I like to think I have some expertise on forums. I used phpbb software for over a year. I initially picked phpbb because it is the best free forum software out there. It’s relatively easy to install and has some nice mods.

However, after switching to Vbulletin last month, I know realized what everyone has been talking about. I now realize why when you look at a list of the top forums on the web, that 95% of them run Vbulletin. It is simply amazing. I was overwhelmed at first, but after a lot of playing around I am finally getting the hang of it. So for those of you running Vbulletin, or planning on it, I am going to provide you with a list of my top 5 Mods (In no particular order).

1. VbAdvanced – VBA is a portal / content management system used to organize the homepage of your website. I am a big fan of portals, because if non internet savvy people browse to your site and just see a forum, they might not know what it is. A portal divides the website up into sections for easy navigation. My homepage on Gator Envy uses VBA. The number of mods and hacks for vba are endless. You can also use it to create pages within your forum, such as Florida Gator Wallpapers.

2. ibProArcade – Every forum should have an arcade. In my opinion ibProArcade is the best one out there for vbulletin. It integrates fully with a simply upload. It comes with about 7 games, but you can download more via their official website. Users also have the ability to create touraments and crown champions. If you like showing your skills off, there is a nice leaderboard and you can even show “Tetris Champion” under your avatar.

3. vB Ad Management – One of the biggest concerns for forum owners is monetization. Nothing makes monetizing a forum easier than using vB Ad Management. I currently don’t have this mod installed yet. But it basically allows you to put ads in any section of your forum, and gives you the option to display the ads to any user group. You can display ads in post threads as well. Just put your code into the admin section, and it does the rest.

4. vbBux / vbPlaza – Vbplaza is a points system/shop that integrates into your forum. Users earn points for creating threads and making posts. The number of points earned is fully customizable within the admin panel. Users can then use these points to purchase ribbons, gifts, icons or just about anything your heart desires. Members can also buy name changes, username modifications and more. You can pretty much sell anything you want on there. It comes with a bank (and yes you can give out interest and charge taxes on withdrawls).

5. Members who have visited in the last 24 hours – Nothing makes a Vbulletin forum appear active than displaying the total number of members who have visited in the last 24 hours. You see them on just about every forum. It’s a long list of members at the very bottom of the page. This is a great mod in my opinion.

So there you have it, my top 5 VBulletin mods. Once I have run my forum for a bit longer I will post another top 5 mods that I feel are useful for any forum.