade. Cloud allows third-party add-ons but gives no direct server access.
A self-hosted licence allows continuing software use with one year of updates and support; later update access needs an extension. You provide the hosting and maintain the installation.
For the private demo, create a customer account and confirm your email. The temporary installation includes the control panel and official add-ons. It lasts seven days, with an extension available from the customer area near expiry.
Strengths
- Bulk moderation selections can span several pages
- Approval and reported-content views collect different review tasks
Watch out for
- Persistent cloud allowance overages can trigger an automatic plan upgrade
- Self-hosted support and update access require renewal after the included year
Best for
- Forum operators choosing between managed hosting and their own infrastructure
Sources
- XenForo Content Moderation (Oct 27, 2026)
- Get Started with XenForo (Oct 27, 2026)
- Create a XenForo Demo (Oct 27, 2026)